In Privilege, Power, and Difference, Alan Johnson's argument is that in order for humans to get along, people with the most privilege in society must acknowledge the oppression of others, shed their shame, and take on the responsibility of eradicating privilege. Johnson's reason for writing this is that his own philosophy means that he should use his privilege to spread awareness and help fight oppression. Since he is a straight white man, his writing is also made to teach others with the same advantages as him the truth about racism, misogyny, homophobia, and all minority groups in a disarming way, which does not shame them. In the book, Johnson explains his main point, writing, "Understanding how to bring dominant groups into the conversation and the solution is the biggest challenge we face. My work in this book is to help find a way to meet that challenge. It is to identify tools for understanding what's going on and what it's got to do with us without being swallowed up in a sea of guilt and blame or rushing into denial and angry self-defense (11)." This quote sums up his argument.
Reflection question:
I thought that Alan Johnson did an especially good job of disarming the reader. I recognize my privilege being a white woman, but I was not made to feel guilty by the author. I felt welcomed into the book. My question to the class is if you all felt the same way as me. Did you feel that the way the book was written was disarming? Did you feel like you were welcomed into the conversation on these topics?
