What My Bike Taught Me About White Privilege by Jeremy Dowsett Article Analysis

The topic on white privilege can be a conversation starter or can end a conversation, it didn’t end in the What My Bike Taught Me About White Privilege by Jeremy Dowsett. Jeremy Dowsett relates to the topic of white privilege because he is a white man, and somehow understands the other side because his children aren’t white and don’t experience the same privilege as him. White privilege is advantages possessed by a white person based on their race in a society characterized by racial inequality and injustice. In What My Bike Taught Me About White Privilege Jeremy Dowsett he compares white privilege to cars and compares people of color to bikes. Jeremy Dowsett is not trying to call out white people in the article for having privilege but making them understand without them getting defensive or feeling attacked, that’s why he made the analogy of the bike and the cars. A few main points made in the article I would like to touch on is Jeremy Dowsett interpretation of white privilege, what privilege really is and how it works.  

Jeremy Dowsett relates to the topic of white privilege because he is a white man and is very educated on the topic because of his credentials. In the article he wrote he states, “I am white. So, I Have not experienced racial privilege from the “under” side firsthand. But my children (and a lot of other people I love) are not white. And so, I care about privilege and what it means for racial justice in our country” (Dowsett 1008). The writer Jeremy Dowsett wants the readers to understand his perspective of white privilege and how he relates to the topic. White privilege is an essential topic to writer Jeremy Dowsett because it allows him to view all sides of the issue on his own and with his family. The writer Jeremy Dowsett lets us readers understand that he does understand the privilege he has and that he isn’t saying he understands how it is being a colored person in America but that the topic is very important to him because of his own children and the many people of color in his life that he loves. The writer has credentials to write about his own experiences and the many experiences the people around him go through daily. In the article, the author Jeremy Dowsett opted to equate privilege to riding a bike since he rides his own bicycle to and from work every day, and he lives in Lansing, Michigan, an active industrial area. Biking on the streets isn't always a simple task. He has numerous dangerous interactions with motorists, causing him to prevent death more often than he would want. Furthermore, just like any other major city, Lansing has its fair share of pleasant and unpleasant drivers.

Jeremy Dowsett main argument and key point in the article is when he continuously describes what white privilege really is and how a bike can relate to privilege. A white person may get confused with being told that they have white privilege because, it seems like they are being called racist or something. As stated in the opening of the article, “The phrase “white privilege” is one that rubs a lot of white people the wrong way” (Dowsett 1007). Jeremy Dowsett used ‘Rubs them the wrong way’ to express to the readers the discomfort some feel on the topic of white privilege. Some white people will only get defensive to being told that they have it good and they have privilege solely over the fact that they aren’t educated on privilege. The author also states in the article, “they got white privilege means and they did realize they had been getting defensive because they were uncomfortable at having their privilege exposed. But I would guess that more often than not, the frustration and the shutting down is about something else. It comes from the fact that nobody wants to be racist” (Dowsett 1007).   When the topic of white privilege gets brought up in conversations with white people, they feel like they are being attacked because of them being white. White privilege, if you don’t understand the concept, it’s not that whites are racist or they think they are better but solely it’s the system that is set up in their favor. Jeremy Dowsett in the article lets it be known that the main idea in the article is to further explain what white privilege really is and how it works even uses analogies that connects to his bike.      

Jeremy Dowsett use of analogies and metaphors in the article helps us readers get a greater understanding of what privilege really is and touches on the emotion of readers putting it into a perspective. In the article Dowsett states, “And one experience I have had firsthand, which has helped me to understand privilege and listen to privilege talk with-out feeling defensive is riding my bike” (Dowsett 1008). The statement sounds out of the box and doesn’t seem to make sense at first when you read it but Jeremy Dowsett astonishing and eye-opening use of analogies. The author compares the bike to people of color and cars to white people and in the article Dowsett states, “People I have never met are angry at me for just being on a bike in “their” road and they let me know with colorful language and other acts of aggression” (Dowsett 1008). Jeremy Dowsett explains in his article that he used to bike in a non-biker friendly town Lansing, Michigan. The writer is using persuasive words to persuade the readers to think of white privilege is immoral by telling us about his experience on his bike. It was dangerous being a bike commuter there because drivers wouldn’t give him enough space or would yell inappropriate words at him. The statement is what colored people go through every day in America just for being who they are. That’s where the author shows you the perceptive of what it feels like to be a colored person feeling unsafe being who you are and bluntly racists yelling slurs at you. The feelings of discomfort and feeling like your life is endanger is what the author felt like riding on that bike on a street that’s only “made” for cars, and he compares that same exact feeling to how it feels to be a person of color. The author use of analogies and metaphors help put in the readers point of view, most people have ridden a bike before and sometimes riding a bike can be dangerous depending on the rode you ride on. The feelings of danger and not knowing if you will make it home by a simple car not caring about your life as a bike rider. Exactly what it feels like being a colored person in America, not knowing as a black man or woman that you will make it home simply by getting pulled over by a police officer or things of that sort. 

In several of the terms he employs in his article, Jeremy incorporates emotional undertones. White privilege isn't only about the advantages white men and women have; it's also about the injustice and inequity that people of color must accept because "that's the way it is." The author uses metaphors and analogies to illustrate how people of color are like bikes, experiencing emotions of discomfort and just not feeling safe because of their skin tone. Dowsett states, in the article, “The fact that “the system” allows him to do those things instead of being mindful of me is privilege he has that I don’t (I have to be hyper aware of him)” (Dowsett 1009). The writer expresses his dissatisfaction with the current situation and his outrage that someone who is white can do whatever they want while others must be aware of their privilege. The piece demonstrates his sensitivity for people of color.  As stated, in the article, “I can imagine that for people of color life in a white-majority context feels a bit like being on a bicycle” (Dowsett 1009). Dowsett is appealing to the readers' emotions and making us feel and fathom in a different way. Considering cars and trucks are the majority on the road and white people are the majority in America, Dowsett equates cars to white people. Dowsett equates bicycles to persons of color since they have disadvantages over automobiles, which are designed to be superior to bicycles. The writer's emotions and choice of words throughout the piece are unfairness, exhaustion, rage, and general dissatisfaction with how the system works in favor of only white people and that colored people must suffer with the injustice.

As there are so many factors at play and variables in the issue of white privilege, it is both an easy and hard topic to explore. Jeremy Dowsett explains what white privilege is and how it works in his article What My Bike Taught Me About White Privilege. The writer expresses his viewpoint on white privilege and tries to explain it in a way that readers can comprehend. The author possesses the qualifications to write about his personal experiences and as a white man, to write on white privilege. The authors attempt to persuade the audience that white privilege is immoral and just not proper. The author employs analogies and metaphors to help readers comprehend why bikes are comparable to people of color while cars are comparable to white people. The author uses his personal sentiments and thoughts on the topic of white privilege to elicit emotional responses from the reader. His dissatisfaction in humanity stems from the way people are treated differently depending on their skin color. Jeremy Dowsett penned a well-crafted essay.