Semantics Of Prejudice Analysis

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1 Describe a time you have either witnessed firsthand or were a victim of “semantics of prejudice.” What was said, and how did other (or you) respond? I grew up in a predominantly black community, so I experienced very few instances of this; however, this has become more prevalent since I have moved to UGA. I suspect that my relocation has altered my experiences as the demographics here and where I lived is vastly different. Very recently, I had friends strangely start talking about physical features of people, and one of them brought up children of Japanese and Black ancestry, also known as “Hafus”. I recall them exalting those children for their lighter skin complexion and their “good hair”, features people do not associate with Black people. I knew where this was going, so I decided to ask what my friends meant when they said “good hair”. This immediately led to an awkward silence. They tried to cover this up by saying that their hair is different from Black hair and called the Hafus’ hair “exotic” because of their loose curls. I…show more content…
White privilege is an innate trait that most white people are unaware that they even possess. The first reaction white people have when they are told that they have privilege over Non-white people is to deny it and maybe it won’t be true. Denying it isn’t going to make your privilege go away; but by acknowledging it and actively pushing against it, white people can combat white supremacy. Recognize that you benefit from systems that are in place and work to undo that. The mistake people make is in developing a sense of guilt over the fact that they happen to have those qualities- they feel guilty for having privilege so they deny it. Systems of privilege are a reality of the world we live in, use your privilege to change things. Accept that you have privilege and use it to enter spaces where others might not be allowed and raise

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