Personally, the Tim Wise video was phenomenal. I thought everything he touched on is super important and is something that NEEDS to be heard around the world but especially in America. I also really respected the manner in which he delivered his speech, he was funny, had information and statistics to back up his points, which we all know everyone loves statistics. He was honest, not taking really any credit for the information he provided, and as a white male he knew that what he was talking about is a touchy subject but that to get the point across and make the majority listen he was the man for the job.
He talks about Privilege which I believe is very prevalent into today's society. To be honest, like most other white American's out there, I had never thought of myself as my skin color being a privilege. I am just like that typical liberal he spoke of, the one that wants to help the minority and but doesn't really see that the under-privileged minorities have made little progress from the 1850's in becoming 100% equals to the white majority.
My group discussed the question about race and does your race help you understand the meaning of privilege and I really believe that it does. I believe that the majority is naive and choosing to stay ignorant because to them if they keep this feeling of numbness, everything is easier. The minorities on the other hand are more realistic because they have to be! They live in the now and process the things that happen to them because they can't live ignorantly like the majority. I thought it was completely interesting when Wise stated that 2/3rds of white Americans overwhelmingly supported the war before it began but as for the black minorities in the country they overwhelmingly stood against the war because they like the peoples the war is being fought against, understood. They saw no ends to the means that George Bush was fighting for.
It was hard to pick one specific thing that I really liked from that video because I really think everything he said is true and alive but also extremely important. Classes like this and speeches like Tom Wises need to be part of high school curriculum or at least a core requirement for all incoming college freshman.
I've never talked about privilege until now really. None of my classes really discussed it in detail, especially in high school. I have always thought of my skin color because of being mixed with Filipino and Caucasian. I have always had privilege coming from my white side. Even though I grew up with Filipinos always around me due to my Mother, I knew I had some white privilege due to my Father's side. Anytime I was around my Caucasian grandparents, I knew I had this special privilege that my Mother could not describe to me. I felt it at school, even if people called me Chinsese. But I have always felt conflicted about it. I guess it's more of the way people treated me. I got to see how Caucasians were treated and I think that is a learning experience. My privilege is determined by the way I perceive it. It only is valued if I acknowledge my supposed "white" side and I think that is ridiculous. My privilege now, is due to my success.
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