Analysis Of ' One Step At A Time ' By Jordan Sparks Essay

In the real world, there is racism and discrimination of people. It’s the truth. Anthony B. Pinn of The Humanist defines privilege as “the socially arranged and culturally ingrained assumption that one’s perspective is normative, one’s importance firm, and one’s right to what the United States has to offer beyond question” (1). Pinn gives the spotlight to a recent controversy in the United States, saying that “A message such as “Black Lives Matter” and the effort to turn it into “All Lives

Adams, W. Blumenfeld, C. Castaneda, H. Hackman, M. Peters, & X. Zuniga book “Readings in diversity and social justice” chapters 6-10 (2010) they discussed in order to rid oppression it starts with recognizing our social identity and how it contributed to our socialization. In order to understand socialization you need to understand the socialization cycle. Supporting subordinate groups are privileged and target groups are disfranchised but the worse is these roles are determined without our permission. The authors argue that once individuals understand oppression and want to make a change they become frustrated with the process of liberation. Supporting that the process of liberation is a cycle that begins with empowerment of self, ends with maintain, and at the core is a serious of attributes (self-love, hope, self-esteem, balance, joy, support, security, spiritual base, and authentic love of others. In differ the authors’ further support the idea white people are compensating for the system of advantage but as high as the cost of black people. The authors back up this claim through the notion of whites benefit from racism but they don’t all benefit

In her 2012 TEDx Talk, “How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion”, Peggy McIntosh discusses how race is a privilege system and how white people are given an advantage without even realizing it. In her lecture McIntosh says, “These privilege systems, which locate us above and below the hypothetical line of social justice, were invented and we were born into them. And we all know both sides and that is the reason for compassion, about the sadness of having been born into systems that gave us such… such different ‘politics of location’”. Here, it seems that McIntosh’s main goal is to inform people that we are born into a privilege system because of our skin color and the only way that we can prevent a social hierarchy we must be able to recognize that we are all different. I think that the human population should be able to identify that people are different and have compassion for the differences in society our world today could have little to no race issues. After listening to McIntosh’s arguments, I support the ideas she makes throughout her works and I find that privilege systems are still prominent in today’s society.

During a group discussion with my peers, someone told me that the only reason that Texas Tech admitted me was because of the color of my skin and that Tech had to meet a certain quota. However, being African American ultimately made me fight even harder to prove that my hard work was not based on the idea that someone owed me something. Shelby Steele an author, professor and a speaker on race relations, relates to me through his essay titled “The New Sovereignty.” Steele grew up in the Civil Rights Era and witnessed oppression, but he believes that oppression has led to entitlement. In the essay he explains that America has encouraged, instead of breaking down, the notion that grievance groups and minority groups feel entitled because of previous

Privilege is often seen as special rights granted to individuals either on behalf of merit or through unwarranted means. In their writings, Johnson (privilege, oppression, and difference) and Peggy McIntosh (White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack) discuss their views on the impact that privileging specific social groups has on society. The concept of whiteness in America is often overlooked or unaffiliated with discussions concerning racial dilemmas. Whiteness and white privilege perpetuates racism due to its normalization in society which in turn serves as an agent of how other non-white people are treated.

The United States of America is suppose to be the place to pursue the “American Dream”, yet no one never said the path to that dream was going to be easy, especially if you are not white. Minorities in this country are riddled with struggle and barriers that hinder the growth of the people starting from below the bottom. As Berkman and Blunk said in their Thoughts on Class, Race and Prison, “we live in a country where large numbers of people, particularly young Afro-American, Latino and Native American women and men, have been written off by society.” The minority of the United States experience bare minimal surrounded “in a consumer society, [that] if you’ve got nothing, you’re considered to be nothing, and the frustration of this reality leads [minority] people into crimes and drugs” (Berkman & Blunk). Minorities throughout times have faced challenges and persevered for rights in this country, though their rights have been achieved “racial inequality...may linger on for indefinite periods of time after the racial barriers are eliminated” (Wilson).

