White privilege (or white skin privilege) is a term for societalprivileges that benefit people identified as white in Western countries, beyond what is commonly experienced by non-white people under the same social, political, or economic circumstances.
What about white privilege? It is something I did not ask for, and quite honestly never knew I had. I decided to look into it and was rather appalled how rampant it is. It is something I can't really give back as it is a social anomaly that was born centuries ago. Its relevance is felt today. Ok so your white you have never had it right?
Go here and read this.
Don't cherry pick it apart and spit out seeds. Overall in concept does this apply to you?
Below is a well done rebuttal to white privilege.
I think the piece by the Princeton student lays out an excellent depiction of why we as white people have no such privilege. It speaks well to what many think and Mr. Fortang does an excellent job describing it. He paints a picture of self realization, hard work, sacrifice and success. Once again we love these stories. It is part of the fabric of America. It reaffirms that if you have the right stuff you can succeed. No need to apologize for your own success. And I agree. But it has little to do with the issues of white privilege.The author I believe misses the concept. So for in his part I find nothing to refute in Mr. Fortgang’s perspective save that it draws from a narrow well. It misses what white privilege is. It is a global concept that one has to simply look at some statistics to find evidence of it. It has nothing to do with the success of one family.
You see white privilege is not something you can simply check at the door.
I am a little surprised actually that an institution such as Princeton is not smart enough to see this. I am not college educated so maybe I missed something by not going through the rigors of the system. How does one check a perspective at the door? Oh yea I have a belief or in this case have something i never knew I had and do not understand it but yet I am going to suspend in time put it by the front door and grab it as I leave. Mr Gallo why are you back? Oh I left my white privilege at the door and left without it I might need it later so I came back to pick it up.
White privilege as I see it you cannot just wash off. There is no switch that can be turned and it suddenly goes away. This weave is tight and the fabric is olde and strong.I think Mr Fortang is right it is almost invisible if you are white and chose not to see it. No so much if you are black. The filter lens our black brethren see through here in American society due only to more melanin in their skin genetically gives them a much different view.
Uncomfortable stares. People not looking you in the eye. Avoidance of contact. Fear in their eyes just at your presence and sometimes loathing.Dis-preferential treatment in restaurants and bars. Feeling generally not welcome. Does this happen all the time? Of course not but often enough that it has effect.
But white privilege does not stop there. It is evident from statistics that if you are the same income and buying the same thing if you are black chances are you will have a harder time getting the loan and you will pay a higher interest rate.
It does not stop there either when applying for a job If you have a “black sounding name” as opposed to a white sounding name the chance for interview are greater for a white sounding name
So with that I also would add what it is not. It is not a free meal ticket to the front of the line. Nor is it a get of of jail free card. Although it is relevant as I stated above it is not a driving factor in all society all the time. It is a hurdle to be sure and one that does not need be cleared if you are white. But at the same time it is thrown around too loosely and my view as a term. It is a factor but not the factor for success or failure in my limited view.
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