Racism throughout history, although varying politically and socially, has brought a few quite similar experiences for oppressed people across the globe.
As described by Feagin, relationships between the "exploiter and exploited" have actually been quite similar across the world. Generally, the exploiter (white rules throughout the world) benefits and gains wealth from the work done by the suppressed people who have hardly gained anything back from their hard work. Such has been the case in countries such us USA where black slaves made plantation owners wealthy through their work. Or exploited Africans in French colonies in the North and Central Africa, who were mistreated with brutal violence as French conquerors became wealthy with land and Africa's natural resources.
Indeed, power relationships between whites and people of color across the world have been quite similar, almost always favoring the welfare of whites. Politically and socially speaking, there have also been parallels in the relationships of these two societal groups, especially across USA, France and Brazil.
In the USA, even after the abolition of slavery, after Jim Crow and the Civil Rights movement, racism and inequality among races have not ended. In America, there still exists de facto discrimination agaisnts people of color such as Latinos, Blacks and Asians. Although the white population is slowly becoming the minority in USA, white people still enjoy of better education, better health care, better jobs and constitute the majority in the government. Additionally, there are still stereotypes that are formed of minorities that further promote discrimination and inequity.
Likewise, in France, African and Muslim citizens, especially those who immigrated to France, are also discriminated against. Black French are sen as inferior and they along with Muslims experience discrimination in various sectors of society such as being denied a job, housing and even legal status. Indeed, France abolished slavery and freed many of its colonies hundreds of year ago, but discrimination still persists in the country.
As for Brazil goes, there are still doubts as to whether this country is a true racial democracy. Although the majority if Brazil's population is African descendant, important businesses, jobs and governmental positions are still lead by white Brazilians. Indeed, white is still a synonym for superiority and poverty and inequality is present in the lives of the Afro-Brazilians.
In South Africa, a similar situation exists. Even after the rise of the ANC and the end of apartheid, the black majority in South Africa is still the minority in many sectors of society. Many white South Africans still claim that their ancestors "built" South Africa when they discovered it and that they were the first people to exist in the country. Due to this, discrimination and de facto inequality for black South Africans still persists as the small white population still owns the majority of the country's business and economic venues.
Although there has been opportunities to overcome discrimination within the housing sector, racial discrimination has played a key part in preventing minorities from experiencing equality in housing. Gentrification plays a big part of this, as "unconscious" gentrifiers move in to historically minority areas and bring up home prices and taxes that push low-income minorities out. These minorities are often pushed out because they do not have the education, health care and means of landing a good paying job that helps them afford housing. Additionally, "red" zones have also prevented minorities from obtaining housing. Banks will raise interest or make it harder for minorities to obtain a mortgage loan based on the basis of their skin color and stereotypes that come with such. Although several measures have been implemented to bring affordable, accessible housing to low-income minorities, de facto and de jure measures against these populations still persist throughout history.
Tatum describes some barriers to talking about race and racism with his students. One such barrier is the student's concept of self. Usually, white students do not consider their race as an identifier, and rather use their religion, their sex or age to describe themselves. Minority students quite often claim their racial identity as something that makes up who they are. Additionally, how society views them also plays a role in the racial discussion. People usually consider those aspects of themselves that others see as exceptional or "other." White students don't often talk about their race because white is globally seen as idea and normal, especially as white people populate aspects of life such as TV, politics, film, literature and the arts. Being a "smart" black woman for example, is seen out of the norm because society does not generally see black women as smart, but rather "outspoken," "lazy," or "uneducated." If a black woman then gets good grades, goes to a great college or makes CEO of an important company, they are seen as an anomaly and these are aspects that are seen as exceptional identifiers of people from a young age. The same goes for other aspects of one's identity such sexual orientation, religion, sex etc. There are dominant and subordinate categories in each of these identities that all humans are part of as either a dominant and a subordinate. A christian black male for example, will be dominant in sex and religion, but subordinate in race in comparison to his white, young christian male counterpart. Therefore, identifying oneself as part of these subordinate or dominant groups also forms part of our lives and our discussion of race and racism.
Following
McIntosh’s
format here are some of my privileges:
1. I grew up in a strong and supportive Mexican family and being the youngest, I received much of the attention and support.
2. My mother is a strong knowledgeable woman who was raised by his middle class, affluent uncle who taught her culture; a culture which was then passed on to me at a very young age.
3. Thanks to this, she met a middle class Mexican man who offered to bring us to the USA and provide for us, especially when it came to my education.
4. Due to this, I was always knowledgeable and aware of events around me, and the highest of academic standards were demanded of me.
5. This discipline is what helped me obtain full funding for my higher education and come to this university where I have expanded my cultural and world views thanks to the people I've met, my study abroad trips and internships. Experiences that many of my South Mexican fellows will never even dream about.
5. Going back to an informed, cultured household, I am always surrounded by my Mexican culture in terms of language, history, current events,food, music, literature and politics. Additionally, my mother's tolerant, liberal views of society have encouraged me to also tolerate and respect people of different backgrounds, religions, sexual orientations or political views.
6. Because my mother always held our Mexican roots on a high throne, I was never denied my home language nor to see my country as she always takes me on vacation to different parts of Mexico, and being bilingual and bi-cultural now puts me ahead of many of my American counterparts.
7. Growing up with a strong catholic faith has also led me to find a career in the service sector and has basically outlined the path that I am to follow to achieve these professional and spiritual goals as a I use the many blessings I've been awarded to help those less fortunate.
Overall, McIntosh article gave me great satisfaction. Not only because she was not afraid to outright state her privileges as a white woman, but also because of her call to action. Indeed she clearly and quite bluntly invites her white counterparts to try and accept that there is such a thing as white privilege and to make a list of these privileges and stop ignoring/denying white supremacy.