To my family we always saw the inequality, it was a part of our daily lives and we had to deal with it as best as we could. The inequality was always an inconvenience, a part of my daily life that had less resources, stricter rules, less to no privileges, which made no sense to me where in the country we live in is supposedly free and equal for everyone. Growing up we always had to be careful around cops and made sure that we come fully prepared with papers to any meeting foe healthcare, or government benefits because weren’t given the benefit of the doubt. A prime example for the inequalities my family went through was extra processes for car insurance, dental care, and medical care. We always had to make sure to dot our I’s and cross our T’s or else it could be taken away in an instant. It just didn’t affect my family but my community as well. Having a community of Hispanics and African Americans we had to make sure not to make too much noise during parties or in an instant we would have cops on our blocks. These kinds of small things snowball into such a massive effect and influence our tremendously to the point where we think it’s “just another day” and not an attack against our

“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” (Randy Pausch). This quote by Pausch explains the struggle of those who can only go so far, with the life they were born into. Without a doubt, this statement has been proven, over the course of history. For example, women had the unfortunate role, that throughout time, they have had to live a life below men. This includes not having the same rights, opportunities and power. This can also be said for African Americans during the 1900’s. Without a doubt, have both parties had to face obstacles, due to the opinions of society. Even after facing those obstacles however, it is important to realize not all races and genders have become equal, contrary to those who believe that

The next segment during Diversity Day would have counselors running groups in order to educate students to stand up for others and also hear first-hand stories from other students that have been treated differently for being different. Counselors will facilitate students in discussing past stories of witnessing or receiving discrimination and have the students discuss what they have heard. For students that have witnessed these acts, they can discuss how they felt when they decided to stop the act of discrimination. Additionally, they can also discuss with the student how they felt when they decided to not stop the act of discrimination. For the students that have suffered from acts of discrimination they can explain how they felt when someone stepped in to help them. Additionally, students can explain how it felt when no one stepped in and just watched as they suffered from discrimination. The purpose of this activity is to educate the students on how the victims feel when someone helps them compared to someone who does not. Additionally, it will educate students on how people felt when they helped someone in need compared to someone who watched the incident without intervening.

Inequality towards minorities in the United States has been established to be forgotten but in this century we have noticed that it has never gone away but instead been covered with other structures that allow inequality to take place. Being a minority and watching this video reminded me of the inequalities that I will still have to face throughout my education and career path. For many of us we have been tracked since elementary and allowed structures figure out where we belong due to our race, economic status, immigration status. For some students, we realize the inequalities that we have been given and try to make a change that will affect us and future generations. Cases like Brown vs. Board of Education and Mendez vs. Wethcmister Shows

Oppression is intersectional, and my various identities all contribute to my experience with diverse forms of oppression. I took this course to help broaden my understanding of my privilege and the affect it has on how I interact with different forms of oppression. I wanted to become aware of my privileges that were invisible to me, and change the discriminatory behavior that I may be engaging in unknowingly. This Gender, Power, and Privilege class brought to my attention the harmful ideas I’ve been socialized to believe regarding classism and weightism, and given me the tools to continually acknowledge and challenge these beliefs.

A privilege is any unearned advantage available to a particular person or group of people. As McIntosh had described, privileges are invisible, weightless knapsacks containing special provisions, maps and passports (White Privilege). The privileged rarely see themselves as the oppressor, but instead take the majority of their rights for granted, which protects them from many kinds of hostility, distress, and violence. In the following paper, I describe the hardships associated with disability and homosexuality through the perspective of Connie Panzarino, as portrayed in her memoir The Me In The Mirror. I will then relate her experiences to class readings and describe how able-bodied and heterosexual privileges are threats to those who do not fit into either category.

“I’m sick and tired of hearing about ‘White” privilege being tossed around, as if Whites are the only group of people who have the capability to succeed. A fool in his heart says I can’t to do it, but a wise man says anything is limitless and does it without repercussion.”

Oppression and discrimination has plagued our society since early times. As a collective society one would think that over time oppression and discrimination would turn into acceptance and equality. Conversely, our society has taken sluggish steps towards diversity, acceptance and equality. Our society is focused on labeling people and putting them into limiting boxes. Oppression occurs across various groups of people based on gender, sex, race, religion, and disability. Members of these diverse groups are discriminated among work places, schools, and other places. Work places and schools promote diversity and non-discrimination, however little seems to be practiced. Oppression across generation leaves damaging consequences hindering society in the growth towards a more accepting environment.

“The more you pay attention to privilege and oppression, the more you’ll see opportunities to do something about them. You don’t have to mount an expedition to