White Like Me - movie review

I hadn't planned on watching this, but after hearing about it from a couple of classmates I really felt I would be missing out if I didn't!

NOTES:

Tim Wise - grew up in the south

Parents sent him to a predominantly black pre-school with black teachers, admin, etc - viewed black leaders in a way that most of us won't get the chance to

Chose to address racism in S Afr but not in his own neighborhood - white privilege

David Duke - 60% of the white vote - people were willing to vote for a guy who was racist!!

Instead of asking what it's like to be black, instead ask what it's like to be white (Black Like Me missing a little something)

Job insurance (cash to give them a leg up) - helped pull us out of the depression - BUT, excluded agricultural workers and domestic service in private homes (everything to do with race) WHY? Acceptance of SSA in the south if preferential treatment were given to white people re: job insurance

Crucial housing assistance - loans - 98% recipients were white

GI Bill - benefits to veterans - of 67,000 mortgages given out to help veterans, less than 100 were taken out by non-whites!!!

NOT BAD - juts need acknowledge that they benefitted WHITES - pumped wealth in to whites - STRUCTURAL ADVANTAGES that made it easier for whites

Thoughts from white people:
I won't be profiled, followed by mall security
Whites are not "representing" their race when they fail

Legacy of inequality and Legacy of Obliviousness!!

War on Drugs - overwhelmingly poor black people, non-violent crimes, swept into jail - racialized justice system benefiting white people - never really even thought about this!

Black success actually reinforces the thoughts of, well , it's their fault - Obama made it, so can others - but not really that easy!

Poverty - today portrayed by media as black people - contributing to the misconception that welfare is being used only for them, while the majority of recipients are actually white - but BEFORE 1960 it was white folks - dustbowl - so support was good until the 1960's but once media started equating poverty with people of color, support went in the toilet - now think of them as moochers

MOST POWERFUL STATEMENT

"If the one story we buy into from american history is that we're a meritocracy, a colorblind society, that we reward or punish people based purely on how hard they work or how capable they are, then the entire history of institutional racism magically disappears and we're left to wonder what's wrong with black people who can't seem to get it together?" can lead to an intesification of racist thinking


Implicit or unconscious bias - what pops into your mind first when thinking about a certain race/population?

We can't be colorblind - because then we won't see the disparity

Be color conscious

REFLECTION: This movie has affected me more than I ever thought it would. It opened my eyes to just a fraction of racial bias in our country's history, showed me some errors in my way of thinking, and has made me want to share this knowledge with everyone I come in contact with! I'm pretty sure they're tired of me talking about it. I cannot be colorblind, and I cannot think we are equal, everyone needs to just try harder: it's not that easy, and to think so is doing a disservice to many. I'm not quite sure how to make big changes, but I do know that I can try to make small inroads here and there by sharing what I've learned and by advocating for others to watch this show. TWO THUMBS WAY UP