I've been feeling very frustrated lately.
I am taking a class called "Perspectives on Race, Gender, and Ethnicity." I am more and more glad I am in the class every time we meet. We are reading so many interesting articles and engaging in discussions that I really have never sought out. Those topics are generally pretty uncomfortable, but it's absolutely essential that we discuss them because there are people everywhere experiencing discrimination based on these characteristics. (Obviously, there are people experiencing discrimination who do not fall into those categories, but the class can only focus on so much at once.) How can we fix these problems if we don't start by discussing them?
Anyway, I'm loving the class. I finally feel like I can have a dialogue about racism and sexism with other people who are interested (or maybe just need the course requirement) and hear different viewpoints.
At the same time, I am frustrated because I feel so helpless. We keep saying that we need to change the system of racism along with our own personal racial issues. How am I supposed to do that? I am, like I said in my last post, trying to be more active in issues about which I feel strongly. Not only is it hard to prioritize these when someone is always suffering no matter which cause I act for, but it is also hard to know what to do. I will try to be more open in my own dialogue, but how do I change a society historically based in racial discrimination?
For now, I'll just keep my eyes and ears open and act when I can, no matter how insignificant or small.
-Jackie
Monday, February 11, 2013
Saturday, February 2, 2013
A Small Act
Today I made a decision. A small decision, but one I am proud of all the same.
As I paged through the latest issue of Good Housekeeping (I have a gift subscription - from whom, I still have no idea after a year of receiving magazines), I noticed something that made me slightly uncomfortable. I continuously happened upon the words "your husband" or "my husband" throughout the articles I read. Perhaps it was because I do not yet have a husband or perhaps I was just extra sensitive today, but I couldn't get over the number of times I read those words. There is obviously nothing wrong with having a husband, but what about those women who do not have husbands? What about women who have wives? What about women who are not looking for any sort of life partner? Women of all dimensions and lifestyles are keeping up homes and looking for housekeeping tips (as are men, but I do understand this is a magazine targeted toward women) and deserve to feel represented in such a magazine.
I made the small decision to write a letter to the magazine. I do not expect to start a revolution or anything, but I wanted the editor to know how I felt. I suspect I am not the only person who has reflected upon this issue, but for all I know, I could be the only one to say something. I would much rather be the fortieth person to say something than the fortieth person to not say something.
I have started to examine my actions and decisions a bit more in depth as of late (perhaps I am developing a greater confidence in myself or perhaps I am just getting more reflective) and I know that I need to start acting when I am uncomfortable with a situation or an issue rather than thinking about it or ranting about it to my ever-patient boyfriend. I am hoping that by blogging, I can not only hold myself accountable, but also put my thoughts out in a more public domain. I am not always sure what the right thing to do is, but I hope that this will encourage me to do what is necessary, even if it takes a little bit more work.
-Jackie
As I paged through the latest issue of Good Housekeeping (I have a gift subscription - from whom, I still have no idea after a year of receiving magazines), I noticed something that made me slightly uncomfortable. I continuously happened upon the words "your husband" or "my husband" throughout the articles I read. Perhaps it was because I do not yet have a husband or perhaps I was just extra sensitive today, but I couldn't get over the number of times I read those words. There is obviously nothing wrong with having a husband, but what about those women who do not have husbands? What about women who have wives? What about women who are not looking for any sort of life partner? Women of all dimensions and lifestyles are keeping up homes and looking for housekeeping tips (as are men, but I do understand this is a magazine targeted toward women) and deserve to feel represented in such a magazine.
I made the small decision to write a letter to the magazine. I do not expect to start a revolution or anything, but I wanted the editor to know how I felt. I suspect I am not the only person who has reflected upon this issue, but for all I know, I could be the only one to say something. I would much rather be the fortieth person to say something than the fortieth person to not say something.
I have started to examine my actions and decisions a bit more in depth as of late (perhaps I am developing a greater confidence in myself or perhaps I am just getting more reflective) and I know that I need to start acting when I am uncomfortable with a situation or an issue rather than thinking about it or ranting about it to my ever-patient boyfriend. I am hoping that by blogging, I can not only hold myself accountable, but also put my thoughts out in a more public domain. I am not always sure what the right thing to do is, but I hope that this will encourage me to do what is necessary, even if it takes a little bit more work.
-Jackie
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