Privilege, Power, and DIfference By Allan G. Johnson

Allan Johnson acknowledges that there is still a great deal of injustice in our society when it comes to race, ethnicity, social class, gender, and sexual orientation. He eloquently states that we as a society are part of the problem and because we refuse to acknowledge this, “We are both individually and collectively stuck in a kind of paralysis that perpetuates the trouble and its human consequences.” (VII) His primary goal for writing the book was to get people to think about difference and privilege and become part of the solution for change.

                Rodney King asked the question “Why can’t we all just get along?”(1) Even now having a black president we as a society are still not accepting of one anothers differences. Why is it still so incredibly hard for us to treat each other with kindness and respect?

                Johnson states that some groups are in privileges at the expense of others. This sets people against one another. The quality of life is in such contrast between these two groups. I agree with Johnson that we need to have conversations to solve this. We cannot be evolved human beings without compassion and justice for all. Johnson also speaks out about what privilege is like in everyday life concerning race, gender, sexual orientation, and social class. He calls this conferred dominance; giving one group power over another. For example human rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson speaks out about how wealth affects outcomes. The impoverished have a much higher rate of incarceration than the middle class and wealthy combined. Over 60% of poor black men in Baltimore are either in jail, on parole, or on probation. Also the U.S is the only country who has life in prison without parole for children.

Bryan Stevenson – We need to talk about injustice

This is unacceptable. Personally I believe that the opposite of poverty is not wealth but justice. We as a society will be judged not by our great innovative technology or our power economy but by how we treat each other as fellow human beings.