White Supremacy   Term Paper ID:39315 Click to get this paper

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Paper Abstract: This paper provides a discussion of white supremacy in American history and society from a political, economic, philosophical, and social perspective. The use of writings by Richard Wright, Lillian Smith, Pem Davidson Buck and others are used to support the discussion’s claims. Paper Introduction: White Supremacy Introduction Any nation or society that enslaves entire populations of ethnicgroups must justify such behavior through the social construction of an other that is perceived as inferior According to one historian whitesupremacy is a racist belief that white people are superior to otherraces White In the United States this belief was institutionalizedthrough various social phenomena from segregation and Jim Crow laws totheories on intelligence and physiology In its most pernicious andpotentially threatening form white supremacy is a political system ofdomination Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Racist laws were one form ofcontrol but so were informal, more violent methods like the rise of the KuKlux Klan. This group also views the "AmericanDream" pie as having only so many slices to go round. were able to advance thequality of life for millions of individuals due to a shared set ofcollective values and beliefs, in both cases these beliefs wereethnocentric and nationalistic in ways that separated individuals of eachnation from others. Above all,we see that there is no real basis for any view of one race or ethnicitybeing superior to another. One can readily understand why whitesupremacy might be so pervasive in American culture and so difficult toeradicate when children so young are educated to believe they are superiorto others solely because of the color of their skin or the beliefs of theirown ethnic group. "The Lessons." In Smith, Lillian. When I was just a bit slow in performing some duty, I wascalled a lazy black son-of-a-bitch...I thought of reporting all this to theboss...but the boss was a white man, too. Even more importantly, we see thatconstructions of race and ethnicity that promote entitlement are used todominate other groups for self-interest. These views areperpetuated among the young through parenting and education in ways thatmake it very hard for developing children to see the propaganda and liesthey are being fed. This analysis will use select readings todemonstrate that white supremacy is a multi-tiered system of politics,practice, belief systems, economics and philosophy that privilegeswhiteness by designating it as "normal" and/or "superior" to non-whiteness. In Rothenberg, Paula S. "The Possessive Investment in Whiteness." In Rothenberg, Paula S. Behind the Mask of Chivalry: The Making of the Second Ku Klux Klan. Aside from social institutions reinforcing notions of inferiority ofblacks compared to whites, other social phenomena served to intimidate andoppress blacks who might have rebelled. This group primarily views the highestquality of life as an entitlement. Body Today's era that tends toward multiculturalism and globalism ishighly distinct from the past when nationalism and hegemony guides nations. culture, but it is very hardto see. Worth Publishers, 67-85.MacLean, Nancy. The history of both British and U.S. In her book Behind the Mask of Chivalry, Nancy MacLean tracesthe history of the rise of what she calls the "second" Ku Klux Klan; agroup that was more pernicious and dangerous because it co-opted religiousvalues and middle-class ideology to help enlist supporters. Since WWII and the advent of Civil Rights, many Americans claimsthat there is statistical and social evidence for the numerous advancespossible for people of all colors in U.S. We see this when Richard Wright (24) explainshis shock and dismay when his employers change toward him when he seeks toeducate himself, "From then on they changed toward me. In the writing of Lilian Smith, we also see that a racist andprejudice culture is one that socializes "whites" from a very young age tobelieve in the privilege and superiority of "whiteness." Smith (84) likensthe separatist ideologies connected with segregation as positing blacks onthe same sinful level as masturbation in the eyes of society and God. As she writes about sex and "Negroes," "Each was a'sin,' each 'deserved punishment,' each would receive it in this world orthe next. To provide otherswith a slice is to have less for themselves in the view of this group. They said good-morning no more. Smith's writing also shows how philosophies on history, education,religion, and other aspects of society revolve around the values and intentof white elites who generate these social institutions. According to one historian, whitesupremacy is "a racist belief that white people are superior to otherraces" (White 1). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_supremacy, 1-4.Davidson Buck, Pem. In the United States, this wasparticularly true of those with of African origin or ancestry. This tendency often led to attitudes of superioritycompared to individuals who differed in values, beliefs, or culture. Each was tied up with the other and all were tied close to God"(Smith 84). As Pem Davidson Buck (31) writesof the origins of whiteness and privilege in American history, "Given thetendency of slaves, servants, and landless free Europeans and Africans tocooperate in rebellion, the elite had to 'teach Whites the values ofwhiteness' in order to divide and role their labor force." Economic motives went hand in hand with political aims that soughtto create social institutions that perpetuated a philosophy and beliefsthat reinforced the superior nature of "whiteness" compared to non-whiteness. A conclusion will address this white supremacy in contemporary society. This has beenachieved largely at the expense of and by excluding non-whites from theopportunities that lead to the highest quality of life. While great nations like Britain and the U.S. What was the use?" We see thatdespite a great deal of rhetoric about