Kozol and McIntosh

Kozol and McIntosh

A group of powerful essays from two authors talk about how there is an unequal distribution of power  towards students based on their gender, race, etc. This conflict spreads anywhere in the country such as a school, workplace, etc. 

Jonathan Kozol, a civil rights activist and a Massachusetts Native (Boston, MA), wrote a powerful essay called Amazing Grace (1995). He wrote this essay to persuade others that Bronx, NY is not a place to live and not a place to have good education. He examines a school in Bronx and talks to the principal of that school. While discussing with the principal, Kozol examined that "there are many students who bring to the school physical evidence of pain and hardship" (Kozol 2). This means that many other students went into school with medical problems and accidents like asthma, body burns from fires, and many more. From Kozol's point of view, he believes that school should be a safe environment to learn, not for injury warning signs.

Peggy McIntosh, an American anti-racism feminist from Brooklyn, NY, wrote a powerful essay called White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack (1989). McIntosh wrote this essay to persuade that it is unfair to discriminate between African American females and white females. She says in her essay that she "was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group" (McIntosh 1). This quote expresses unstoppable hatred and racial injustice toward all American females. White Privilege is supposed to balance with every American's privilege, not to be discriminated.



Both of these articles have a connection because both authors, Kozol and McIntosh, wanted to make sure everyone is included in a familiar environment whether it will be at a school, a work place, etc. Kozol best exemplifies how education can be a time of inclusion for all while McIntosh best exemplifies how inclusion can be a principle term for all Americans. Connecting to their agreement, Lisa Delpit's The Silenced Dialogue explains that "there are code or rules for participating in power, that is there is a 'culture of power'" (Delpit 282).

In conclusion, Kozol and McIntosh taught us how to not only become good educators, but to become good people. If I was Mcintosh and/or Kozol, I would feel interested about this because I was once discriminated due to my disability up until my higher education (Late Middle School//Early High School). Remember, inclusion is definitely a power force for all Americans and my advice to all is to stay humble and kind.

Kozol Article:

https://sentry.rmu.edu/SentryHTML/research/29384.pdf

McIntosh Article:

https://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/mcintosh.pdf

TALKING POINTS:

• EDUCATION AFFECTED HORRIBLY BY THESE CHILDREN -- INJURIES RELATED
• RACISM IS A DIRTY WORD FOR MCINTOSH TO EXPERIENCE
• INCLUSION FOR ALL