Headlines of the Week (Or Whatever)

When Men on the Left Refuse to See Their Sexism

White Hot Rage

On Thin Privilege

How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: A Remembrance

The Thing Is, I’m Undocumented

On Privilege

From my Honors Colloquium II term paper:

“What the advocates of our dangerous and deepening social amnesia don’t understand is how deeply the past holds the future in its grip—even, and perhaps especially, when it remains unacknowledged.” ~Timothy B. Tyson, Blood Done Sign My Name

In our society, we are taught that racism, sexism, and classism, inasmuch as they still exist in our modern society, are things that put others at a disadvantage. The interesting corollary to this is for every person put at a disadvantage, someone has an advantage. In an essay on the topic, entitled “The Breeze at My Back”, Dr. Michael Kimmel, esteemed sociologist and author, compared privilege to running in the wind, stating:

“To walk or run with that same wind at your back is to float, to sail effortlessly, expending virtually no energy. You do not feel the wind; it feels you. You do not feel how it pushes you along; you feel only the effortlessness of your movements. You feel like you could go on forever. It is only when you turn around and face that wind that you realize its strength. Being white, or male, or heterosexual in this culture is like running with the wind at your back. It feels like just plain running, and we rarely if ever get a chance to see how we are sustained, supported, and even propelled by that wind.”

Honors Comp Essay #2: Two Men, Two Sermons

Two Men, Two Sermons

"Who is it that is supposed to articulate the longings and aspirations of the people more than the preacher? Somehow the preacher must have a kind of fire shut up in his bones." ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Billy Sunday and Martin Luther King, Jr. didn’t agree on many things, but on one topic, they were both clear; it was a dangerous time to be alive. Their world teemed with examples of sickness and moral confusion. In each man’s social strata crisis was at hand, and they both felt called to bring the solution to their people. Each man firmly believed that the salvation of both society and soul could be found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, yet these seemingly parallel paths led to incredibly divergent destinations.