Blogpost #3

        

     Racism is a heavy word. That is because of all the history behind it. For a very long time racism was blatantly integrated into our society's institutions, and as a society we are still feeling the affects of this. Quite frankly, I don't believe other prejudices and biases have the same implications and for that reason I don't believe reverse racism actually exists. In terms of affirmative action, I believe it has it's ups and downs. The unsettling fact of the matter is that many minority students are the ones being left behind by the education system, and for that reason they may not technically be as qualified as that of a more privileged white student. Affirmative action attempts to level the playing field that institutionalized racism in our education system has made unevenly stacked in favor of the white student. However, affirmative action also creates self-consciousness among benefiting students. It can cause some students to question whether or not they are really qualified for a position, and it can affect the way others will look at someone. In this way affirmative action perpetuates and provokes the racist judgements that already exist. In my own experience I find that while writing applications I find myself being told to use vital parts of my identity almost like a marketing ploy – selling myself has been given a new meaning.