The readings “White Privilege: Unpacking the invisible Knapsack” and Marilyn Frye “Oppression” opens up with examples and how to define being privileged and the effects one can get by oppression. The reading “White Privileged: unpacking the invisible Knapsack” talks about different ways someone can be privileged, for instance, white privileged or men privilege. In the reading, it states My schooling gave me no training in seeing myself as an oppressor, as an unfairly advantaged person, or as a participant in a damaged culture. I was taught to see myself as an individual whose moral state depended on her individual moral will. She, as a white woman is showing us that oppressor, is optional and only because you have advantages as she did, it doesn’t change the fact that you don’t have to treat others differently because of race color, or status. She also states “I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege.“I disagree with her on this one because even if you are white or any color race placed in a position where you have it better than others you can see that you are privileged let alone if you’re white privileged you can see that you have way more advantages then people of color or status. To exemplify as a Hispanic woman in The Bronx I still have privileges no matter if I live in an area where there are a lot of incidents or crime rates I am still privileged because back in my country they don’t have the benefits or opportunities or privileges I do. So I believe you can carefully not be taught that but it’s always there no matter how you look at it same goes with male privilege. When I hear the word oppressed I think about injustice and unfairness. The reading by Marilyn Frye talks about Oppression as a female. We get to read about how women get oppressed very differently from men and how we can’t really do much about it since its always going to be like that unless we say something about what really is going on in our lives and putting a stop to what’s bothering us because in this society it can be treated very differently. Oppressions like the reading says are hard to recognize when one is really doing it but I feel like you can if you put your mind into others’ perspectives and how you treat them can affect a lot. All in all, this is what I’ve learned from these two articles about the concepts of Oppression and Privilege.

Privilege and Oppression are fueled through systems and the participation of society. Privilege is unearned access or advantages granted to specific groups of people because of their membership in a social group. Privilege can be based on various social identities such as race, gender, religion, socioeconomic status, ability status, sexuality, age, education level, and more. Oppression is the unfair or cruel use of power to control another person or group. The term is often used in a context to refer to the oppression of minority groups such as women and racial minorities. In America we deal with many forms of oppression in our daily lives, different groups of people are more oppressed than others. There are social justice groups who try to maintain to be the voice for the voiceless during times when privilege and oppression are shown.

Being a female I deal with the oppression of women which has been a constant throughout American history. White women in the upper middle and working class saw a correlation between the oppression of slaves and the oppression they faced as women, both treated as inferiors in society. Men have always been known as being the dominant race, especially white males in America. Women had to fight for the right to vote and work. There was a period in time when women weren’t allowed to own property and had to hand over their money to their husbands. Women were always just known as a wife, caregivers, and only good enough to tend a house. At times it still feels as if men think of women as just that, the article Oppression by Marilyn Frye says “harassed by men who try things or flatten them or reduce them in bulk, to persuade her into it and pressure her to”relax” and “let her hair down”; men just think women need to be sexual at all times. While walking down the street women have to deal with being catcalled.

In the reading White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy Mcintosh she says ” I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege”. These stood out to me because without acknowledgment and taking accountability there can’t be a change. The case of the innocent killing of Trayvon Martin and the murder of George Zimmerman reminds me a lot of White privilege here in America. Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin because he had a hoodie on while he was walking back home from getting snacks from the store. Zimmerman appointed himself as the “neighborhood watch” and said he felt as if Trayvon Martin was up to no good because of how he looked. Unfortunately, he was found not guilty of the brutal killing, instead juror of “his kind” found him innocent due to the verdict of self-defense. In America that shouldn’t be a shock anymore that White men will walk from a brutal crime while African American men do jail time. Cyntoia Brown was found guilty and spent 15 years behind bars after receiving a life sentence at 16 years old. Cyntoia Brown killed 43-year-old real estate agent Johnny Allen, who paid to have sex with her, Brown says the murder happen in self-defense when trying to escape him. The juror didn’t find her innocent or as a victim in her case as they did Zimmerman, white man privilege was at the forefront, and for Cyntoia Brown being African American woman the odds were against her.

I viewed oppression and privilege differently before reading these two articles. I didn’t know privilege came in different groups I believe it was just race driven. I took the time to also read When privilege and oppression intersect. When I first began reading it I thought it was from the point of view of a black male on campus, I was stunned when it turned out to be a white male who is blind. The article made me feel as though privilege and oppression can intersect at times. In order to start to begin with a change where everyone feels equal first it has to be accepted. There are many social justice groups that are fighting for their rights and some even interact with one another beliefs. There’s a group known as Fighting Hate a non-profit organization monitoring the activities of domestic hate groups and other extremists. Privilege and Oppression steams from the hate people give

Eromidayo Olayiwola (Harmony)

Prof. Hollis Glaser

GWS 100-1300

Reading Reflection 3 (Privilege/Oppression)

Benefiting from “people’s hard labor” and being a member of a system that functions effectively enough to make daily tasks easier is a “privilege.” For instance, having access to “electricity” may seem normal, yet people created the power plants and transmission networks that produced and delivered electricity. Furthermore, while receiving an education scholarship because you cannot afford it may appear regular, you are supported by a system or a sponsor. Another example is enjoying the advantages of “nature” and taking pleasure in the “light” that the “sun” creates during the “day.” In other words, depending on your identity, color, community, how you are perceived, or the society in which you find yourself, “privilege” might be advantageous. Despite this, “privilege” changes and is relative based on where you come from and who you are in the societal structure. It can also be influenced by your skin color, and gender. For instance, I can say that I’m grateful and glad to have been born in Nigeria, yet someone in the US could argue that they can’t even conceive of being born in Africa. Another illustration is the fact that I may choose to dress however I want without fear of harassment, in contrast to some “females” in my region.

On the other hand, oppression occurs when you are continuously reminded and compelled to comply with what society considers “normal.” What constitutes normalcy? Is it the persistent injustices aimed at the “feminine”? The lives of “females” have always been governed by a dominant group, such as “men.” Does that imply that being a man is a “privilege”? All I want is a fair society with equality for everyone. If people can create these laws and regulations, they can also alter them to benefit everyone.

I have encountered some type of prejudice and restriction due to my cultural and religious background. My mother will always advise me to be reserved and obedient; even as a young adult, she will make sure I dress as “she” has planned, claiming that politics is for males, “women” are home builders, and as a married “female,” I am still subdued to caring for the kids, household duties, and job. Being a “female” is always associated with too many expectations. When you remain in a marriage for a long time without bearing children, people refer to you as “barren.” I still receive the least respect despite being a “female”: bearer of life. However, in some parts of the African continent, this would not be regarded as oppression.

In addition, At my place of work in Nigeria, “white skin color” is prioritized above “black skin color,” and I realized that colonization contributed to the discrimination encountered in Africa. “White” people are always portrayed as being kind, caring, and otherwise “ideal.”

I was initially viewed differently when I immigrated to the United States of America, most likely as a result of the color of my skin, my accent, or my name. There have been instances when I’ve had to write something on paper to communicate. For example, please where can I find the A train? In contrast to Joseph Mabry’s article, about who was “privileged” because of his “skin color,” the “police officer” only saw a “blind white man” because of his skin color. I now start to wonder if my skin tone is the reason for my oppression.