After reading the “Roots of the Racial Wealth Divide” article, I was shocked by multiple statistics. The responses of the 40%- 60% Caucasian people who believe that colored people are just as well if not better off employment, health insurance, income, and education wise greatly portrayed public ignorance. Just because colored injustice is occasionally revealed; does not mean it occasionally occurs. After reading the article, I gain a more thorough understanding of the intentions of the media. Stories of oppression are infrequently but evidently revealed to the public in hopes that the people are assured that the ‘problem’ is insignificant yet being taken care of. I have a hard time understanding how those who believe “I think it’s pretty even, but blacks don’t want to admit it” and “It’s good the bad days have passed and the blacks have come up.. now if something occurs, like a black guy being mistreated at a job or something, you hear about it” (page 5) are able to ignore the criminal facts. Out of the entire article, the responses of these people destabilized me the most. The fact that a black family has less than ten cents for every white family dollar really puts things in perspective. It does not help that while half of white young adults receive a financial head start (of $14,000), and only one out of five colored young adults receive a financial head start. Its evident that oppression is existent considering the ever widening financial gap between white and colored families; the color net worth fell 7% while the white net worth average rose thirty-seven percent. Considering it is more likely for a white with a criminal record than a colored person to be hired, systems definitely favor white people. It seems that the only explainable cause for these statistics is racial injustice and white privilege.
I have many privileges that I wasn’t aware of before attending this class. I now understand that I am not entitled to attend college, choose the career I am passionate about, and feel safe and secure financially and physically. I do not believe I have particularly earned these privileges because even if I had not worked hard in school, my parents would’ve helped pay for my college career. I was born into financial security because of my dad’s job, and I lived in a safe neighborhood because my parents could afford housing in a friendly location. To some degree, I believe it is fair that I have kept these privileges because I have worked extremely hard in school and do my best to save money for my family by supporting myself as much as possible. I should not give up my privileges just because others do not have them. Loosing advantages and rejecting opportunities will not help anyone. Rather, I should use my privileges to help others gain advantages like my own. During the class activity, I began feeling guilty about my privileges. I feel like I should’ve accomplished more with all of the advantages I received. There were many times I wanted to skip a plus here and there, but I didn’t knowing that would not change the situation. I figured it was time to face the facts and end the ignorance.
