Talking Point #10

Allan Johnson
from the book "Privilege, Power, and Difference"

-Chapter 9-

"What Can We Do?"

In this chapter Allan Johnson starts off by stating, "The challenge we face is to change patterns of exclusion, rejection, privilege, harassment, discrimination, and violence that are everywhere in society and have existed for hundreds of years." I don't think this pertains to me, a future educator, but to everyone in general. Johnson wants us as a society to challenge the things that be, because that's the only way to address them. He urges us to speak out when something doesn't feel or seem right, because silence only contributes to furthering the acceptance of it.

The topics he stresses us to speak out on is that of race, gender, sexual preference, disabilities, minority rights or anything that may seem as "controversial" He asks us to take risks and "Do Something" because privilege does exist weather you are blind to it or not. He provides encouragement and italicizes things you can do to help change the mold, like....

"Make noise, be seen/ heard"

"Find ways to withdraw support from paths of least resistance and people's choices to follow them"

"Dare to make people feel uncomfortable, beginning with yourself"

"Openly choose and model alternative paths"

"Actively promote change in how systems are organized around privilege"

"Support the right of women and men to love whomever they choose"

"Work with other people"

Much like his quote "Because just as the last thing a fish would discover is water, the last thing people discover is society itself and something as pervasive as privilege." I think what Johnson means by this is, just like a fish is so use to having water there to support them and keep them alive, so to is something like privilege. As a society we are so use to it (privileges) being there, that we forget it exists and take advantage of it because it benefits us, and why would we want to lose something that helps us gain more?

I like how Johnson ended his text with encouragement to make a change. He said "Don't let other people set the standard for you." Start from where you are at in this point and time, and make a change from there. Don't look down the road at the big picture, because in doing so your only setting yourself up for failure. Instead think of your subtle changes as building blocks thats leading to house something bigger and better.

"You dont have to do anything dramatic or earth-shaking to help make change happen. As powerful as systems of privilege are, they cannot stand the strain of lots of people doing something about it, beginning with the simpliest act of NAMING THE SYSTEM OUT LOUD."