This reading talked about equality. Equality of sex and of race. I would like to talk about one sentance in particular. "As we in Women's Studies work to reveal male privilege and ask men to give up some of there power." (pg 165 paragraph 3) My question is do you think that men or whites need to give up there power in order for others (women/ or non-whites) to be afford the same opportunities as them?

I think that the power mentioned when speaking about white privilege is actually a political and social power. And power is on a fixed continuum. No new power is created, nor is any of it destroyed. If taken with this perspective, then I would have to say that yes for minorities to gain power, then the ruling class must lose some power. For an equal voice in politics, then the power must be equal as well. For equal treatment in society, then social power must be equal.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said in his Letter in a Birmingham Jail that privileged groups are not likely to voluntarily give up their privileges. I agree- how many times in history do you see a group of people kindly give up power/privilege to benefit others? NEVER. I think the whole point of "White Privilege" is that, even though it may be unintentional, racism exists in the form of white privilege- everyday advantages that people of the white race take for granted.

Should whites voluntarily give up power? Maybe. Will it happen? Probably not.

Demographic studies reveal that not long in the near future (if I remember correctly- by about 2050) whites will no longer be the majority in the U.S. It is projected that population patterns will create major changes- there will be a "minority majority". Perhaps, looking even farther to the future- whites may become the minority.

Wouldn't it be interesting to see the U.S. and its culture in, say, the year 2200? Who will be the dominant group then?

I think that in the context of this article, it is important to give up power. The article talks about the fact that mals or whites do not recgnize their own fault in discrimination. We see that another race or gender is lower, and want to bring them up, but in reality, we must give a little and they will as well. We need not to elevate everyone to a certain level, but rather to meet them in the middle. It is the ignorance of the race/gender that is being attacked. If we realize that as whites we are inherently pushing other races down by living our lifestyles, then we will make great strides toward equality. One problem with pulling races up is that it is not possible to pull everyone up. The only way that we know to elevate is to step on someone else. Our bringing another race up would only push someone else down. That is why w have to give upa little power to meet everyone in the middle.

I would not say that whites/males must give up power in order for others to have the same opportunities that they experience. Power should not be possessed by anyone. I think that part of the problem is that certain groups think that they possess power and affirm it either explicitly or subconsciously. I like to think that we all need to share power rather than possess it.