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Michelle L. Ulrich
Professor Frost
Sociology 2215
14 February 2017
Tim Wise on White Privilege
1. What does the information shared in this weeks lesson offer to suggest that issues like
poverty, housing, education, and healthcare are race related issues? What other political
issues are race-related rarely debated in that context? (Choose an issue not discussed in this
weeks lesson). Reading, listening, and watching the video has suggested that the issues we face today
as Americans are race related. When it comes to the areas listed above I have unfortunately been able
to witness racial inequality. Any one of these areas can affect various groups of minorities, where it is the
White Privileged that dont and wont see that this racial discrimination is happening. Quoting Wise,
The media often reports individual hate crimes, while systematic and institutionalized injustice is not
typically reported. For example, a 2004 study published by the American Journal of Public Health
found that, between 1991 and 2000, there were almost one million black people in the U.S. who died
because of insufficient healthcare. The study received almost no media attention. I work for a more
affluent school district and am very lucky with the opportunities and resources that are provided to us as
teachers, but also the students within our walls. I dont want to be naive about racial inequalities when it
comes to education and minorities, but I can say that we provide educational pathways across the
board. We have a wide range of minority students in our district: single income, grandparent guardians,
African American, Asian American, Native American, children with special needs, and low income are
just a few to mention. I work at one school and in one department, but am aware of other teachers that
work with other children of different ages and at different schools, I see that equal teaching is being
offered. By no means am I saying there are not teachers in our district that dont treat children
differently. We are the White Privileged and it does and will happen. The wealthiest 10% of U.S.
school districts spend nearly 10 times more than the poorest 10%. According to the article: Race
Matters: Unequal Opportunities in Education, they reported the percentage of Kindergarteners that
graduate within their racial groups.
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9/11 2001 attacks and the resultant of War on Terrorism is definitely a political issue race-related.
Lives of Americans from all racial/ethnic backgrounds were literally changed overnight, not the least of
whom were and are Arab and Muslim Americans, who have to balance their dual identities of being
both Americans while also frequently being seen as enemies in our own backyards. We, as Americans,
have come a long way since that horrific day in September. With that said, we can still see people being
racially discriminated by all means of authority and stature, to no fault of their own.
2. What societal factors according to Tim Wise and the other resources offered in this week's
lesson are related to racial profiling? Based on the information shared in this weeks' lesson is
racial profiling an efficient, effective, and fair way for law enforcement officers to prevent
crime? Why or why not? Depending on the color of your skin could cause the racial profiling to
happen. It seems to be a universal happening in our society with routine stops by law enforcement and
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one race or ethnicity is deemed to cause more havoc than another. We are supposed to see each other
as equals and not judge a book by it's cover but we do. By not studying the heterosexual idea in
history, analysts of sex, gay and straight, have continued to privilege the normal and natural at the
expense of the abnormal and unnatural. We live in a world that has so many different norm and natural
ways that it is sometimes hard for people to understand that if there is a person or people that differ,
there is nothing wrong with them. I believe that I see differences in people, but believe that I dont
discriminate, what makes me better than them?
"Racial profiling" at its core concerns the invidious use of race or
ethnicity as a criterion in conducting stops, searches and other law
enforcement investigative procedures. It is premised on the
erroneous assumption that any particular individual of one race or
ethnicity is more likely to engage in misconduct than any particular
individual of another race or ethnicity.
Racial profiling in law enforcement is not merely wrong, b ut also
ineffective. Race-b ased assumptions in law enforcement perpetuate
negative racial stereotypes that are harmful to our rich and diverse
democracy, and materially impair our efforts to maintain a fair and
just society.

