Harry Potter and the Sacred Text White Privilege: The Mirror of Erised (Book 1, Chapter 12)
Aug 6, 2016
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
White Privilege As Not Having To See Race
- White privilege often shows up as not having to notice race because it isn't necessary for survival or success.
- Casper Tokal realized this after moving from England to America and attending anti-racism training that highlighted how racial categories are constructed.
Invisibility Cloak As A Metaphor For Unmarked Whiteness
- The invisibility cloak in the chapter works as a metaphor for white privilege because it lets you move without being marked or assumed to represent your whole group.
- Vanessa Alton connects Dumbledore's line about invisibility making you near-sighted to how whiteness lets people 'float by' without racial assumptions.
Milwaukee Walk That Made Privilege Visible
- Caspar tells a story of walking in Milwaukee with his African American friend to show how he experiences being 'invisible' while his friend is more noticed.
- A white woman reached across him to compliment his friend, crystallizing for him how whiteness allows passing unnoticed.