Mia McKenzie tells us that we need to talk less about "acknowledging privilege", which is what Peggy McIntosh is telling us to do, and talk more about "pushing back against it". Also, supremacy is for McKenzie a more important issue than privilege. Since privileges are always given to people who are deemed superior, it appears that McKenzie is calling us to see the source of racism. White privilege is the symptom and white supremacy is the disease. However, is the way of "pushing back against" privilege a good way to get rid of white supremacy? I don't think so. It is a privilege in itself to have the choice to push back against privilege. Doing things that go against what my privilege allows me to do only relieves the symptom but does not cure the disease. I do a lot of things out of privilege. I have the privilege to sit in a classroom to learn philosophy. However I don’t opt out of it just because I recognize that there are many other people in the world that will never get that luxury. It will be noble of me to say that I refuse to go because I think it’s unfair, but what good does it do? Does it teach a lesson to anyone who does not refuse to go? I’m not sure about this. McKenzie is right to say that white supremacy is the more essential issue we should find ways to combat, however I don’t see her suggestions as instrumental in changing the way things are. There may be sympathizers who would try their best to relinquish their privileges, but the structure of the system stays the same: we still have it in our minds that being white, being male, being straight, and being American is the norm and the superior.
Mia McKenzie tells us that we need to talk less about "acknowledging privilege", which is what Peggy McIntosh is telling us to do, and talk more about "pushing back against it". Also, supremacy is for McKenzie a more important issue than privilege. Since privileges are always given to people who are deemed superior, it appears that McKenzie is calling us to see the source of racism. White privilege is the symptom and white supremacy is the disease.
ReplyDeleteHowever, is the way of "pushing back against" privilege a good way to get rid of white supremacy? I don't think so. It is a privilege in itself to have the choice to push back against privilege. Doing things that go against what my privilege allows me to do only relieves the symptom but does not cure the disease. I do a lot of things out of privilege. I have the privilege to sit in a classroom to learn philosophy. However I don’t opt out of it just because I recognize that there are many other people in the world that will never get that luxury. It will be noble of me to say that I refuse to go because I think it’s unfair, but what good does it do? Does it teach a lesson to anyone who does not refuse to go? I’m not sure about this. McKenzie is right to say that white supremacy is the more essential issue we should find ways to combat, however I don’t see her suggestions as instrumental in changing the way things are. There may be sympathizers who would try their best to relinquish their privileges, but the structure of the system stays the same: we still have it in our minds that being white, being male, being straight, and being American is the norm and the superior.