White Denial. He points out that: In every generation, white people have said that racial discrimination
is not a significant national problem. For example:
A recent poll revealed only 6% of white people believe racism is a national problem;
In 1963, 80% of white people believed that black people were treated equally;
In 1962, 90% of white people believed that black children received equal education;
At the time of the March on Washington in the summer of 1963, 2/3 of white people believed
that the civil rights movement was asking for too much too soon; I do not believe that racial
profiling is an efficient, effective or fair way for law enforcement officers. I say this because of a
situation I saw that involved an affluent white male that was pulled over by the local police;
which searched his car and was placed under arrest for possession. He was in the back of the
police car, waiting and the next thing, he was released and given a ticket. Not only did he get off
that night with a basic slap on the wrist, but had to pay fees and fines and that was it. How can
you have this scenario happen and it not be routine for everyone and I dont believe that it
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would have been. A criminal is a criminal and a law enforcement officer took an oath and needs
to abide by it.
3. According to Wise's discussion of White Denial, is racial discrimination a significant
national problem? Why or why not? (As always you must back your responses with academic
research both in the lesson and beyond and cite your resources) Racial discrimination is a
significant national problem, even though it was thought that it would dissipate with the first African
American President, Barack Obama in 2009 when he was elected. There was great hope for many,
with him being elected that racial discrimination would be elevated and the minorities would be seen as
equals. This was not the case for so many scenarios in our society with law enforcement, employment,
housing and education. Our Nations political and social culture, Why is it that none of them mention,
that it was last year, 2006, not 1996, not 1986, not 1976, or 1966, but 2006 which witnessed the
highest number of race based housing discrimination complaints in recorded history? The fair housing act
was passed in 1968, the year of my birth, and yet it was not 1968 that witnessed the highest level of
discrimination complaints based on race. It was 38 years later, in 2006. How is it not news, and why
are no candidates mentioning, that according to the department of justice, in a study released in 2004,
black and Latino males are three times more likely than white males to have their cars stopped and
searched for drugs even though white males are four and half times more likely to actually have drugs
on us on the occasion when we are stopped. How unjust is that? The ones causing this, are supposed
to be role models, law abiding citizens, yet they are more criminally wrong in my eyes. Numerous
surveys have asked African Americans and other racial minorities about their experiences with
discrimination in the workplace, in their search for housing, and in other everyday social settings
(Schuman et al. 2001). One startling conclusion from this line of research is the frequency with which
discrimination is reported. A 2001 survey, for example, found that more than one-third of blacks and
nearly 20% of Hispanics and Asians reported that they had personally been passed over for a job or
promotion because of their race or ethnicity (Schiller 2004). A 1997 Gallup poll found that nearly half of
all black respondents reported having experienced discrimination at least once in one of five common
situations in the past month (Gallup Organ. 1997). Further, the frequency with which discrimination is
reported does not decline among those higher in the social hierarchy; in fact, middle-class blacks are as
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likely to perceive discrimination as are working-class blacks, if not more (Feagin & Sikes 1994, Kessler
et al. 1990).
4. Discuss why the terrorist attacks on 9/11 led to increased hatred for Arabs and Muslims
when the Oklahoma City bombing didn't lead to increased hatred for white people or
Christians? Explain. The 9/11 attacks sent our world into a frenzy of not knowing what to do,
reacting quickly; without guidelines and doing whatever it took to help our fellow Americans. When
more information came out about the attacks of who and which group was responsible for them, our
nation reacted in ways of hatred for all Arabs and Muslims. We lumped them (all race and ethnic
groups) of this kind together and it seemed they were all in this together. This is how our society sees
and thinks of other ethnic groups, stereotyping them as one. The Oklahoma City bombing incident and
say, Columbine High School shooting wasnt looked at as a terrorist attack, but these horrific attacks
that were committed by humans and killed humans, didnt cause increased hatred towards Whites.
Why, as Americans, would we treat one another differently, have such hatred towards one group and
not of our own. The mentality to know the difference and not do anything different?! There is no
difference with these attacks, humans caused this, innocent people, children and adults were murdered.
Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the number of hate crimes directed against
Arab Americans, Muslims, and Sikhs escalated dramatically. In 2001, Arab Americans, Muslims, and
Sikhs were victimized in nearly five percent of the total number of hate crimes reported that year (481
out of 9,730), a seventeen-fold increase over the prior year. While the number of reported hate crimes
against Arab Americans, Muslims, and Sikhs has declined from the peak of 2001, it remains
substantially above pre-2001 levels. In 2007, for example, 115 hate crimes were reported more
than four times as many as were reported in 2000.
5. According to Tim Wise, how does privilege affect both those who have it and those who do
not? Consider the concept of 'the pathology of privilege' in your discussion. Our society
definitely sides with the privileged few when it comes to scenarios that involve race or ethnic groups
different from the norm or white privileged. Why would America side with anything but the white
privileged when we are ruled by white supremacy. Throughout the years, we have had several attacks
on America by different ethnic groups and by whites, and I have cited, that we as a whole; view it
totally different from one another. For example: Oklahoma City Bombing and Columbine High School
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shooting involved Whites or Christians and there were no hate crimes related to these incidents.
Owning the Call to Be Agents of Change in Overcoming Racism. We need to be the foundation of this
change, step foot in a different light and be an advocate of the acceptance for this change. Our Nation
ruling as a White Supremacy has got to come to an end. Why is it so different of a world just because of
the color of your skin, how big your pockets are, the name you attach to yourself, and who you know?
Can we change the way we look at the world and the people it holds within its grasp? We have people
who have a mindset like Tim Wise that can stand in front of the world and be brutally honest and
creatively provide information we are already aware of, but reminds us about White Privilege that
surrounds us.
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Works Cited:
Race Matters: Unequal Opportunities in Education, by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, November 25,
2006, Race Matters Collection, http://www.aecf.org/.

The Society Pages, The Color Line, The Most Significant Racial/Ethnic Issues of the Decade,
December 20, 2010.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights & The Leadership Conference Education Fund,
Hate Crimes Against Arab Americans, Muslims, and Sikhs, http://www.civilrights.org/, copyright 2009.

Pager, Devah and Shepherd, Hana, The Sociology of Discrimination: Racial Discrimination in
Employment, Housing, Credit, and Consumer Markets, Annu Rev Sociol. 2008 Jan 1; 34: 181209,
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/.

Wise, Tim, The Pathology of Privilege Racism, White Denial & the Costs of Inequality, Media
Education Foundation, www.mediaed.org.

Wise, Tim, Owning the Call to Be Agents of Change in Overcoming Racism, 31 January 2016,
http://www.timwise.org/2016/02,