Blog #6

Whites Swim In Racial Preference
By: Tim Wise


1. "A full-time black male worker in 2003 makes less in real dollar terms than similar white men were earning in 1967. Such realities arc not merely indicative ofthe disadvantages faced by blacks. but indeed are evidence of the preferences afforded whites -a demarcation of privilege that is the necessary flips ide of discrimination (pg. 1)."

-Wow. I had to literally read this statisitc twice, because the first time I read it I was like, no way this could be..maybe i read it wrong. But, no I didnt. In 2003, a full-time black male worker made less than a white mans pay in 1967. Come on people! Thats not right. Im actually ashamed of that. That I live in a country where statstics like that are real. Its just a skin color! People of different color should be making the same pay, because they work just as hard. This statisitics shows that bosses and compnay owners, have "preference" of white workers, because their CLOSE MINDED BRAIN tells them that white males work better than those who are colored.



2. " We strike the pose of self-sufficiency while ignoring the advantages we have been affurded in every realm of activity: housing, education, employment, criminaljustice, politics, banking and business. We ignore the fact that at almost every tum, our hard work has been met with access to an opportunity structure denied to millions of others. Privilege, to us, is like water to the fish: invisible precisely because we cannot imagine life without it (pg.2)."

- This states that white people are given advantages over those of color. White people have it easier in many different aspects. They have an easier way of achieving success. They have certain privledges and advantages that those of color do not. Sometimes white people feel as though their hard work got them to reach the goal that they did. And, im sure they hard work helped, BUT.. if color was not an issue, would they still have reached that goal like that did? Would the person of color have gotten the position? Would the white person have to had worked even harder to achieve success? This will be questionable, until color does not matter AT ALL. We can all hope that one day that will be the case. Where everybody is treated with the respect that they deserve. Nothing should be soley based on somebodys skin color. We were all made in Gods eyes. Its on the inside of the person that should matter. Thats what should determine if they get the job. What kind of qualities and aspirations do they have?...



3. Bush failed to mentionthat greater numbers of points areawarded for other things that amount to preferences for whites to the exclusion of people of color...Then Michigan awards 16 points to students who hail from the Upper Peninsula of the state: a rural, largely Isolated, and almost completely white area (pg. 3)."

- This is basically saying that those who are privledges just keep getting things given to them tha will help them to even further in life. Where as, people of color, no matter how hard they work, will not be given as many opportunites and chances because of their skin color and background. If Michigan is giving awards to a rural, upper class (dominately white) area, how is that far? Who needs the award? Not the people who are getting them! Those who need the awards are students who are hard working and striving to be somebody one day. Students who NEED help and given a chance. Students in the crowded city. Students who are struggling to get by because they dont have much money. If given awards these students may be able to achieve great things. Whereas, these white upper class students who are being given they awards, dont need it because they can achieve success without recieving the awards.


This article was extremly shocking to me. The statisitc that I mentioned is still in my mind. How? How can that be true? Whats that say about our nation? Yes, we have come a long way, but we have more work to do. We need to keep pushing the American system.