Racism

I think that the article “I Can Fix It! V.1 Racism” by Damali Ayo provides an interesting twist on an old problem. However, I do not agree with the way that Ayo presents this information. Because the article is split into “what colored people can do” and “what white people can do,” an immediate separation is created. This separation goes against the material that Ayo is illustrated. She clearly does not advocate separation of the races because she makes a point to define people not by the color of their skin but by how they love and define themselves. If the useful information from the project were constructed in a manner that is directed to all people regardless of their skin, a more unified and ultimately effective presentation would be made. Regardless, the presentation is very accessible and inviting due to the fun pictures and witty step-by-step instructions aimed at ending racism. This effort reminds me of one program that my high school employed in which one of our assignments was to research a person of color and then give a presentation to the class. This activity, like the article, helped educate people about others.
“White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” by Peggy McIntosh also aims at introducing a new attitude towards racism. I found this article to be particularly interesting because it presented many issues that prompted me to examine myself. I agree completely with McIntosh when she says that there are certain things that white people just assume as being an advantage of whiteness. One example that struck me particularly was that white is the default race. When I describe a white person I would not say “that white guy,” but if I were describing a black person, I would say, “that black guy.” There are a million other things that white people just assume. To end these disparities between any type of people, I agree with both Ayo and McIntosh when they suggest that the way to equality is through the vocalization of these problems.