Each response to classmates must follow 3CQ format: One compliment, one comment, one connection (for example, to your own experience), and one question.
Sophia
I agree with Tim Wise’s observations about how white privilege affects daily life in America. He explains how, through the GI Bill, Black veterans were often excluded from benefits that allowed white veterans to buy homes and build wealth. This really shows how unfair policies have long-lasting effects that still benefit white families today. He also highlights that schools in white neighborhoods receive more funding and resources, leading to better education, while schools in communities of color are frequently underfunded. I think this point is important because it shows how inequality starts early in life. Additionally, he talks about how police often treat white people with more respect compared to people of color, showing how these privileges play out in everyday life. A lot of white people don’t even realize they have these advantages, which keeps racial inequality going without them knowing it. I really think his message about facing these uncomfortable truths is crucial for making real change because pretending they don’t exist only makes things worse.
Christopher
Tim Wise’s position on white supremacy in American is very agreeable. A lot of what he said throughout the video amplified his position, using various clips and interviews emphasizing just how much white privilege can grant you. I enjoyed Tim Wise’s use of Louis C.K.s white privilege bit as a way to emphasize how much being white can completely change the outcomes in your life in a comedic manner.
Sarab
In White Like Me: Race, Racism, and White Privilege in America, Tim Wise contends that whiteness and white privilege are evident and rampant in the U.S. The concepts paint white people as superior to the people of color, who are largely marginalized. For example, in the video, Wise communicates this through the housing policies. He argues that historically, only whites could be allowed to access government-backed home loans. On the other hand, African-American families did not enjoy these privileges. This resulted into disparities in generational wealth, which can still be seen today. Wise also stresses that many white Americans benefit from this privilege without realizing it, creating a deceitful sense of meritocracy. He points out how whiteness is normalized, and therefore invisible to those who benefit from it. His personal stories, such as reflecting on his own upbringing, show how even progressive white people can unknowingly propagate systemic racism. I agree with Wise’s position that confronting white privilege requires both awareness and action, as systemic inequality is still a prevalent issue in America.
Zahir
After watching the film, White Like Me: Race, Racism and White Privilege in America, by Time Wise, there is a very different lifestyle when someone is born white as compared to being black. We start from the name calling of African Americans asNegros, who were only allowed to occupy and reside in specific areas. Segregation was not only in living areas but also schools they attended and medical care services. Tim Wise asked several students what it meant to be white and the answers they gave were so vague. However, it is also evident that being white has structural advantages and privileges’ like job security and insurance where black people would only be laborers in farms and plantations or domestic workers, better education, better living areas, availability of mortgages and loans. In addition the GI Bill only rewarded white veterans and the Black veterans were not entitled to any benefits. Griffin, the author of Black like me, narrates his experience after he dyed and transition to become black. He testifies that he was openly harassed, racially profiled and discriminated. Registering to vote for African Americans was a matter of life and death. After Barrack Obama became president, most people had the notion that equality was about to be established and racism had come to an end but shortly afterwards there were riots and demonstrations against him. Crime and Justice in USA can be of a negative impact to Black Americans. Racial profiling is a norm for Black people while white people are not even suspected or followed around. It is so unfortunate that white people can get away with crimes like shop lifting or selling drugs without caring of getting caught. In conclusion, it is high time everyone becomes color conscious, treat each other with respect and equally without caring about their backgrounds.
Joseph
Tim Wise’s White Like Me Documentary was touching and telling about how it was to be black and live at that period. I agree with Tim’s position on the topic. He told a story about John Howard Griffin’s book “Black Like Me” that when he disguised himself as a black person he was more like a 10th-class citizen and white supremacists were chasing him. I would be so annoyed if I were followed while shopping because they thought I would steal. This kind of discrimination is unacceptable and underscores the need for ongoing conversations about race and privilege. We must work towards a society where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their skin color. In my opinion people are equal regardless of race.
Fared
Tim Wise, in the “White Like Me: Race, Racism, and White Privilege in America,” postulates a compelling argument on how white privilege and whiteness are established in American society. He states that whites are given more advantages due to their race without their consent which I believe is very unfair to be treated differently based on your color or race or gender. To exemplify, he discusses how the whites benefit from a sense of inheriting safety in public spaces while the colored people are visualized to be suspicious. The disparity is invisible to people who are benefiting from it. He additionally gives a historical example like the GI Bill, which was wholly granted to white veterans, hence enabling them to build education and homeownership opportunities while denying it to black Americans. Personally, I see the position of Wise emphasizing not only the racist acts that are postulated openly but also a system that perpetuates inequality in systemic ways for the Blacks. The analysis postulates how society neglects equality without conscious recognition.
Kelly
After watching the video “ White Like Me: Race, Racism and White Privilege in America” I believe Tim Wise’s position on whiteness and white privilege in America makes sense. Tim Wise grew up in a mostly African American elementary school, as stated “some of my early friends were black, as a result, once we began elementary school I began to notice how some of those black friends were treated differently by the teachers.” He grew up and began to notice the “racial division”. When American citizens were given the ability to apply for job insurance, only people who did not work in agricultural works and domestic service works gained the job insurance. The two fields of work consisted primarily of African Americans. Next, in loans for homes between 1934 and 1962, 98% of FHA loan recipients were white. After the GI Bill was announced, the bill offered a large amount of benefits to returning veterans, these benefits included low-cost mortgages, loans for businesses, payments for tuition, and living expenses. The GI Bill provided no protection for black veterans for the same benefits. Tim Wise gives many examples throughout the videos that show the same problem, his views on white privilege are sound and fair.
Feryal
Watching Tim Wise’s White Like Me sparked a lot of reflections on race and privilege. Wise delivered a strong critique of whiteness and the systematic advantages that it brings to white Americans. Throughout the film, he pushes uncomfortability and reality for how privilege works within our society. He talks about how white privilege is deeply rooted into our society and is not a matter of individual wealth or success. An example that is pointed out is how white people are less likely to be racially profiled by police or monitored in stores. These are instances that white people do not put much thought into, but can help for a smoother path through life. It was interesting to hear about Wise’s experiences in predominantly white environments and how privilege is often times invisible to those that have it. It is important that we are able to acknowledge the privilege and learn from it to help get rid of systematic racism and create a better future for the community.