The main purpose of Paul Kivels’ concept of being an ally is not only to just be helpful when it somethings happens but instead stay around to help people in disadvantaged in the long run of life. Paul Kivel explains that the world may be divided in its own ways but in the end everyone is in the same boat and we all share this world and suggestions on how to be more involved in being an ally to people of color and joining the front lines to fight racism. Support can come in many different forms in order to become an ally but testimonies from people of color themselves that explain how a white person can be an ally are to: “Stand by my side”, “Don't assume you know what's best for me”, and “Interrupt jokes and comments about racism”, “Teach …show more content…
your children” (Kivel 118). All of these are perfect to to be an ally to minorities standing by someone's side shows that you support not only what they believe in but also who they are and acceptance is a major step in conveying equality. Not assuming that you know what's best means that you treat the other as an equal making someone think you know what’s best for them may make it seem like you’re above them and it can seem demanding this person has fought for what they believe in and they know that the decisions they make are best for them and supporting them in that decision is the best thing you can do to be their ally. Interrupting racist jokes and comments is a big step in order to battle racism because this it what spread this sickness around the world it may seem to person making the comment it's ok to say such things, but no matter how little it's not ok to insult someone based on their racial identity stopping this when you hear it will deter someone from doing it again in the future.
Teaching your children is what can change the world since children are so malleable to peer pressure and the popular opinion; teaching them how to accept people for who they and being more ethnically diverse can change the future forever since children are the future of this world. Guidelines Kivel talks about in order to battle racism are to “Assume that racism is all around you”, “Notice how racism is denied, minimized, and justified”, and “Don't do it alone” (Kivel 119-120). Assuming that racism is all around you isn't all that farfetched since racism can be seen in all different kinds of things in the way people are treated, how companies advertise, how society labels people on a daily basis and most of all your own actions; being white gives us the privilege of not seeing these things everyday and having to deal with it being able to identify racism and fight against it helps the battle against
racism. Racism is never taken seriously many times white people will try to deny this racism with excuses on why it happened or how the person may have overreacted and that they were in the wrong minimizing the impact toward the person because it wasn’t treated as a big deal because a person and justified as an accident or interpreted wrong. Lastly don't stand alone in this battle alliance and support by others it very important because with the support whether it be small or big will make a huge difference in the impact your fight makes fighting with people you can trust and accept is a sure way to win. Overall these chapters made it very clear on how people can be an ally in the most helpful way and not only just to a whole organization but people personally in their daily lives Paul Kivels’ main conclusion to these chapters is to explain how different aspect of being an ally to people in general can change a person aspect and overall battle against division in this country.
Peggy McIntosh wrote this article to identify how her white privilege effects her life. Each statement is written as a privilege that Ms. McIntosh does not need to consider or fear as a white woman. From financial credibility to national heritage, this article makes a valid point regarding the way white people can be arrogant and naïve when the same treatment is not being given to their neighbors, coworkers, and peers. There can be two responses when reading this. The first would be a person of color. They will appreciate the attempt at realization of what white people take for granted. The second would be the reality that smacks the white people in the face when they realize how true all 50 statements are. Once this begins to sink in, many will start to broaden their competence realizing the unfair treatment of the people in this world. Moving down the timeline, we can see how the acknowledgement can mend broken relationships. Owning the reality and doing something to change it can give the people of different races the treatment they deserve (McIntosh,
I personally believe that if we taught African American history, and integrated a more inclusive curriculum, that children would learn the equal importance of colored people at an early age, and therefore be less likely to discriminate against them when they grow older. Another potential solution could be, creating interracial relationships, or developing a learning environment that forces students to mingle and cooperate with previously discriminated students so as to prevent the development of a false idea of who colored people really are. I believe that through these extra lengths America can become a more unified
As a result, my thinking and perception was shaped and influenced by many of the negative stereotypes of African Americans that has been perpetuated in our society at large (this is where education can be a great liberator of falsehoods and misconceptions). I have come to appreciate Professor Marie’s Intercultural Communication course, for the class has broaden my critical thinking skills and stretched my thinking and understanding. Finally, how do I think this information will be of use to me? True understanding and teamwork will not begin to occur until individuals begin to speak up about address and embrace the controversial topics of race and culture. Setting aside the problem of racism and covering it up by saying that everyone is the same, does not eliminate the issue. Trying to patch up issues around the world dealing with culture and racism only provides a quick, short lasting solution, for when the temporary patch falls away, the problems will have grown twice as big. All it does is temporarily set aside what we know is still there.
Due to their immensely different pasts, the two races have a hard time relating to one another, which keeps us apart as people. I have had to deal with a lot of racism in my lifetime, more so from my family than anywhere else. I have been disliked and not "accepted" by my grandparents and great aunts and uncles, some of whom I have never met, due to the color of my skin. My first-hand experience with racism and dealing with it effectively has made me a better, more complete person. The point of my writing this essay is to hopefully open one’s eyes to realize EVERYONE is equal.
Racism has been a huge problem throughout the United States and every individual struggles with the unproductive messages of racism that is being passed on through from larger societies. Many people suffered from this in silence and it is what hits the hardest on children and youth who lack the life experience to understa...
