Race

On being a white ally: This is a must read thread. It’s unfortunately closed down now, but the comments alone gave me immense amounts of ideas to think about.

We do what we can: I recently recognized a layer of privilege I didn’t know I had. As some of you probably know, I also administer The Hathor Legacy, which looks at how film and TV portray women. It’s a feminist media site. I founded it in 2005, and I’ve been proud of it. But here’s where a subtle shift in perception can uncover a glaring bit of privilege. Hathor was always intended to be about women and how they are marginalized. It wasn’t that I didn’t ... READ MORE

If you look Mexican, you’re probably uninsured: Here in sunny California, there are families of Mexican descent who’ve been here longer than my white ancestors. There are also people who arrive here everyday from Mexico, often without much in the way of resources. I have a friend who’s Mexican-American by descent but her family’s been in the US for several generations. She has brown skin. Her English is as native as mine. She works in IT and can get more performance out of cheap-ass computers than anyone I’ve ... READ MORE

White Trash Blues: Class Privilege v. White Privilege: If you blog about white privilege, you’re probably sick to death of people playing the “white trash” card in your comments. Their argument usually goes something like this: “Being white didn’t give me all these privileges you’re talking about.” “I know plenty of [minority] people who are better off than I am.” And the advanced version, which I’m guilty of using myself: “It’s really more about class than it’s about race.” I am “poor white trash”. I can relate to all of ... READ MORE

White guy asks: why do you need to bring race into it?: Here’s a nice example of what this site’s about. Angry Black Woman was asked by a man – presumably white, since he didn’t say, and we all know what that means – why she feels the need to identify herself with race, in addition to “angry” and “woman”? He says, I mean, I myself am an “angry guy”, but I don’t really feel the need to add race into it. So my question is, why is there a need to put ... READ MORE

Ludicrous history privileges: I came across this tidbit in an article I was reading online tonight: Explorer Captain James Cook, who gave this plant the botanical name of “intoxicating pepper”, first discovered kava kava. Kava has been used for over 3,000 years for its medicinal effects as a sedative, muscle relaxant, diuretic, and as a remedy for nervousness and insomnia. My first thought was a sarcastic “Wow, Captain Cook predates Jesus!” because, obviously, if it’s been in use for 3,000 years and he was the ... READ MORE