White Privilege - 956 Words

White Privilege 2 WHITE PRIVILEGE: Founded in Racial Preference What is white privilege? It is important that white privilege be defined because the majority of whites want to deny that it exists at all, especially in response to assertions of people of color that it exists unjustly and should be dismantled. The denial of its existence by whites is racialized. People of color say white people enjoy white privilege while white people deny, as often as possible, that they have it and that such a privilege exists. White privilege is defined (Clark, 2005), as (1a) a right, advantage, or immunity granted to or enjoyed by white persons beyond the common advantage of all others; an exemption in many†¦show more content†¦African Americans continue to struggle with economic legacy of an unjust history. Poor and working class whites strongly object to the idea of white privilege, stating or pointing out what they consider the obvious, that not every white person has wealth and power. There are other benefits that accrue or come as a natural right to white people, including one which W. E. B. DuBois called the psychological wages of whiteness. (Williams, 2004) This refers to that age old membership in the privileged group, even for whites on the bottom rung, confers a social status and recognition which is denied to all but the most powerful members of oppressed groups. The history of racial oppression in American is not disputed. However, what is disputed is whether and to what extent, four hundred (400) years of oppression continues to harm African Americans and other minorities and their life chances unjustly; and conversely, whether that history of oppression continues to benefit white Americans unjustly. Systems of oppression are not established unless they are a means of benefit. There is no reason for people of color to believe that social institutions and power structures no longer dispense benefits and harms racially. When we examine the way benefits and harms are apportioned in the U.S., including wealth, income, equality of ourShow MoreRelatedwhite privilege1595 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ White Privilege: Reflection Paper Northeastern State University Abstract This paper is about my reflection of White Privilege in the United States. I got my information from four resources. The first resource was the handout provided for this assignment; White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, by Peggy McIntosh. The second resource was the website, www.jstor.com. Access is provided via Northeastern State University as a resource for peer-reviewed articles. ThirdlyRead MorePeggy McIntoshs White Privilege And Male Privilege Essay989 Words   |  4 PagesPrivileges are things that a person receives that gives them an advantage over most people (Merriam-Webster). These are benefits that only certain people receive for being in a certain group or discourse. Peggy McIntosh, director of the Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, wrote â€Å"White Privilege and Male Privilege† and states â€Å"I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privileges, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege† (605). Sh e argues that whites and malesRead MoreWhite Privilege And White Skin Privilege926 Words   |  4 Pages 2 Privilege refers to the unearned advantages enjoyed by a particular group simply because of membership in that group. Privileges accrue to those who (consciously or not) oppress others and are generally invisible to those who enjoy them (Swigonski, M.E. 1996). Having that in mind my position on white privilege (or white skin privilege) which can also be called the huge â€Å"pink elephant† in the room. Society (especiallyRead MoreWhite Privilege And Black Privilege1389 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"White privilege refers to the fact that in many societies, â€Å"white† people have access to greater power, authority, and privileges, than non-white people† (Robbins et al. 2013:81). It goes beyond letting white people get away with more than other races; it also discriminates against them. This is well illustrated by the history of white privilege in America and how it changed over time (Nkomo Ariss 2013) and how white privilege is used to benefit white people (Blum n.d). Without white privilegeRead MoreWhite Privilege And Male Privilege907 Words   |  4 Pagesexists today. Male privilege has existed for centuries, but it was not widely discussed until around 1988 when Peggy McIntosh, a scholar working for Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, wrote a paper titled, â€Å"White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences Through Work in Women’s Studies,†. The paper takes a look both at white and male privilege, with a long list of 46 examples of McIntosh’s own, self-recognized privilege as a white woman. The paperRead MoreWhite Privilege And Black Privilege1578 Words   |  7 PagesWhite privilege is the ability for whites to maintain an elevated status in society that masks racial inequality. It is also considered a system of advantage based on race, as well as societal privileges that benefit white people. It is usually known as the â€Å"other†, or the opposite side of discrimination. Some people in society, typically people of color, feel as though people with white skin hav e benefits over people of color, just because they’re white. White privilege is sometimes seen as a higherRead MoreWhite Privilege : Black Privilege1296 Words   |  6 PagesWhite Privilege in America Whit privilege is still a problem in America. Through history, white privilege has been a major civil conflict in American societies. It is still prevalent today. What most people want to know is if there is a way to prevent the continuation of white privilege. By knowing the history, and the various types of white privilege, there might be a way to overcome and eventually prevent it. To fully understand what white privilege is, one must first understand the origin ofRead MoreWhite Privilege And Black Privilege1340 Words   |  6 PagesThe term â€Å"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, orRead MoreWhite Privilege And Black Privilege Essay1837 Words   |  8 PagesThis paper examines how white privilege continues to be constructed today within schools and how teachers have a large role in it. In today’s society, many can go through their lives without understanding what it is or how it effects other people . White privilege is how a person’s lighter skin color benefits them directly from birth and that person doesn’t have to do anything in order to gain these privileges. These privileges are good and usually don’t have any negative consequences for the personRead MoreWhite Privilege And Black Privilege1593 Words   |  7 PagesWhite Privilege Dick Hebdige in â€Å"From Culture to Hegemony; Subculture: The Unnatural Break† states â€Å"All human societies reproduce themselves in this way through a process of ‘naturalization’. It is through this process- a kind of inevitable reflex of all social life- that particular sets of social relations, particular ways of organizing the world appear to us as if they were universal and timeless,† (142). Hebdige speaks to the fact that the way society is structured and the way people interact