Examples Of White Privilege In The United States

When asked about white privilege, many whites believe that it is a myth while other deny the existence of white privilege entirely. However, white privilege is not a myth. White privilege is very prevalent in society and uniquely effects many different groups. Peggy McIntosh discusses white privilege in her article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” McIntosh states, “I have come to see while privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets which I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was, "meant" to remain oblivious” (par. 3).

A privilege is not something people should expect to have, but something people consider themselves fortunate if they have it. Lewis Gordon believes that white privilege does not exist, since the ‘privileges’ that benefit white people are just social commodities that all people aim for. He also points out that although white people may be the majority race and population in privileged settings, that the actual amount of white people that enjoy those benefits isn’t much. Another criticism of white privilege also points out the confusion between a privilege and a right. If someone were to discriminate against a person of color, or a nonwhite, that does not count as a privilege. Blum feels as though privilege is not whites having more opportunities than nonwhites, but that racial discrepancy has been adopted by society over the years, within activities and opportunities that are often unconsciously assumed by those who benefit.

The term “privilege” is when a person has the right or confused with having the right to do something. For example, for someone to advance their education is not a privilege perhaps it is a right. In some cases during certain situation person can be granted the privilege. White privilege is a word greatly used in social rights that advantage individuals to be acknowledged as white in Western countries, afar what is frequently proficient by non-white individuals in the same social, political, or economic conditions (Rothenberg, 2016). However, when a certain race color is treated more superior than another race is giving the advantage or benefit to have the opportunity to do anything they want without anyone trying to stop them.

At its core, white privilege is described to be an “invisible package of unearned assets” (McIntosh, 2002, p. 33) for white people. There are many layers explaining the manifestation of white privilege and even more explanations pertaining to its dominant presence in today’s world.

‘Whiteness’ is a socially constructed category of race, where people who are not ‘white’ are racially designated while ‘whites’ escape designation as if their racial category is not historically and ideologically based (Puzan, 2003). Race is socially constructed (Dyer, 1997) and it is important to acknowledge this in order to address its impact. Unless whiteness is labelled and confronted, being ‘white’ is usually considered the ‘norm’ which acquires certain social privileges, while all other socially-constructed categories of ‘race’ are considered different or, as Puzan (2003) terms it, the ‘racialised Other’.

According to Peggy McIntosh, an American feminist and anti-racism activist, whites are convinced that they carry an “invisible knapsack”, which allow them several privileges that African American or other ethnicities don’t have. In her article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” McIntosh describe a long list of white privileges such as, ”When I go shopping, store detectives don’t follow me” and “…people of my race are positively presented on television or papers”. They believe that the fact of being whites automatically makes them less suspicious of wrongdoing (McIntosh, 152). The American philosopher John Berteaux, a specialist in social ethics and philosophy of race agree with McIntosh about the wrong believe that whites have about some privileges embedded in the race, “Most white people don’t question their race or it’s privileges; they simple take them for granted” (Rosenstand, 373). In other words, whites believe that the skin color is what makes a race better that the other, giving some people more rights that to the others.

Her long list of 50 items in her invisible knapsack is an exercise in logical fallacy that she attempts to credit as evidence. She makes the argument that if they are true for her, they must be true for other white people and the inverse of them for non-whites. Many items she lists have little to do with her race but to do with her socioeconomic status of being a well-educated phd holder and successful author. Many items are also inconsequential to the point that she admits that she has repeatedly forgotten them without writing them

A privilege is an aspect that people will rely on to have an advantage over another, which can be completely unjust. Dr. King states in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” that “It is a historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture, but groups tend to be more immoral than individuals.” I strongly agree with this implication. Even to this day groups will not give up their privileges willingly, consequently exhibiting exactly how unjust and inhumane these groups of people that have this “advantage” are and can be. Due to the numerous amount of circumstances leading to this accusation, like political leaders acting selfishly or

According to “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh; she feels that there are various advantages every white person gets, without even realizing it.

The sad reality is White privilege is very prevalent in the United States and has been for the past hundreds of years not to say that there has not been improvement. This is a very touchy subject where emotions runs deep many people who do not see it as an issue do not believe that White privilege exists. I do not think it is always done purposely the way society is set up many do not realize what they are doing or some may not even care. When watching the video about the resume experience it was sad to hear the same resume with different names the jobs called back the less ethnic name and how it was estimated that it would take five weeks longer for the person to find a job that was not white. Additionally saying a person who has an ethnic

Interwoven through history are the have and have nots. Those who come from privilege tend not to recognize those privileges, while those who fall into the marginalized groups have an uphill battle. White privilege is a set of institutional beliefs granted to those based on their skin color. These individuals have better access to privilege and resources. Much of these privileges are seen through types of employment, amount of compensation, quality of schools, and racial profiling. Among these few privileges one can see daily how the people of color are affect with basic needs as well.

White privilege is the concept that white people such as those in the United States have not only more rights, but more opportunities in their lives that will make them more successful throughout their lives. In the United States you will find that in some job markets whites are more likely to get hired than other minority groups. Also you will find that on average white employees may be paid more on average than their minority colliges.

There are two prominent writer/scholars who have taken the issue of white privilege to heart and have shared their expert analysis on the subject; these authors/writer-scholars are Peggy McIntosh, a white feminist, and Beverly Tatum, an African American Psychologist. McIntosh, in her article "Coming to See Correspondences," makes excellent observations about the privilege that she has experienced just by being a white female in America. The two most significant points made by McIntosh

“To be white in America means not having to think about it,” declares James Baldwin. What Baldwin means by this is that white people do not have to think about how their race affects their lives on a daily basis. To take this to a further level, in American society to have privilege in any identity group is to not have to think about how being part of that group shapes your life daily and to think of what it would be like to be part of a different identity group. In fact, for most people thinking of how being part of a privileged group makes their lives easier makes people uncomfortable or annoyed for having to think about their privilege, all of this which A.G. Johnson calls “the luxury of obliviousness” (Johnson, A.G. (2006). Privilege, Oppression, and Difference. p. 12-40). Johnson paraphrases Peggy

White privilege is an apparent part our society, well to me at least.The fact that a white person can kill a black male for simply getting Skittles and Arizona, or selling non taxed cigarettes, or playing loud music,looking threatening and so on without consequences for their consequences is white privilege. White privilege is not having to be followed around a boutique or high class store because of the stereotype of being poor and a criminal. White teenagers can go out at night in large groups without being disturbed. White privilege is an advantage that white people are unaware they have.They can not see that the way in which they live is exclusive to their race. They have special assets that colored people do not. In White Privilege-