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Why do some white people have a hard time understanding white privilege?

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Original post by Asurat
C'mon Eminem himself says "Let's do the math, if I was black, I woulda sold half" in White America.


Yes because he's referring to the fact he wouldn't have had a white audience which is why he mentions referring to fans 'Its like me and Dre we just swapped'. His point was combining the labels took them to the top by opening up the racial dimensions of rap. This is so disingenuous its unreal.

Addressing the actual point the problem with 'white privilege' is it purports what it intends to address, that is to say it generalises all white people into this meta-category of privileged which is by definition a form of racial stereotyping. In any country with a majority demographic, said demographic will be more widely represented due to the fact that they comprise the majority of the populace (for example primarily French people present French news etc). This is true for white, black and Asian countries alike.

Further the OP is quoting a rather disingenuous source that uses so many weasel words it may as well just write 'some people suffer some oppressions by some others' for all the proof or even certainty it has in any of its assertions. Most of those happenings have occurred in relation to myself and the very problem is that my experience is marginalised in favour of a narrative which portrays it as an exclusively racial problem. Note I am not asserting myself to be marginalised but I'm saying the problem simply isn't as black and white (pun intended) as this whole white privilege narrative determines it to be.
Original post by Martshi3
Your IGNORANCE is astonishing.

See now if you could provide me the courtesy that I provided OP and follow up your initial remark with an attempt to provide some sort of rational thinking process and nice, logical and valid reasons for your opinions that'd be swell.
Reply 262
Original post by jedanselemyia
They weren't hunted because they were white?


No they were hunted because they were outspoken females. A discrimination which still exists today (no burning at the stake though)
Original post by alicedl
No they were hunted because they were outspoken females. A discrimination which still exists today (no burning at the stake though)


Yes, I know. But a lot of these witches were also men, mentally ill people etc
If any white person says white privilge does not exist, then he must think that racism does not exist. You cannot have one with out the other. You can't have an up without a down. White privilege refers to any advantage, opportunity, benefit, head start, or general protection which persons deemed white will typically enjoy, but which others will generally not enjoy.

These benefits can be material (such as greater opportunity in the labor market, or greater net worth, due to a history in which whites had the ability to accumulate wealth to a greater extent than persons of color), social (such as presumptions of competence, creditworthiness, law-abidingness, intelligence, etc.) or psychological (such as not having to worry about triggering negative stereotypes, rarely having to feel out of place, not having to worry about racial profiling, etc.).

White privilege is simply the flipside of discrimination against people of colour. The fact that white privilege exists does not, however, mean that all whites are wealthy, or that in competitions for jobs and other opportunities, whites will always win. There are, after all, also such things as class privilege.

So YES - You get poor white people. You get homeless poor white people. But judge that poor homeless white person with a poor homeless black person and I PROMISE YOU white privilege would exist

White privilege is just about money and wealth. Rather it is the daily psychological advantage of knowing that one’s perceptions of the world are the ones that stick, that define the norm for everyone else, and that are taken seriously in the mainstream.

If white people say black people like chicken, that will stick
If white people say black people like water melon, that will stick
If white people say black peoiple are stupid, that will stick

There is not a non white person who could say the same thing about white people and get it to stick and get it to be lodged in people's minds. Even though there are millions of stupid white ppl. who love water melon and chicken. I mean - Who the F**K does not not like chicken ? But we black people are meant to be chicken kings

Part of white privilege is never having to examine white behavior (or even acknowledge that there is such a thing as white group behavior at all), and to avoid being stigmatized by the actions of others who just so happen to fall within the same racial group as you.

While black peoplebear the burden of disproving negative stereotypes regularly, when interviewing for a job, taking a standardized test, or merely driving in the “wrong” neighborhood, where we are presumed not to belong, whites rarely if ever have to worry that the actions of others like them, no matter how horrible, will stick to them or force them to prove that they are somehow different.

For example, whites can screw up on the job, run entire corporations into the ground, rip off the Savings and Loans to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars, cut corners on occupational safety and health in the workplace, or scam millions from employee pension funds, without the rest of them having to worry that suchdishonesty will result in whites being viewed suspiciously.

For those reading this who are white, ask yourselves, when was the last time you felt the need to stand up and apologize for a crime committed by another white person ? Better yet, when was the last time you felt the need to do this for fear that if you didn’t, your community would come to be viewed as inherently violent and dangerous, and perhaps be attacked as a result ? And when was the last time someone suggested that our failure to openly condemn white criminals implicated us in their wrongdoing ?

