Critical race class reflection
If I had to explain critical race theory to someone outside of this class using only three texts, the first one would be Slavery, race and ideology by Barbara fields. As most people understand it racism is a product of complicated interactions between people of different races and societies, identifiable by characteristics and innate capacities . And that some simply decided they were superior to others. However in feilds article it is explained how race developed as a concept and why it has evolved into the all encompassing mess it is today.
The second text would be Whiteness as property by Cheryl Harris. A text that describes whiteness not as a particular race based on genes or anything, but as a thing to be owned by anyone who can fit into the idea of whiteness. Allowing one certain opportunities and social gifts. This text portrays a “passing” black woman, inhabiting white spaces because she can be seen as white.
My third text choice would be Innocence and affirmative action by Thomas Ross. Examining why whiteness is seen as inherently innocent even in cases where black people are clearly the victims of wrongdoing or …show more content…
I was relieved to find that there was zero racist vitrol and pretty collected sensible debates at most. The majority of the class seemed to be on common ground. Barbara fields was the first thing we read I think, definitely the most important to me, finally given the actual context of how race evolved into a thing, it was not just a pre existing concept that has always been there, but was created out of capitalism and the need to justify owning fellow human beings. Which makes significantly more sense than “one day people just decided to be
If I had to explain critical race theory to someone outside of this class using only three texts, the first one would be Slavery, race and ideology by Barbara fields. As most people understand it racism is a product of complicated interactions between people of different races and societies, identifiable by characteristics and innate capacities . And that some simply decided they were superior to others. However in feilds article it is explained how race developed as a concept and why it has evolved into the all encompassing mess it is today.
The second text would be Whiteness as property by Cheryl Harris. A text that describes whiteness not as a particular race based on genes or anything, but as a thing to be owned by anyone who can fit into the idea of whiteness. Allowing one certain opportunities and social gifts. This text portrays a “passing” black woman, inhabiting white spaces because she can be seen as white.
My third text choice would be Innocence and affirmative action by Thomas Ross. Examining why whiteness is seen as inherently innocent even in cases where black people are clearly the victims of wrongdoing or …show more content…
I was relieved to find that there was zero racist vitrol and pretty collected sensible debates at most. The majority of the class seemed to be on common ground. Barbara fields was the first thing we read I think, definitely the most important to me, finally given the actual context of how race evolved into a thing, it was not just a pre existing concept that has always been there, but was created out of capitalism and the need to justify owning fellow human beings. Which makes significantly more sense than “one day people just decided to be