The Negative Effects Of White Privilege On Self-Identity

Prior to beginning my readings on white racial identity, I did not pay much attention to my white race. If someone had asked me to describe my appearance I would have said short blond hair, blue eyes, average stature, etc. One of the last things I would have noted was the color of my skin. Growing up in overwhelmingly white communities, I never thought to use the color of my skin to differentiate myself from others. Over the course of this dialogue I have learned that my white racial identity is one of the most defining aspects of my appearance in this society. There is a certain level of privilege that I am afforded based solely on the color of my skin. According to Peggy McIntosh, “White privilege is like an invisible weightless

As a teacher, it is important to know and understand the racial and cultural identities of both yourself, and your students. Knowing about your students’ backgrounds is a great way to make the classroom a safe and welcoming environment. Not all educational settings emit a feeling of safety to its students, and that needs to be changed. In this paper, I will discuss how my racial and cultural identity may be the same and may differ from my students, as well as some ways in which the institution of education can be changed to be more racially and culturally inclusive.

Growing up in the United States, racism is an issue one cannot help but hear about at one point or another. Racial inequality and discrimination is a topic that comes up every February with Black History Month, and is often talked about in high school history classes around the country. But that is what it is considered to the majority of people: history. Most students are taught that, while there are still and will always be individual cases of racial discrimination and racism, nationally the problem ended with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. People of color, however, will often tell you differently. At least that is what they told Tim Wise,

Imagine if everyone in our society carried all of their privileges somehow. Imagine if everyone carried a knapsack. This knapsack carries all of our privileges, whether it is our gender, religion, or even simply our ability to breathe without an oxygen tank. Every knapsack that everyone carries is different; however, the only way we could know what’s in a knapsack, you have to be willing to ask and look for your answers. Peggy McIntosh exploits this concept of a “knapsack”, as she pulls apart what’s in her own sack in her article, “White Privilege:

The differences between interactions of social events are derived from people feeling secure and protected verses feeling threatened and helpless. Campus settings are interrupted as high-risk environments for rape culture and are seen to promote sexual aggression from the dominant groups. When looking at systemic factors in the problem we can see how fraternities create guideline that follow in the traditions of perpetuating rape culture. Men who participated in fraternity living arrangements are encouraged to interact and bond with like-minded members. Often these brothers are not encouraged to develop or share experiences with others outside of the fraternity. This level of involvement embraces the dominant cultural beliefs or values to be see as a way of life. Without being able to experience healthy and diverse situation these people are

When one first thinks of Greek life or a sorority the only thing that comes to mind is the social aspect. Most people don’t think of sororities as social institutions that envelop their own culture, with mannerisms, languages and customs that are unique to each individual organization. However, these institutions promote a common set of values that enable members to become connected in a way that has a more profound meaning than just social interaction. Greek organizations are good examples of how institutions can affect and be affected by social status and roles within the collegiate community. They are also a prime example of how race, class and gender can affect a social setting in both positive and negative manners.

The Helms White Racial Identity Development Model identifies six racial identity statuses (Sue & Sue, 2016). These statuses include contact, disintegration, reintegration, pseudo-independence, immersion/emersion, and autonomy. Each of these statuses identifies characteristics that individuals in these statuses have. I traveled through theses statuses and believe I am currently in the immersion/emersion status. During different points in the model, I learned about race and myself that allowed me to move through each status, and currently working towards entering autonomy.

In The New York Times, the article “The Lie About College Diversity.” by Frank Bruni discusses his theory on college diversity.  Bruni explains that colleges are trying to enhance their campus. The college fails to get these diverse groups to go outside their comfort zone and intermingle. There are places where these groups can go to feel comfortable like housing environments, groups, fraternities, and clubs.  However, they fail to go outside these groups. The colleges should help make it possible for these different diverse groups to interact, socialize, and drive cohesion. This will help college students integrate better into real-world diverse environments.

Many white Americans are living with the fear that they didn't really deserve their success, and that maybe luck and privilege had more to do with it, than brains and hard work. There are numerous reasons for the widespread discrimination at all levels, but the main reason for the existence of discrimination is a privilege to certain groups of people, and widespread social prejudice towards certain groups of people. Differences between people have always existed, but they gain in importance only when are different importance given to certain differences, so it creates privileges. People who are privileged in one society are often not aware of their privilege. It is very easy to be oblivious to the privilege. The problem of discrimination

Shannon Sullivan reveals what white privilege looks like from someone who deals with it on a daily basis, a white woman. Sullivan discusses how white privilege in this day and age can be an invisible and sometimes unquestioned norm in our lives in America. Sullivan speaks up about her own race and the ways it has affected her life. The book discusses the delicate effects white supremacy has had on America. Sullivan also prompts white people to start standing up to the podium and discussing the issues they see when it comes to race. In Sullivan’s writing, she states how white privilege is not discussed much amongst white people and that she wants them to own up to their privilege and to go against the norms of their environments that allow these activities to happen.

Many people ignore the blinding facts that support white privilege but are aware that it exists in society. White privilege impacts every decision made within the educational system. When applying to colleges, a white student is 78% more likely to get accepted than a student of color with identical successes. A study done in 2011 by the US Department of Education suggests that whites are not only more likely to get accepted, but are more likely to receive their bachelor’s degree once they enter (2011 US Department of Education). This recent study demonstrates that white privilege is still relevant in society and must be altered. Even if the education system is not consciously making an effort to support white privilege it is evident that it

White privilege is a term used to describe the advantages in society that white people have over people of color. This concept is not new. It has been around, in America especially, for many years. We can see examples of white privilege in contexts such as slavery, the Civil War, and segregation. While we have overcome many racial issues in this country, racism and white privilege still exist today.

“White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack” by Peggy McIntosh is about the dominant white race having societal advantages over the minority race. White privileges are known for having favorable advancements to white people and particularly men in that category. For those who receive benefits due to their origins of the white race refuse to acknowledge the power they have over the minority race. Instead, whites see all races having the same opportunity to become successful. Due to their obliviousness individuals categorized in the dominant race does not intentionally allow racism to play a role in their society. Peggy discusses her own life experiences to show instances where she herself has been oblivious to this unearned

As mentioned in my Common App essay, Orange Lutheran was an extremely toxic environment for anyone who did not meet the criteria of being a white, straight, middle to upper-class male. We were in a college seminar and a teacher asked students to raise their hands if they wanted to go to Stanford, the teacher then proceeded to say “all of you put your hands down except ‘Adam’, because he is the only bi-racial person, so he is the only one with a chance.” While this may or may not have some truth behind it, it was extremely unfair to number one single out someone of a different racial background, and number two discount any student’s ability or talent because of their race. This, unfortunately, is only one example of the issues that people are

If you were to look up the definition of white privilege, it would say something along the lines of, benefits given to white people based solely on the fact that they are white. In Tim Wise documentary, White Like Me: Race, Racism, and White Privileged in America, he talks about white privilege and how it is negatively affecting America. He argues that by wanting to go back to the traditional America idea is really wanting for the unequal treatment of people of color, refusing to acknowledge how racism is working in our judicial system, and that by being colorblind is only enforcing white privilege.