Yet when there was those child sex cases in Rotherham EVERY ASIAN MUSLIM, HINDU, SIKH leader under the sun had to grovel and beg white people for forgiveness and to this day, Asians in rotherram are still stigmatized.
.
And whenever black folks do something wrong, Everyone Hears About It. If gang violence heats up in America’s inner cities, you can bet it’ll be front-page news. Unacceptably high dropout rates ? Yep, you can read all about it. Drugs, crime, out-of-wedlock childbirth ? Yes, yes, and more yes, as the press never seems to tire of bringing us a steady drumbeat of negativity when it comes to blk people.

Given the way in which negative stereotypes can contribute to discriminatory treatment, we can’t then be surprised when those same persons face discrimination in the job market, in schools, housing and on the part of law enforcement
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by PrincePaul30000
If any white person says white privilge does not exist, then he must think that racism does not exist. You cannot have one with out the other. You can't have an up without a down. White privilege refers to any advantage, opportunity, benefit, head start, or general protection which persons deemed white will typically enjoy, but which others will generally not enjoy.

These benefits can be material (such as greater opportunity in the labor market, or greater net worth, due to a history in which whites had the ability to accumulate wealth to a greater extent than persons of color), social (such as presumptions of competence, creditworthiness, law-abidingness, intelligence, etc.) or psychological (such as not having to worry about triggering negative stereotypes, rarely having to feel out of place, not having to worry about racial profiling, etc.).

White privilege is simply the flipside of discrimination against people of colour. The fact that white privilege exists does not, however, mean that all whites are wealthy, or that in competitions for jobs and other opportunities, whites will always win. There are, after all, also such things as class privilege.

So YES - You get poor white people. You get homeless poor white people. But judge that poor homeless white person with a poor homeless black person and I PROMISE YOU white privilege would exist

White privilege is just about money and wealth. Rather it is the daily psychological advantage of knowing that one’s perceptions of the world are the ones that stick, that define the norm for everyone else, and that are taken seriously in the mainstream.

If white people say black people like chicken, that will stick
If white people say black people like water melon, that will stick
If white people say black peoiple are stupid, that will stick

There is not a non white person who could say the same thing about white people and get it to stick and get it to be lodged in people's minds. Even though there are millions of stupid white ppl. who love water melon and chicken. I mean - Who the F**K does not not like chicken ? But we black people are meant to be chicken kings

Part of white privilege is never having to examine white behavior (or even acknowledge that there is such a thing as white group behavior at all), and to avoid being stigmatized by the actions of others who just so happen to fall within the same racial group as you.

While black peoplebear the burden of disproving negative stereotypes regularly, when interviewing for a job, taking a standardized test, or merely driving in the “wrong” neighborhood, where we are presumed not to belong, whites rarely if ever have to worry that the actions of others like us, no matter how horrible, will stick to us or force us to prove that we are somehow different.

For example, whites can screw up on the job, run entire corporations into the ground, rip off the Savings and Loans to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars, cut corners on occupational safety and health in the workplace, or scam millions from employee pension funds, without the rest of them having to worry that suchdishonesty will result in whites being viewed suspiciously.

For those reading this who are white, ask yourselves, when was the last time you felt the need to stand up and apologize for a crime committed by another white person ? Better yet, when was the last time you felt the need to do this for fear that if you didn’t, your community would come to be viewed as inherently violent and dangerous, and perhaps be attacked as a result ? And when was the last time someone suggested that our failure to openly condemn white criminals implicated us in their wrongdoing ?

Yet when there was those child sex cases in Rotherham EVERY ASIAN MUSLIM, HINDU, SIKH leader under the sun had to grovel and beg white people for forgiveness and to this day, Asians in rotherram are still stigmatized.
.
And whenever black folks do something wrong, Everyone Hears About It. If gang violence heats up in America’s inner cities, you can bet it’ll be front-page news. Unacceptably high dropout rates ? Yep, you can read all about it. Drugs, crime, out-of-wedlock childbirth ? Yes, yes, and more yes, as the press never seems to tire of bringing us a steady drumbeat of negativity when it comes to blk people.

Given the way in which negative stereotypes can contribute to discriminatory treatment, we can’t then be surprised when those same persons face discrimination in the job market, in schools, housing and on the part of law enforcement


the bit I highlighted is brilliant.

