Privilege

Johnson argues that differences alone are not what creates conflict, but the societal systems that create privilege and oppression based on these differences are. Every person has a responsibility to fight these unjust systems, especially if they are in a place of privilege themselves. The excerpt raises important questions about how this plays out. This blog post will focus mostly on how Johnson’s argument pertains to the classroom and our roles as educators to young people. In the beginning of the text, Johnson discusses how white people might feel defensive or irritable when confronted with a conversation that positions them as privileged. It is important for any person with privilege to recognize it so that they can participate in a conversation and fight inequality. I wonder how we can name this in schools, particularly when educating teachers and students to acknowledge their own power and privilege. In other words, what are some ways schools or teacher preparation programs/ PDs could help future educators recognize their privilege? I feel most prepared in this realm from the Action Practitioner Research class here at RIC with Dr. Horwitz, as we did a lot of reflexive work with our defensiveness and bias. I would like to further examine my defensiveness, bias, and privilege as a white educator. This insight, along with the elephant in the room metaphor, is powerful because it shows that avoiding difficult conversations perpetuates inequalities. As teachers, how do we create classroom spaces where difficult conversations like this can happen, instead of becoming an elephant in the room? Lastly, I wonder what other ways I, and other teachers, can become aware of my own biases and privileges.