Privilege, Power, and Difference (Allan G. Johnson)

Privilege, Power, and Difference (Allan G. Johnson)

1. I was intrigued by the concept of blackness as anti-whiteness. “Blackness” is defined as non-whiteness. Specifically, I found most compelling the idea that an African woman would not think of herself as black unless she experienced oppression from white people, and that races have changed historically. It seems like racism is more based on xenophobia from the people in power (e.g. anti-Italian “racism”) and random choices by people in power to maintain power and privilege, than it is on a specific color — the color gradient of oppression is, in a way, coincidence.


2. I liked Johnson’s differentiation of “unearned entitlements” like safety and living wage and freedom, “unearned advantages” when entitlements become restricted, and “conferred dominance” gives one group power over another (e.g. men talking over women). I think for men especially, I have experienced a lot of men being willing to recognize their “unearned entitlements” because they are more systemic, but unwilling to reflect on their "conferred dominance” because that requires them to critically consider and change the way they behave. For example, some of my close friends still “mansplain” to me despite being quite feminist on the surface.


3. Related to my point above, I agree with Johnson that it is hard to face racism and privilege when you realize that you benefit from another's misfortune. This immediately reminded me of “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula K. LeGuin, especially when Johnson mentioned that you can’t be outside the system. The ones who walk away from the oppression occurring in Omelas are not changing the system, and as such, they are in some ways allowing it to continue. You can either work to improve it or you are complicit.


Argument: The author Allan G. Johnson argues that privilege can be difficult to acknowledge but it is necessary to do so, as one can either be a part of the solution or complicit in the problem.

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