Oppression, Privilege, Intersectionality

Throughout the week I have read three different articles; Oppression by Marilyn Frye, White Privilege by Peggy McIntosh, and Age, Race, Sex, and Class: Women Redefining Difference by Audre Lorde. In Oppression, Frye uses the bird cage method to compare oppression to women. If you look at a wire bird cage and only look at one of the wires you cannot see the other wires; we look at the one wire and wonder why the bird does not just fly around the wire. It is when we step back and look at the entire bird cage instead of one wire that we see why the bird was not able to fly around the wire. She concludes that women are stuck in a bird cage of their own. Not only is it the confinement of the bird but also who is confined, which describes the real issue of oppression. This article and with Frye’s argument made me think, really think, about the issue of the oppressed.

In White Privilege, McIntosh has a list of the different ways that white people seem to not be affected by racism that other races encounter. From her own life examples she talks about things she does that other races might have to think about before doing. I think that she has a reasonable point, white people take for granted that the do not have to suffer racism like other races do. Being white is viewed as the “norm” in society, thus giving whites more privileges than others. Most people do not even think twice about how they view a white person or even treat them; on the other hand other races constantly have to be on the lookout for racism because they know they will always be a victim. I think that this could be an eye opener to other people, and how they often overlook some of the “advantages” that McIntosh lists. Such as the band aids, and makeup for blemishes in a “flesh” color some people do not realize how difficult it can be for others to find a blemish cover to perfectly let alone even closely match their skin tone. I enjoyed the article and hearing a white person’s point of view about this issue.

Age, Race, Sex, and Class is an amazing article, Lorde argues that it is the other who must fill the gap, that the oppressor must maintain their position and take responsibility for their actions. She thinks there is a need, a “responsibly for the oppressed to teach the oppressors their mistakes.” I agree with this, the oppressors need to be educated about what is going on because they are oblivious to it. Sometimes the oppressors may not actually understand what they are doing until they see it from the other perspective. Lorde does not tell the oppressed to fight back, to oppress the oppressors to get revenge, but to educate them which may prevent another cycle of oppressing. Growing up biracial I would constantly hear “I bet you have a big house.” My family is not labeled as “rich” we are not made of money, and not every white person has a big house. We have things that we need, and we get things that we want but that does not mean that we have the luxury of “throwing money around.” I have and still continue to get “Your mom is black?” it is astonishing to see that people are surprised by the fact that my mother is of color, like it is an unusual thing that, that because I look white and that is how I am supposed to be.