how much opportunities forminorities have changed since Civil Rights; one only need recall thatdespite the sport being dominated by African Americans, no NFL team isowned by an African American and a great deal of fuss and politicallycorrect hullabaloo was generated over the fact that for the first time everthis year's Super Bowl featured teams both helmed by African Americancoaches. "The Ethics of Living Jim Crow." 1937. The primarilywhite and wealthy "powers that be" have far too much invested in their ownaccess to opportunities and life entitlements that little short ofrevolution, even in a democracy, will change their attitudes, views, orpractices. Race, Class, and Gender in the United States, (6th Edit.), 31-37.Lipsitz, George. slavery certainly demonstratesthe veracity of the statement that white Europeans and Anglo-Europeansviewed dark-skinned peoples as inferior. This is becauseAmerican social institutions continue to be primarily controlled by a groupof wealthy, powerful white Anglo-Saxons whose ideology still embraces atendency toward white supremacy. In its most pernicious andpotentially threatening form, white supremacy is a political system ofdomination that entitles whites to the highest quality human experience atthe exclusion of non-whites. Killers of the Dream, 83-98.Wright, Richard. 75 47 White Supremacy Introduction Any nation or society that enslaves entire populations of ethnicgroups must justify such behavior through the social construction of an"other" that is perceived as inferior. 13 March 2 7. It is this kind of systemic and systematic constructionof whiteness as "superior" that has justified any number of abuses againstnon-whites in American history. Morton, a local Mason, Shriner, Boy Scout leader, andmember of the Booster Club and the board of stewards of the First MethodistChurch." The ability of the Ku Klux Klan to perpetuate greater violence andoppression against blacks because of infiltrating mainstream American by co-opting their beliefs and values shows how those who maintain racism andprejudice often act in subtle and covert ways. 2 7. In Rothenberg, Paula S. New York: Oxford Univ. White Privilege: Essential Readings on the Other Side of Racism, (2nd Edit.). Assuch, until the political, economic, and philosophical control by thisgroup is undermined it is likely white supremacy will continue to pervadeAmerican social institutions in subtle and pernicious ways.Works Cited"White Supremacy." Wikipedia. Race, Class, and Gender in the United States, (6th Edit.), 22-31. Despiteshowing bills for "fiery crosses" as a routine part of their bookkeeping,MacLean's (4) show of how the Klan used religious values and middle-classphilosophy to generate support for its atrocities is chilling: "The order'soverlap with the mainstream made it possible to win the enthusiasm of menlike Chester D. As much aswhites had to be trained to feel "superior" in their whiteness, socialinstitutions like the workplace had to train blacks to feel "inferior"because of their blackness. It give you priorities over colored people everywhere inthe world, and especially those in the South." Priorities over "colored"people included everything from where you were to eat to the people youwere able to love. However, the white lookof corporate CEO America, the fact that most professional sports franchisesare dominated by black players but owned by whites, and the paucity ofwomen in the highest positions of power in business all demonstrate equalaccess to the highest quality life in American society is more promise thanreality. Because of this, Lipitz (67) maintainsthat white supremacy and racism have not been eradicated from Americansocial institutions; they have merely evolved from overt to covertexpressions: "Whiteness is everywhere in U.S. As Smith (89) writes of one of her childhood lessons,"Your skin color is a Badge of Innocence which you can wear asvaingloriously as you please because God gave it to you and hence it isgood and right. "Constructing Race, Creating White Privilege." 2 1. Asone historian notes, "White supremacy, as with supremacy in general, isrooted in ethnocentrism and a desire for hegemony...white supremacistsalmost always believe that dark-skinned people are inferior" (White 1). As Richard Dyer suggests, 'White power secures its dominance byseeming not to be anything in particular.' As the unmarked categoryagainst which difference is constructed, whiteness never has to speak itsname." In this capacity, we see that from colonial times through thepresent systematic efforts have been made that promote entitlement to thehighest quality of life to whites in American society. From the institution of slavery itself to Jim Crow laws, imagesof superiority were maintained for whites by refusing to permit blacks touse the same public facilities or to sit in the same bus seats. The atrocities andabuses generated against countless people of color by whites is justifiedbecause of a view that all things white are superior to all things non-white, a view that is believed to be Divinely held. In the United States, this belief was institutionalizedthrough various social phenomena from segregation and Jim Crow laws totheories on intelligence and physiology. Conclusion Despite the success of the Civil Rights movement and an increasingnumber of gains across all social institutions for minorities in Americansociety over the past four decades; racism, prejudice, sexism and classismstill pervade American social institutions and society. society. As ayoung girl, we see that she is unable to avoid accepting the moreoutlandish claims of white superiority that are reinforced throughreligious belief. We also see this is howsuch constructions of race or identity or superiority are generated andperpetuated. Press, 1994.Smith, Lillian. In "The Possessive Investment in Whiteness," George Lipsitzdiscusses how those who control the resources in society, primarily elitewhites, have invested too much in the entitlement of "whiteness" torelinquish power to other groups. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.