Whie privilege is a term that has become very controversial and divisive within our society. White people who are born into poverty would assert that they were given no privilege whatsoever. On the other hand, many people of color can list instances in which having white skin would have been a great benefit to them. No matter how you feel about this issue, there is undoubtedly much misunderstanding regarding the subject of white privilege. Hopefully this article will serve to remedy this.
White privilege is defined as: societal privileges that benefit white people beyond what is commonly experienced by non-white people under the same social, political, or economic circumstances.
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Basically, there are some issues that non-whites have to deal with that white people (because of their “whiteness”) are privileged not to have to endure. Some people mistakenly believe that white privilege means that white people will have a better life than non-whites, or that white people are automatically entitled to certain things because of their skin color. In reality, the concept of white privilege is much simpler than that. In 1988, a white woman named Peggy McIntosh wrote an essay titled “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack," in which she listed 50 examples of white privileges that she and others experience. Not all of the things she listed can be universally agreed upon as proof of a white privilege, but I decided to list 10 of them that illustrate how having white skin can be a benefit as opposed to being a person of color.
1. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.
2. I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.
3. If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven’t been singled out because of my race.
4. I can easily buy posters, post-cards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys and children’s magazines etc. featuring people of my race.
5. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having my co-workers on the job suspect that I got it because of my race.
6. If my day, week or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it had racial overtones.
7. I can think over many options, social, political, imaginative or professional, without asking whether a person of my race would be accepted or allowed to do what I want to do.
8. I can be late to a meeting without having the lateness reflect on my race.
9. I can choose public accommodation without fearing that people of my race cannot get in or will be mistreated in the places I have chosen.
10. I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help, my race will not work against me.
These are all examples of privileges that white people have and non-whites do not. Some of these privileges may not seem that meaningful or serious, and they may not lead to a white person having a better life that a non-white. At the end of the day though, regardless of a white person’s gender, class, political affiliation, etc., these privileges exist. Even poor white people, who can be discriminated against because of their low socio-economic status, still see privileges that non-white people, rich or poor, do not.
Just because these societal privlileges may go unnoticed, it doesn't mean they don't exist. What people may not understand is that there are many different forms of privilege in our society, racial privilege just happens to be one that is discussed the most. I am black, an underprivileged race,yet due to my sex, citizenship, sexual orientation, and disability status I experience privileges that people of a different sex, citizenship, sexual orientation and disability status do not.
• Citizenship -- Simply being born in this country affords you certain privileges non-citizens will never access.
• Class -- Being born into a financially stable family can help guarantee your health, happiness, safety, education, intelligence, and future opportunities.
• Sexual Orientation -- By being born straight, every state in this country affords you privileges that non-straight folks have to fight the Supreme Court for.
• Sex -- By being born male, you can assume that you can walk through a parking garage without worrying that you'll be raped and that a defense attorney will then blame it on what you were wearing.
• Ability -- By being born able-bodied, you probably don't have to plan your life around handicap access, braille, or other special needs.
It’s understandable that people can become uncomfortable with the fact that they are attributed certain unearned privileges because of their skin color, class, gender etc. but they SHOULD NOT feel guilty or ashamed. Privilege is not something you should feel bad about, even as a black person I experience certain priviliges that certain others don't and the way I deal with this is not by being ashamed and guilty or ignoring its existence. The best way to deal with your privilege is by acknowledging the struggles that others have that you do not, and by being understanding and trying your best not to attribute to those struggles. Ieveryone decides to do this then no arguments will break out when someone mentions 'privilege', and the world will be a little more peaceful.
