In the interesting article, “What white people have to
say about being white,” filmmaker Whitney Dow highlights a project he is
working on about interviewing 15 to 27 year olds about being white while
identifying their social interactions, racism, race, and privilege. Dow is a
filmmaker who focuses on the betterment of the society through catching the
attention of his viewers. Dow is working on a video project called The Intersection
of I, where he believes that “white people have to recognize that they are a
part of this conversation whether they like it or not” when speaking about
white privilege.
Dow high points the issue that the US was built and
founded on white supremacy. Some whites know this and they rather ignore the
fact because they are scared to address the issue. Some white people are just
exhausted about the race topic and choose to let it brush by with annoyance. Additionally,
the article speaks about how the film will show that whites tend to hang out
with other whites and are afraid to diversify. Finally, privilege is something that
is seen by whites as an advantage to break the law and basically do whatever
they think they can get away with. In all, Dow’s film can hopefully change the
views of the white Americans and open the eyes of one-track minded of many
races.
Vega, T. (2016, April 13). What white people have to say about being white. Retrieved April 25, 2016, from http://money.cnn.com/2016/04/13/media/whiteness-project/index.html
I believe that this film is a great eye-opening experience for all those who participated in the interviews as well as all who watch the film. It is not common to hear Caucasians speak about their privilege, because it has become so ingrained in their everyday life that some do not even notice that they have privilege. Those who are aware of it may not know what to do about it and may even be afraid to bring it up since it has existed for so long in the United States. This is the very essence of of what white privilege is. In order to institute change and break down the barriers of privilege, there must be a conversation among those who have it to acknowledge its presence and what actions can be taken to eradicate it. This is exactly what Whitney Dow is trying to accomplish with her film, which I believe is a positive step in the right direction.
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