I'm white, and I try to make myself aware as much as possible of the unjust privilege that is afforded to me. It makes perfect sense and I'm kind of ashamed I didn't realise it before this, so thanks :smile:
Original post by PrincePaul30000
If any white person says white privilge does not exist, then he must think that racism does not exist. You cannot have one with out the other. You can't have an up without a down. White privilege refers to any advantage, opportunity, benefit, head start, or general protection which persons deemed white will typically enjoy, but which others will generally not enjoy. These benefits can be material (such as greater opportunity in the labor market, or greater net worth, due to a history in which whites had the ability to accumulate wealth to a greater extent than persons of color), social (such as presumptions of competence, creditworthiness, law-abidingness, intelligence, etc.) or psychological (such as not having to worry about triggering negative stereotypes, rarely having to feel out of place, not having to worry about racial profiling, etc.).White privilege is simply the flipside of discrimination against people of colour. The fact that white privilege exists does not, however, mean that all whites are wealthy, or that in competitions for jobs and other opportunities, whites will always win. There are, after all, also such things as class privilege. So YES - You get poor white people. You get homeless poor white people. But judge that poor homeless white person with a poor homeless black person and I PROMISE YOU white privilege would exist White privilege is just about money and wealth. Rather it is the daily psychological advantage of knowing that one’s perceptions of the world are the ones that stick, that define the norm for everyone else, and that are taken seriously in the mainstream.If white people say black people like chicken, that will stickIf white people say black people like water melon, that will stickIf white people say black peoiple are stupid, that will stickThere is not a non white person who could say the same thing about white people and get it to stick and get it to be lodged in people's minds. Even though there are millions of stupid white ppl. who love water melon and chicken. I mean - Who the F**K does not not like chicken ? But we black people are meant to be chicken kingsPart of white privilege is never having to examine white behavior (or even acknowledge that there is such a thing as white group behavior at all), and to avoid being stigmatized by the actions of others who just so happen to fall within the same racial group as you.While black peoplebear the burden of disproving negative stereotypes regularly, when interviewing for a job, taking a standardized test, or merely driving in the “wrong” neighborhood, where we are presumed not to belong, whites rarely if ever have to worry that the actions of others like us, no matter how horrible, will stick to us or force us to prove that we are somehow different.For example, whites can screw up on the job, run entire corporations into the ground, rip off the Savings and Loans to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars, cut corners on occupational safety and health in the workplace, or scam millions from employee pension funds, without the rest of them having to worry that suchdishonesty will result in whites being viewed suspiciously.For those reading this who are white, ask yourselves, when was the last time you felt the need to stand up and apologize for a crime committed by another white person ? Better yet, when was the last time you felt the need to do this for fear that if you didn’t, your community would come to be viewed as inherently violent and dangerous, and perhaps be attacked as a result ? And when was the last time someone suggested that our failure to openly condemn white criminals implicated us in their wrongdoing ?Yet when there was those child sex cases in Rotherham EVERY ASIAN MUSLIM, HINDU, SIKH leader under the sun had to grovel and beg white people for forgiveness and to this day, Asians in rotherram are still stigmatized..And whenever black folks do something wrong, Everyone Hears About It. If gang violence heats up in America’s inner cities, you can bet it’ll be front-page news. Unacceptably high dropout rates ? Yep, you can read all about it. Drugs, crime, out-of-wedlock childbirth ? Yes, yes, and more yes, as the press never seems to tire of bringing us a steady drumbeat of negativity when it comes to blk people. Given the way in which negative stereotypes can contribute to discriminatory treatment, we can’t then be surprised when those same persons face discrimination in the job market, in schools, housing and on the part of law enforcement


Speaking truth as always! :smile:
Original post by GonvilleBromhead
Yes because he's referring to the fact he wouldn't have had a white audience which is why he mentions referring to fans 'Its like me and Dre we just swapped'. His point was combining the labels took them to the top by opening up the racial dimensions of rap. This is so disingenuous its unreal.

Addressing the actual point the problem with 'white privilege' is it purports what it intends to address, that is to say it generalises all white people into this meta-category of privileged which is by definition a form of racial stereotyping. In any country with a majority demographic, said demographic will be more widely represented due to the fact that they comprise the majority of the populace (for example primarily French people present French news etc). This is true for white, black and Asian countries alike.

Further the OP is quoting a rather disingenuous source that uses so many weasel words it may as well just write 'some people suffer some oppressions by some others' for all the proof or even certainty it has in any of its assertions. Most of those happenings have occurred in relation to myself and the very problem is that my experience is marginalised in favour of a narrative which portrays it as an exclusively racial problem. Note I am not asserting myself to be marginalised but I'm saying the problem simply isn't as black and white (pun intended) as this whole white privilege narrative determines it to be.


