Changes From Unexpected Places

Retell

In Defense of Rich Kids
William Upski Wimsatt


William Upski Wimsatt is a rich kid.  He admits it.  He can spend money without worry because he knows he will be inheriting more later on.  He asks us though, to look a little closer at who he is and what he does.  His main idea is that what he does with his money is what he should be judged on.  He gives away between 20-50 percent of his income to charities every year.  He wants us to compare that with the 2 percent others give regardless of their wealth.

Wimsatt says he gives away money to small charities.  Small charities with great potential to grow.  To grow awareness and jobs.  He loves the world, being part of it, and most of all "Because I get more joy out of making things better for everyone than I get out of making things materially better for myself." (Rosenblum and Travis, 2012, p. 508-509)

There is a group he calls the "Cool Rich Kids Movement".  It has 100 people like himself who are actually talking about the importance of giving money, not to big churches and colleges, but to grassroots groups.  He hopes to increase it to 50,000 people.

Some of the groups he is supporting or helping set up is called the Self-Education Foundation.  This foundation will "tap successful people who either didn't like school or who dropped out to fund self-education resource centers which will support poor kids to take learning into their own hands." (Rosenblum and Travis, 2012, p. 510)

Winsatt wants us to help spread the idea to those with wealth.  The idea is to have people with money give to groups who want social change.


Uprooting Racism:  How White People Can Work for Racial Justice
Paul Kivel

Paul Kivel starts off thanking people of color for getting angry with discrimination.  "That person is pointing out something wrong, something that contradicts the ideals of equality set forth in our Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights.  That person is bringing our attention to a problem that needs solving, a wrong that needs righting."  (Rosenblum and Travis, 2012, p. 512)

When a person gets angry we have been taught that something is wrong and we should back away.  It is how we have been taught.  Kivel says we need to stop seeing anger as a sign of failure.  We need to see it as an opportunity.  An opportunity to see the injustice of racism a person of color lives with everyday.

Kivel explains how white people can strong allies to their colored friends.  He lists qualities that a people of color want from white allies.  Respect, Find out about us, Don't take over, Stand by my side, Interrupt jokes and comments are a few.  He took this list to create some guidelines.

His main idea is that every person should be free to live and work without harassment or discrimination.  White people can help people of color by being a strong ally.


Recall/React

My reaction here is WHOA!  I guess I have been thinking very negatively of rich people.  I guess I believed that rich people have the money, want more of it, and have the ability to get it.  It is so nice to read about William Wimsatt.  I didn't find him to be out of line wanted us to see him differently.  It is what we have been learning about.  If we want equality for all, than we should mean all.  It is encouraging to know that there are people with means working for the poor and underprivileged.  My heart feels lighter.
My reaction for the second reading is that Paul Kivel is right.  White people do need to stand up for people of color.  We can't stand by thinking how awful it must be for them and how sad and humiliated they must feel.  We need to do something.  Even something as simple as saying "That is not funny" can do a lot to change the way people are treated.

Rethink

What I have learned is that every person, from every walk of life has an important part to play in our world.  We have to understand race, class and gender, we have to consider the experiences of all people, and we need to figure out a way to have every person live with the respect and caring they deserve.  By even discriminating against one group (i.e. rich people) we have stopped moving toward the goal.