Kivel, P. How White People Can Serve Allies to People of Color in the Struggle to End Racism. New Society Publishers, 2011. Print
...at are being fed to us by the media. This is definitely the harder way of doing things but there is power in numbers and even more power when those numbers are the people of the United States. We could leave the media powerless so that nothing they write even matters because we already know who we are and we refuse to fall into any kinds of racial stereotypes. One last thing that I’d like to mention is that it’s important to know that even if you are white and you think that racial injustice doesn’t affect you, it does. It’s also very important that you are aware of what is going on in your society since as a majority of the people it is your duty to help the minority of the people. Everybody, regardless of race, should be an advocate for social and racial justice because that is what being a decent and good human being is. So don’t be ignorant or encourage ignorance.
As time goes on, racism is becoming more and more unexceptable. This is most likely due to the fact that parents are teaching their children about equality among different races other than their own at a very young age. Some parents are going as far as to taking their children to local Ku Klux Klan rallies to show them that being ignorant and racist is not the right way think an...
Race has been a controversial issue throughout history and even more so today. The idea of race has contributed to the justifications of racial inequality and has led to the prejudice and discrimination of certain racial groups. Race and racism were constructed to disadvantage people of color and to maintain white power in America. Today, race has been the center of many political changes and actions that have affected people of color. The idea of race has played a role in how people from different racial groups interact amongst each other. Interactions within one’s own racial group are more common than interactions among other racial groups, at least in my own experiences. Therefore, because I have been positioned to surround myself with people from my own racial group since a very young age, I have internalized that being around my own racial group is a normal and natural occurrence.
In 1995, the Carnegie Corporation commissioned a number of papers to summarize research that could be used to improve race relations in schools and youth organizations. One way to fight against racism is to “start teaching the importance of and strategies for positive intergroup relations when children are young”(Teaching Tolerance,). Bias is learned at an early age, often at home, so schools should offer lessons of tolerance and
I believe this is a very relevant topic today since prejudice and discrimination has become the leading issue of violence. The goal of this type of education is to teach the students that they have worth and can learn. It is a very positive subject matter when considering the benefits of implementing this type of education into a school system. This type of education encourages students of a diverse background to have a positive self-identity, pride in their heritage, accept others with diverse backgrounds, and promote social justice against prejudice and discrimination. Teachers can change the conversation in their classrooms by adding spontaneous and relevant content to their curriculum that both promotes multiculturalism and connects with the students. I believe a big part of making a change in our society today is by ‘changing the conversation’ whether that is about discrimination or another important issue. Teachers can step in at a very early age and promote feelings of self-worth and encourage the students to accept each other aside from cultural
Racism is one of the world’s major issues today. Many people are not aware of how much racism still exists in our schools workforces, and anywhere else where social lives are occurring. It is obvious that racism is bad as it was many decades ago but it sure has not gone away. Racism very much exists and it is about time that people need to start thinking about the instigations and solutions to this matter. Many people believe that it depends on if a person was brought into the world as a racist or not but that is not the case at all. In fact, an individual cannot be born a racist but only learn to become one as they grow from child to adulthood. Basic causes, mainstream, institutions, government, anti racism groups, and even some hidden events in Canada’s past are a few of the possible instigations and solutions to racism.
... false belief that "some" races are inherently superior to others because of different skin color, nationality, ethnic or cultural background. RACISM deprives people of their basic human rights, dignity and respect Global change has to start small and travel abroad. If children are taught at an early age that it is ok to mock and stereotype others, when they become in the position to change policy concerning the offensive use of other cultures, is it any wonder why they don't see such use as racism and stereotyping? What I propose is that we look for the seeds of racism in dominant society and we destroy them by replacing with good seeds. We need to replace the seeds of racism with seeds of morality, compassion, love, and mutual respect, which is found in our traditional teachings, so that are children and future my blossom. We will only continue to hurt ourselves by not welcoming diversity. Racial discrimination is an offense against our fellow human beings, who were created in God's image. We must have a evolution of process to make change happen. This is the only cure that will aide the Americans in becoming less racist. Change is not instantaneous nor will it happen over night.
The article by Jack L. Nelson and Valerie Ooka Pang discusses racism in the North and South. Racism in the South was far harsher than the North, yet the North was still pretty bad. There was no escaping it, many African American’s believed escaping to the North would solve many problems but in reality, it did not. This is because racist thoughts will always exist, due to this behavior will always be affected. They may punish racist people now but that does not prevent it from causing problems (Nelson & Pang, 2006). Paul Kivel, the author of How White People Can Serve as Allies to People of Color in the Struggle to End Racism, says that being an ally to end racism is one of the most important things a person can do. Racism is frozen and motile (Frisina, 2016). Meaning it will always be present. Even though people change and time changes, some problems never fully just disappear. Kivel states that there is no correct way to be an ally and whites should team up with colored people to end racism. He mentions that time changes circumstances and what is a priority today may not be tomorrow. People of color need support in order to end the struggle of racism and other injustices. Racism is a big part of this country’s culture and it always will be. If no one ever takes a stand to stop it, then how can we assume
The world was once made up of black and white nations. The color of one’s skin was an indication of where someone came from. This was most likely the scenario of the world, at the very least, a hundred years ago. Racism was rampant and very public throughout the world, but now racism is not as transparent especially in the United States. For this reason people must become more open and attuned to different attitudes held by individuals. One area where racism should be looked at is in classrooms. It is well documented that people have preferences or cognitive preferences without even realizing it. A teacher therefore, has extremely powerful ability to not only give certain children preferences but also treat students different with or without realizing it themselves. At an early age of six children of exposed to this and will likely in turn mimic these behaviors. Schools have rampant discrimination tendencies throughout The United States however this does not have to be the case there must be solutions for Teachers and students a like to become more aware of discriminatory actions and to at least limit these action by becoming aware of them.