‘White Privilege’ is a term that comes up often in regards to social justice, and therefore politics. Reading the different comments out there reveals that many people don’t understand what white privilege refers to.
Consequently, those same people don’t understand the arguments against it (mostly by people of color) want from their society, their government.
Put simply,
- White privilege is being perceived in a way that leads to better treatment from society. This does not necessarily include handouts)
- White privilege benefits white-looking people (perception is everything). This is true regardless of whether or not they are actually white, or how they feel about themselves or other races.
- Opponents of white privilege are not interested in demonizing white people, or free handouts, or reparations. They want equality of opportunity.
Otherwise: Buckle up, it’s a long read.
What White Privilege Isn’t:
White privilege is not automatic success. It doesn’t mean that if you are born white, someone slaps a million dollars in your hand. It doesn’t mean that a white person gets automatically shipped off to the most state-of-the-art home, school, or handed an internship.
White privilege grants neither fame, nor a ticket that entitles the holder be worshiped by others.
What White Privilege Is:
White privilege is less about what one receives for being white, and more about what they avoid because they are white. White privilege means people judge your character and qualifications, not your race, in most encounters. It means police and store personnel don’t assume that you’ve committed a crime or that you’re going to steal. It means people don’t perceive you as hostile. Therefore, in the case of law enforcement, they are less likely to jump to the use of force.
When you ARE treated unfairly, the question is rarely, if ever, ‘what did you do to bring it on?’ aka, victim blaming.
From the blog post found on ACLU of Northern California, note the section:
“Before last week, this discriminatory regulation excluded sex workers, sending a terrible message to victims of rape as well as perpetrators of sexual violence – that some survivors of sexual violence are to blame. It was an endorsement of the antiquated notion that victims deserve to be raped – she wanted it because she wore that mini skirt, or that she deserved it because she got that drunk, or that it was inevitable because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
It’s easy to replace excuses like those mentioned above with ones like ‘he deserved it because he was wearing a hoodie.’ White privilege, however, removes all of that. Instead, people are actually concerned for your well-being first and foremost.
White privilege means that people tend to jump through hoops to AVOID seeing you as a bad person, even if doing questionable things, like carrying an assault rifle in public, or trying to cut through the lock mechanism of a bike that does not belong to you.
White privilege means that people take your qualifications at face value rather than factoring in inconsequential details. You voice and/or your name doesn’t exclude you from housing, employment, or loans.
White privilege means that your mistakes are honest mistakes, rather than damning, as they are for other people. It means that your mistakes are also your mistakes (lone wolf mentality) rather than representative of your entire race (thugs, superpredators, terrorists, etc). Conversely, your triumphs and your strengths represent your race, while the strengths of minorities are ‘flukes’ or ‘getting lucky.’ Even if people begrudgingly admit that a person of color is intelligent or strong, they do so as isolated incidents; such people of color are merely exceptions among their race (look at Serena Williams).
What Does This Mean?
Many people hold these views subconsciously. This is due largely in part to stereotypes. In effect, it has to do with the way people view certain people who happen to be pale. The benefits of white privilege have nothing to do with the receiver’s attitude or actions, and everything to do how others see them.
This means that:
- It is possible to benefit from white privilege without being racist (or even white, for that matter), and
- Reasonable people of color are NOT attacking white people for this benefit, but are attacking the perception itself.
Combating white privilege is not about making white people feel guilty, or ashamed, or resentful of their heritage. It’s not about receiving free handouts for anybody. In reality, it’s about receiving the benefit of the doubt and equal opportunity.
People aren’t asking for success without hard work, but for their hard work to give them a fair shot at success.
Watch this social experiment – what would you do?
Featured Image: Screenshot Via YouTube Video.
