Thanks Peggy

It is because of you and your bold, but not necessarily accusatory writing, that causes me to stop and take a moment to reflect on my own life and upbringing, and how that has influenced the way I think and act today. I particularly enjoyed this noteworthy declaration:

“Whites are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, and average, and also ideal, so that when we work to benefit others, this is seen as work that will allow “them” to be more like “us.” I think many of us know how obnoxious this attitude can be in men.”

I won’t write about every scenario in which I was relayed these subtleties by multiple teachers; I can certainly attest to this phenomenon. It is interesting to note though, the evolution of my education and awareness of my privilege. In elementary school I hardly remember learning about history, I just remember learning about the geography of the US and Maryland. I went to a diverse school and played with kids from all sorts of backgrounds, and never thought once about the fact that I went home to a nuclear, stable family, while some of my friends were greeted by a broken family with fewer funds. In middle school I was one of the only white kids in my grade, so I denounced my privileged background and tried to fit in with my other friends; I didn’t really think about why our lifestyles were different, I was just concerned about making and maintain friends. In high school, when I was finally introduced and cognizant of the blaring differences between my background and my friends’ backgrounds, I didn’t really know what I could do, and so I ignored feelings of guilt and confusion. Now I am in college and I have fewer superficial distractions, and I am working on figuring out what to do next.