Tim Wise Case
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Whites Swim in Racial Preference
Jennifer Martin
Ms. Lisa Goldberg
Sociology-111
9 march 2014
Abstract
Tim Wise states that white scholars do obtain many unearned advantages during the course of their school careers. This is because white children tend to come from families who have the incomes and resources to ensure quality education for their children. The fact is that, as Wise points out, the majority of minority students come from families with less money and less education than their white counterparts. This article also talks about Affirmative Action and how it really furthered whites more so than minorities because whites are the racial preference in America. White privilege is a very widespread thing in America; even still we all think were striving for equality.
I believe that this cycle is extremely rooted in our countrys racist history. The effects of this history carry on playing a role in the lives of individuals of all races in our country. As Wise suggests, affirmative action tries to stop the cycle of inequality by giving minority students a small advantage.
“Since scholarships would have been more equitably distributed between the races in a system without a history of institutionalized discrimination and to doubt this is to assume that folks of color still wouldnt have qualified for them, which means that one would have to believe in inherent inferiority on their part, which belief is the textbook definition of racism, to now steer scholarships to such persons is only to create a situation closer to that which would have existed anyway, but for a legacy of racial oppression” (Wise 3).
In todays world, not too many individuals would ever admit to believing in the textbook definition of racism. Unfortunately, the belief that people of color are inferior to white people is still more of a predominant belief in our society than most would want to admit. In most western
Civilizations, I believe that white societies still see themselves as the norm, while minorities are seen to fall outside the norm. This, to me, is one of the most insidious aspects of modern racism. If no one is willing to acknowledge that it exists, how can it be overcome?
“Surely scholarships for people of color are not predicated on intolerance for whites, nor are they based on some kind of blind contempt for whites as a group.” If we agree with this quote, then obviously scholarships for people of color arent racist. They exist rather, in an attempt to rectify some of the injustices done to people in this country based on racism. I firmly believe that affirmative action policies and scholarships for non-white students need to continue and be broadened in an effort to try to undo the harm that racism has done to our nation.
“Indeed, schools serving mostly white students have three times as many honors or AP classes offered, per capita, as those helping mostly students of color” (Wise 3). I agree with Wise, indicators have shown that white students are inclined to have better educational opportunities than minority students. It could be because schools with more minority students tend to be in areas where incomes are lower.
Public school is almost fully funded by property taxes and school in poorer areas does not obtain the same funding as school in richer areas. Schools with more funding tend to be able to hire better teachers and offer more advanced and AP classes. Students in honor and AP classes have a better chance of getting a scholarship. I trust this plays into an aspect of the ratio of Whites, coloreds, and scholarships. When scholarship groups are selecting