The white privilege form DiAngelo and Sensoy that I would be using is the positioning of whites as racially innocent. During the dialogue between the two friends this concept of becoming the ‘perfect stranger’ applies directly to this case. After the scenario between the BF and the security guard, the Bf explained her reasoning of why she stood so firm against having her belongings being searched. She saw this search as being “racially profiled”. However, even though the BF explained to her WF why she was refusing this random search, the WF mentally refuse to see the racial perspective that her BF portrayed, and became the ‘perfect stranger'. “I don’t know anything about that. It’s never happened to me.” According to Diangelo and Sensoy, this
Unpacking the Invisible Backpack.” Her concept is a way for us to understand what white privilege is and what it looks like. We must be willing to admit our privileges, before we can truly dig
White privilege is the societal privileges that specifically benefit white people. White privilege is why white people can get pulled over by the police and escape a ticket with just a smile and apology. White privilege is also why whites are in charge of a company and they see a black person, they bypass the application. Whites carry a certain privilege not available to people of color. Marilyn Frye describes how whiteness is a form social and political power.
When I think about white privilege, I see it as something I must understand to truly feel a relation to my own privileges with race. “As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something which puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage.” (McIntosh 1988) When comparing other privileges McIntosh sees that her life is more influenced by her skin color than class, religion, ethnic status, or geographical location. Tim Wise explains “even though there is more than one type of privilege, they can never fully eradicate white privilege.” “Understanding the persistence of privilege requires recognizing the sleight of mind that occurs on the subject of individuals as members of groups” (Wildman 2005). Early work done by African American sociologist W.E.B. DuBois (1868-1963) showed that studies with white workers over time came to see themselves as white unlike the developing working class with recently freed black slaves. DuBois was one of the first people to initiate the concept of white privilege.
White supremacy is when a person believes that because they are white, that they have supremacy over someone else. This is the standard phrase explaining what white supremacy is and has dominated the mentality of our country for decades. It has been prevalent all over the US. The only difference is that in the south, it seems to have been more amplified than in the north.
Cleaver, E. “The White Race and Its Heroes.” in Souls on Ice, 65-83. New York: Dell Press, 1968.
White privilege is a unique form of racism given its fascinating characteristic of not involving hostility. Therefore, it cannot be directly blamed on someone (Pludo, 2015). The lack of blame does not cause any discomfort on the white persons enjoying the privileges.
When discussing the issue between African-American and Caucasian the claim of is white skin privilege a myth can be debatable. Paul Kivel claims yes, from White Benefits, Middle-Class Privilege. Tim Wise claim No, from “The Absurdity (and Consistency) of White Denial: What Kind of Card Is Race?” Paul Kivel and Tim Wise both agree that African American and Caucasian have received different treatment. However, Paul Kivel states, “Privileges are the economic extras that those of us who are middle-class and wealthy gain at the expense of poor and working class people of all race.” Tim Wise believes that Caucasian is in denial that discrimination is a real problem. After reviewing both claims I believe Tim Wise made a more valid point. Wise states,
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.
Many people in the United States society believe that people of all cultures, races, and ethnicities are now on an even playing field. People with this belief support their logic with the argument that since equal rights for people of color and women have been required by law for some time now, we are all inherently as equal as claimed in the Declaration of Independence. Many believe that race is no longer an issue, a viewpoint frequently referred to as color-blindness. National polling data indicated that a majority of whites now believe discrimination against racial minorities no longer exists. (Gallagher, 96) Color-blindness allows a white person to define himself or herself as politically and racially tolerant and then proclaim their
stating or pointing out what they consider the obvious, that not every white person has
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
In modern day America, the concept of civil rights is not one that is typically thought about. Little do most people know, civil rights did not officially exist until 1791 nor do they think about the story behind it or what it has to do with the world they find themselves living in. The Bill of Rights is one of the most definitive documents in American history and impacted what is known as basic civil rights due to its influential author, its historical setting, and its ongoing significance with regards to historical and present day events.
Peddy McIntosh highlighted various unearned white privileges in her autobiographical article “White Privilege, Color and Crime: A Personal Account.” She illustrated the white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that one white person could count on cashing in each day. White people have these privileges given to them by the society in which they live in. The same society taught them to be ignorant and unawareness of these privileges. This system of unearned privileges established by white individuals made people of color feel oppressed. In this system being white is a norm and dominant power. Caucasians, who benefit most from the white privilege system in the United States, are more likely to
Peggy McIntosh, chapter on “White Privilege, color, and crime,” encourages readers to think about the world in the framework of race, class, and gender on a “White privilege” perspective. McIntosh
Britain’s declaration of war against Germany in 1914, on behalf of all the nations in the Commonwealth, created a desire amongst thousands of Australian men to defend the ‘mother country’. In association with this, there was a range of other motivations behind the enlistment of Australian men in 1914, for a variety of reasons such as high unemployment, social pressure, posters, and propaganda, whilst some also felt the desire of adventure. This essay will argue the idea that defending the ‘mother country’ was of critical significance in the enlistment of Australians in 1914, but that there were other aspects contributing which played their part.