If you haven't seen the movie: It's about a small town white boy who goes away to college, and he's a bit awkward and misfitty. He tries to befriend chicks, his Jewish roommate, the Black guys, etc. and they all think he's weird and tell him to fuck off. So when he's befriended by a gang of skinheads, he finally feels welcome, and like he belongs, and special. I think Singleton was trying to, somehow, realistically show how someone could go as far as joining a white supremacy group and killing people.
New Friend, who saw a lot of movies, didn't enjoy it at all. New Friend didn't like the fact that there was no sympathetic white male character he could identify with. (Besides the Jewish dude, the only other White guy ends up raping a girl.)
I remember this conversation clearly. We were a small crew working an overnight shift--we were near the elevators, pulling returns and conversing. And I was (as I love to quote the cop in Casablanca) shocked--Shocked!
New Friend was a tall, athletic, good looking, blonde white male. I mean, he was The Man! I said: "But 99.9% of every other movie you've ever seen has a sympathetic White lead you can identify with!! You can't sit through one movie where you're not represented??"
I don't know if the point got across. But anyway--that's the best personal example I have of institutionalized racism. Of the realization that you are SO immersed in your superior societal position, you can't see it. And I can't point fingers--as a White, average-weighing, blonde (if fake) I take that societal position for granted all the time. Only once in awhile does my being female give me the Other experience.
Anyway--here's a list called The Daily Effects of White Privilege. I'll just list a few--the full list is at the link. I think you can replace race with a few other things, like sexual orientation. It's less replacable with gender. Some even apply to being overweight (like "I can shop without being harrassed.")
1. I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.
6. I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.
12. I can go into a music shop and count on finding the music of my race represented, into a supermarket and find the staple foods which fit with my cultural traditions, into a hairdresser's shop and find someone who can cut my hair.
15. I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection.
20. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race. (Ouch!)
21. I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.
24. I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to the "person in charge", I will be facing a person of my race.
26. I can easily buy posters, post-cards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys and children's magazines featuring people of my race.
31. I can choose to ignore developments in minority writing and minority activist programs, or disparage them, or learn from them, but in any case, I can find ways to be more or less protected from negative consequences of any of these choices. (Like arguing about gay marriage when it will never apply to you!)
34. I can worry about racism without being seen as self-interested or self-seeking.
36. If my day, week or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it had racial overtones.
45. I can expect figurative language and imagery in all of the arts to testify to experiences of my race.
46. I can chose blemish cover or bandages in "flesh" color and have them more or less match my skin. (Well, I do believe Crayola changed the crayon.)
47. I can travel alone or with my spouse without expecting embarrassment or hostility in those who deal with us.
1 comment:
All good thoughtful points I don't usually think about.
gmc
Post a Comment