Privilege, Power, and Difference

 In Privilege, Power, and Difference, Alan Johnson argues that interconnected systems of power and privilege cause inequality in the United States. To dismantle these systems, he emphasizes that we need to first understand how they work and where they originate. 

At the very introduction, Johnson says that "the social advantage of being white will tend to be more significant for lower- and working-class whites than it will for whites in the middle and upper classes." This was interesting and something I had not thought about before. However, I think I disagree. Just because a white person is going up in the class ladder, it does not make their race disappear; if anything, it multiplies the influence they have. I think saying this underestimates how powerful and consequential whiteness remains in upper-class levels.

While reading chapter 2, I very much realized that Johnson's point of view is very privileged. This is something he very much acknowledged, having mentioned multiple times that he is a straight white male. However, especially in page 10 and 11, I realized how his audience was meant to be white. As a POC woman, when I am in spaces with people like me, many times our conversations have gravitated towards talks about privilege and power. This is something that is very much at the forefront of our minds because it is something we have to deal with every day. As Johnson points out, this is not something a straight white male thinks about (and that in itself is a privilege). So when he says, "we can't talk about it if we can't use the words," he is talking to them, not to me. At the same time, this made me reflect on my own experiences and ask myself: when have I ever felt as comfortable talking to a white person about power and privilege as I do talking about it with other POC? 

Another thought about page 10, Johnson says, "these groups can't do it on their own, because they don't have the power to change entrenched systems of privilege by themselves. If they could do that, there wouldn't be a problem in the first place." While some of what he is saying I do agree with, for me his claim is drifting into a white-savior framework by denying the agency of oppressed groups. Yes, entrenched institutions are controlled by dominant groups, however, framing oppressed communities as incapable erases the historical and ongoing power we exercise through organizing and cultural leadership. Systematic change does not occur when those in power grant it; it is the result of collective struggle and resistance. 

For last thoughts, I am glad Johnson mentioned that many think that privilege means "having all the goodies." This really showcases how privilege is often invisible to those who have it. People tend to notice what they lack, not what comes automatically. therefore it is easy for many to assume that privileged = perfect life.