Whenever I learn something new or see a different perspective about bias or culture or race, I always feel bad for not having that perspective before. That is how I felt while listening to the podcast where Dr. Bezio talks about how “white culture” is the default culture in the United States. We don’t have a “white culture” because everything in mainstream American culture, unless noted otherwise, is “white culture”. When food, movies, books, clothing, etc. are advertised to the public, white people are the expected audience. Things need to be directly advertised or highlighted as being for people of a particular culture if it is for someone other than white Americans. This isn’t something I have explicitly thought about or noticed before, and that makes me feel bad because now looking out on American society, it becomes clear that this is the case. Just like with everything, if I have the privilege of not having to recognize these things, I need to do a better job at educating myself so I can learn them.

I watched a TED talk the other day in honor of Black History Month, and the woman who gave the talk spoke about the lack of representation of black change-makers in history books and in education. She spoke about black inventors, authors, poets, and musicians who have made incredible contributions to society but who are not being recognized in the classroom. And that is where change needs to stem from. If kids are taught about all of the people involved in great discoveries, like the invention of the lightbulb, they would see that it doesn’t matter what you look like – anyone can make a difference. But, right now, history textbooks and school curriculum leave out the contributions made by black men and women, so young boys and girls are only seeing white people do good in general and black people do good only when they are being oppressed. There is a difference in this narrative here, and it needs to change if we want to make change.