Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Are the White People in the Classroom Being Attacked?

So I have been hearing from several sources that people within the class feel attacked and feel like we are attacking the white race and this upsets them or makes them feel uncomfortable. I can assure you that I do not believe that I have attacked any of the white members of our class. I just think it is hard to hear the truth sometimes. The truth hurts. And truthfully minorities don't always have the sweetest view of the white people around them. If you were reminded everyday how different you are from someone and made to feel less the others, you would understand where we are coming from. Like some of us said earlier, when you speak, it's not for every white person at Rhodes, it's just for you. But it isn't like that for us.
Another piece of the pie is that we were just raised differently. White people have been raised to believe that you can do anything and that everyone is equal and that everything is fine when it isn't. My mother has always been truthful with me about the inequities that my brothers and I would face. It hasn't always felt good, but it was good to know that she was trying to prepare me so that I would be able to be as successful as I could be. I mean some things are ingrained in us that makes us who we are.Our parents and peers give us subtle cues on how to act in situations and I'm sure that your parents have given you cues that wouldn't be too politically correct, but they're unconscious so you don't know you're doing it until someone corrects you. And this class is here to correct you.
I don't have a problem if people tell me what I am doing is wrong. Actually I would prefer it that you point out my flaws. White people have flaws. Black people have flaws. There are very few things you can say to a black person by the time they have hit 21 that will truly offend them because I have heard it all before. I think people are feeling attacked in the classroom because they have never had someone of a different race and tell them how they look to others. Like I said earlier it hurts, but you need to hear it.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Class So Far........


The question today was "where are you emotionally in this class?" Another part of this question was how you view trust in the class. Do you believe that the class has lost your trust or do you think that you can no longer be completely honest with the people in class because you are afraid you may hurt someone's feelings?