White privilege exists. And if you think it doesn’t, odds are you’re missing the point entirely. To be fair, that’s not necessarily your fault. I think human nature lends us to be instinctively defensive, so it’s quite logical that you might disagree or even be offended if you feel like someone is telling you that you’re doing something wrong just because you’re white.
But really, that’s not what white privilege is. Simply put, white privilege is the inherent advantage that you have in society solely due to your appearance. If you look white, you can move through society without facing any forms of the prejudice or discrimination that people of color are vulnerable to.
It would be very, very difficult to stand up and assert that racism doesn’t exist. Yes, I know—people believe that. Far too often, people argue that we are in a post-racial society. But if you try examining the intricacies of race in this country even with the most passive scrutiny, it becomes painfully obvious that racism and racial inequality are still deeply entrenched in our society and culture on so many levels. For instance, did you know that for white men, their chances of imprisonment are 1 in 17. For black men, the chances are 1 in 3. Furthermore, black men make up 6.5% of the US population, yet they constitute 40.2% of the prison population. This disparity is shocking, and it’s not coincidental. Figures like this illustrate the glaring problems with how race and our criminal justice system (for more on this, I highly, highly recommend watching the documentary 13th).
For the sake of demonstrating this point, let’s say you’re a white man. You’re driving to work, but you’re a little late, so you step on the gas a little, and you wind up getting pulled over. A speeding ticket is annoying and inconvenient, sure. But as a white man being pulled over by a police man, you can be almost entirely certain that you’re just going to get a ticket. If you were in the exact same situation, but instead a black individual, the near guarantee that you will not be in genuine danger, that you will not be treated in an unfair or unrealistic manner no longer exists. As a black man getting pulled over by a police man, there’s nothing to stop you from thinking that what happened to Philando Castile could happen to you. That is white privilege—the fact that by being white, or by looking white, you don’t have to fear discrimination or violence. You are virtually guaranteed that you will not be treated unfairly because your skin is darker. You are virtually guaranteed to make it out of a traffic ticket alive.
As a white woman, I can go where I want freely without concern that someone may judge me, target me, or otherwise conclude that I pose some form of danger or threat because I am white. The same cannot be said for a person of color. If I walk down a street at night, nobody will lock their car doors. If I go to the doctor, I don’t have to worry that my treatment will be influenced by bias, whether inherent or not. If I get into a good college, my peers won't wonder if I got in solely because of my race. The concept of white privilege is as simple as the fact that I do not consistently have to worry about the color of my skin and how it impacts how I interact with society.
I really do understand all the commotion in response to the concept of white privilege. Some of the time, I think it can even come from a good place. You may think, how is it fair that people are calling me privileged just because I’m white? Isn’t that kind of racist? I fully believe in equality; how is it fair to say that I’m privileged solely because of the color of my skin? And I see your point—really, I do. But here’s the thing: white privilege isn’t something you do. The privilege comes from the dominance that white people have historically maintained in society and is rooted in the fact that you, as a white person (or, alternatively, someone who looks white), are not subjected to potential biases and discrimination that people of color are. Whatever discrimination or prejudice you may experience in your life, even if it is due to your race, is not deeply entrenched in our institutions. It is not rooted in a society with a long legacy of inequality.
When people talk about being aware of your privilege, that’s really all they’re asking for: awareness. In the wise words of Ice Cube, “check yo self before you wreck yo self.” And it may feel unfair that you inherently have this privilege that you never asked for. I get it—you’re a good person, and you don’t want this privilege. You want everyone to be equal. It may, perhaps, even feel like a bit of a burden to have to be mindful of how race operates in society when you aren’t actively contributing to racist rhetoric or practices. But you know what is even more of a burden? Navigating a society in which you do not have this privilege, but rather are a victim of the racism and bias that are still undeniably woven into the fabric of our society. It does suck that we live in a world where some people are inherently privileged, no matter what they do. But the only way to fix this is to acknowledge it and be mindful of it. It is only when we are conscious of our respective advantages in society that we can move towards equality.
