Confronting One's Own Racism By Feagin And Vera Summary

Privilege: Uncovering Truths Behind Myths White privilege is a hidden and transparent inclination that is often challenging to address. Only upon closer inspection do we see how it perpetuates a sense of entitlement, it generates perks and advantages for white people and elevates their status in the world. In Feagin and Vera, “Confronting One’s Own Racism”, they argue that the 'declining significance of race' theorists are at odds with the empirical evidence, which underscores their argument that racism is alive and well in America. Compelling evidence is presented, showing the racial inequalities in education, health, employment and income, which result in the fact that blacks are three times as likely as whites to be living in poverty. For Feagin and Vera the primary factor lying behind the social condition of blacks in America is white racism, defined as the 'socially organized set of attitudes, ideas, and practices that deny African Americans and other people of color the dignity, opportunities, freedoms, and rewards that this nation offers white Americans'.
Children are the future and in order to prevent the constant racism and talk of privilege, children should be taught the very ideals of equality and treating everyone the same regardless of skin tone. Although white attitudes on racial policies that would create positive change often remain negative, and many students continue to talk about race in schools and practice colorblind racism, not all students remain ignorant of racism. In order for more of this change in attitude to happen, though, there must be an opportunity for interaction with diverse peers. Intergroup dialogues often introduce white participants to concepts of racism and white privilege as well as the life experiences of people of other races. This introduction may serve as the agent of change in whites attitudes on racial systems in the United