Story of Awakening in Dalton Conley’s Memoir Honky

Many people in today’s world argue that ‘all men are created equal’ as stated in the Declaration of Independence, which is a great ideology and concept. However, that is all it is- a concept. Every person here on this earth, whether they realize it or not is categorized by two defining factors that they are born into. The first factor is Race. As learned in previous lectures, Race, from a sociological standpoint is a socially fabricated classification of humans based on phenotypical traits that are identifiably perceived to be shared amongst specific people groups, thus creating relationships of privilege, oppression, and imbalance. (Barnes 2020).

Although Race is primarily categorized by ones physical appearance and attributes, it is in fact, not limited to it. Race can also be categorized based on social characteristics as well, such as the way one talks, what they eat, how good of a dancer they are. In volume 1 of the documentary, ‘Race- the Power of an Illusion’, the genetic makeup and DNA of these students was tested. The class was able to infer that students of different racial backgrounds had extremely similar DNA. Thus supporting the ideology that Race is a concept that was constructed by society to cause division.

Therefore, the division amongst Races and the blatant racism seen in society today is unjustifiable because as the findings show, everyone is genetically similar. Alternately, Class is a relational social categorization based on economic, cultural and social characteristics which includes, economic, social, cultural, and symbolic capital (Barnes, 2020). Both race and class proved to be both important and detrimental in Dalton Conley’s life, which he delves into in his memoir ‘Honkey’.

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Dalton Conley’s memoir ‘Honkey’, tells the story of the awakening he received as a young boy when he was uprooted from his minority filled school in New York, to that of an upper-class, predominantly White elementary school. In both of these instances, Conley was an outsider. At his old school, P.S. 4, he was an outsider because of the color of his skin. Meanwhile, at Greenwich, his predominantly white school, he was an outsider due to his class and social standing. Conley goes on to elaborate on the varying differences he became aware of during this pivotal time in his life. Although he was only in third grade, he was undeniably aware of the present issues between class and race and how individuals, particularly White people, are perceived in social reality.

The memoir offers key discernments into what it means being an underprivileged minority amongst privileged White people. Conley revels in the realization that he, a boy who lived in a lower class neighborhood gets to enjoy fundamental privileges that were not readily available to his lower standing neighbors. Therefore, capitalizing on the issues and importance of class, race, and the privileges or disenfranchisement that accompanies them. As time progresses, Conley becomes more aware of the fact that due to the hierarchy of their status, these students at Greenwich were undeniably more educated and presented with advanced learning opportunities. Meanwhile, the lower- class students at his previous school were not given the same equal opportunities due to their social standing, as read in the text; “There were so many things they knew about …I had suddenly been awakened to how many things I didn’t know” (Conley, 71).

In just one day, Conley was able to differentiate between the levels of learning that both the students at Greenwich and P.S. 4 were receiving. On one hand, the Greenwich students are categorized by their eloquent and articulate use of language and their higher level of education. While on the other hand, the P.S. 4 students were categorized simply by their lack of opportunity, education, equal rights, and misfortune. Due to their social standing within society, these students at Greenwich were educated in fields that most people do not learn until their early teen years, such as the field of politics, physics, and geography.

Their knowledge was not gained from school alone, but came from their parents as well; “Only by spending time with some of them after class, in their homes, did I make a connection between the relative opulence of their residences, the profession, style, and grace of their parents…I was learning the language of class…” (Conley ) As one would imagine, these upper class students at Greenwich more than likely had parents who received college degrees and were overall very educated, which may not have been the case for the kids who had attended Conley’s old school. Conley’s focus on the educational system serves to exploit the undeniable privilege given to him because of his class.

Through his mention of school and the palpable difference in education, he proves that school is not a place of equal opportunity. Conley presents the concept that the race and class difference amongst many Americans restricts the chances of people effectively accessing the same rights, freedoms, and privileges that White America receives. Conley uses his life experiences to enhance the delineation between race and class from his perspective as a privileged Caucasian male.

In Conley’s life, both Race and Class allowed him to see the world from outside of his own perspective. Conley begins learning of the distinction between him and those of the minority group when he was awarded the opportunity to freely move to an upper-class school; “The kids there were predominantly white and by New York standards, middle class- but rich…We had appropriated the address of one of my parents’ artist friends to get me enrolled into P.S 41” Conley is aware of the fact that due to his family being White and of a certain class, they possessed social connections that are solely beneficial and accessible to him and others who looked like him.

During this time frame, racism was still an ongoing issue and minority groups were still heavily affected by the results of this. Those of minority groups were susceptible to terrible living conditions and struggled to gain government funding and support. These people were often stripped of their rights to equal opportunity and the majority of them lived in poverty, as seen in Dalton’s memoir as he briefly talks about the low income neighborhood in which he was raised. The privileges he had access to were not because he was deserving of them, but because his skin color was a representation of his superiority, while casting a light on the inferiority of others.

Race and Class were equally important at this stage of Dalton Conley’s life because they both established the foundation and meaning of what it meant to be White. Being White is seen as a symbol of power in our society and America continues to support institutionalized racism as a way to maintain this status. At a young age, Conley was exposed to the belief that people of color were disproportionately disadvantaged in regards to the freedoms and opportunities they do not receive due to their race and class.

In Conley’s memoir, he explains how he was able to cleanse himself of his previous status as an underprivileged White male and embrace his new status of hierarchy. When this change occurred, he was able to associate himself with the conventional upper-class White culture that his past circumstances had detached him from. In this instance, he was just white, and therefore, he was intrinsically superior. However, he did not let this new status dictate his life. Instead, he used this as a way to observe the world outside of himself.

Ultimately, I believe race had proven to be more important than class for Conley. Due to his race, he was able to infiltrate the upper-class and adapt to their ways. Conley’s race was overall the most important factor because if he were to be of any other race, he would not have gained the understanding of Race and Class that he has now, as well as being aware of the vast amount of privilege he has.. What he chose to do with his privilege is extremely commendable. Conley uses the extensive knowledge he gained as a child and his privilege combined to speak out about important issues, such as Race and Class. It is important to understand that a person can be White, living in poverty, without a job, and overall just living a difficult life.

However at the end of the day, the essence of their privilege is still there and serves as a beneficiary. As mentioned before, Conley was able to freely transition from a school that is defined by poverty, to a school defined by wealth. This is a prime example of how his privilege came in handy. His parents were able to form connections with those of the upper-class status and get their son into a school that would provide him with a better education and lead him towards a better path- an opportunity that was not readily available to minorities. A White person’s privilege is an obstruction used to protect them from the misfortunes that people of color are susceptible to on a daily basis.

Therefore, as a White American, Conley was able to construct his own narrative and pave the path for his future without worrying about the hindrance of race. America has an extensive history of racism and as a country that was essentially founded on this principles of racism, such as dehumanizing minorities, legalizing segregation, and denying people of their God- given rights, it is difficult for me to see how class would have been more important. Although Race is a socially constructed ideology, by acknowledging the presence of it, we are unknowingly acknowledging the ever present hierarchy that seems to exists in our society.

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