Undergirding the work we do with Branch Out is a commitment to working for social justice (it’s right there in our vision statement!) and taking steps in our lives and through our alternative breaks to be allies in a society set up to privilege some and oppress others. Take a look at these resources to understand more about what privilege is, how it plays out in various spheres (including race, sex, ability status, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation) and what you can do about it.
Race and White Privilege
“Race: The Power of an Illusion,” pbs.org, California Newsreel, 2003
“White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” Peggy McIntosh, 1988, excerpted from “White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences Through Work in Women’s Studies,” nymbp.org
13 Resources for Teaching about White Privilege, from humaneconnection.blogspot.com
Five Faces of Oppression – Iris Young, a way of understanding oppression as a structural concept and how it affects various social groups
Film and Privilege
A blog post by Eric Hartman of Building a Better World includes excellent suggestions for films that address issues of power, privilege as well as those that specifically involve privilege and international service.