I can sort of see where you're coming from but I reckon that the majority race whatever the country will always generally have some sort of advantage over any minorities, be it a more equal and liberal society like in Britain or one like my country of birth. I think a lot of these privileges are trivial but (like most of O.Ps list) but completely refusing to acknowledge them because people of the majority race can have a tough time too annoys me.
Problems to do with class are experienced can be experienced by all, problems to do with race are generally experienced by people who aren't a majority, which is where the entire "white privilege" things stems from I think.
Original post by Asurat
I can sort of see where you're coming from but I reckon that the majority race whatever the country will always generally have some sort of advantage over any minorities, be it a more equal and liberal society like in Britain or one like my country of birth. I think a lot of these privileges are trivial but (like most of O.Ps list) but completely refusing to acknowledge them because people of the majority race can have a tough time too annoys me.
Problems to do with class are experienced can be experienced by all, problems to do with race are generally experienced by people who aren't a majority, which is where the entire "white privilege" things stems from I think.


Well at least you are being as reasonable as can be so I feel I should extend the courtesy to someone intelligent enough not to just spew rhetoric at me. Psychologically speaking the majority demographic do have a few innate advantages I wouldn't challenge you on that but I feel that this is the same worldwide so to say oh its a result of 'white privilege' is to miss the entire point, because the people who form the majority do better on aggregate is due to a lot of innate factors but isn't a manifestation of any 'privilege' in any sense of the word. If I attempted to get employment in a majority black country I would experience the same innate biases but I wouldn't blame it on 'black privilege' because its not a system of oppression as the general narrative tries to frame it.

I don't disagree with the premise but the conclusion is absurd. Natural behaviours are not synonymous with institution or any of this nonsense and nor is it a global manifestation thereby invalidating such a narrative at its core. I'm very glad of equality legislation that seeks to remove such pretentions, I actually think in applying for Uni/Jobs you should merely have initials (no gender or race signifiers) in order to remove bias assuming it exists. But there is a further problem when people devalue the issue by crying racism or sexism when the truth is they aren't good enough, it allows people to dismiss out of hand the very idea such concepts exist when they are applied trivially.

To conclude (for the TL;DR crowd) Some innate advantages given to majority ethnic group in every country around the world, not a form of privilege as its manifestation fluctuates and isn't universal therefore it cannot be a set systematic value.
Original post by GonvilleBromhead
Well at least you are being as reasonable as can be so I feel I should extend the courtesy to someone intelligent enough not to just spew rhetoric at me. Psychologically speaking the majority demographic do have a few innate advantages I wouldn't challenge you on that but I feel that this is the same worldwide so to say oh its a result of 'white privilege' is to miss the entire point, because the people who form the majority do better on aggregate is due to a lot of innate factors but isn't a manifestation of any 'privilege' in any sense of the word. If I attempted to get employment in a majority black country I would experience the same innate biases but I wouldn't blame it on 'black privilege' because its not a system of oppression as the general narrative tries to frame it.

I don't disagree with the premise but the conclusion is absurd. Natural behaviours are not synonymous with institution or any of this nonsense and nor is it a global manifestation thereby invalidating such a narrative at its core. I'm very glad of equality legislation that seeks to remove such pretentions, I actually think in applying for Uni/Jobs you should merely have initials (no gender or race signifiers) in order to remove bias assuming it exists. But there is a further problem when people devalue the issue by crying racism or sexism when the truth is they aren't good enough, it allows people to dismiss out of hand the very idea such concepts exist when they are applied trivially.

To conclude (for the TL;DR crowd) Some innate advantages given to majority ethnic group in every country around the world, not a form of privilege as its manifestation fluctuates and isn't universal therefore it cannot be a set systematic value.

I think that institutional biases are probably a result of natural behaviours shared by a community, which is why from country to country people of the majority race tend to make it through the CV stage more than those of minority race/gender. I think that because of these biases, at least in white countries, white males tend to be the ones in positions of power, or even globally it's the man in charge.
That's the only thing that I can think of that transfers everywhere, I reckon the white privilege thing is pretty euro-centric and I don't really feel that the "but colonialism made the white man king everywhere for hundreds of years so white privilege exists everywhere" line of thinking is one that I agree with currently and a lot of the stuff in favour like western beauty-standards doesn't irk me enough.
Original post by PrincePaul30000
If any white person says white privilge does not exist, then he must think that racism does not exist. You cannot have one with out the other. You can't have an up without a down. White privilege refers to any advantage, opportunity, benefit, head start, or general protection which persons deemed white will typically enjoy, but which others will generally not enjoy.

These benefits can be material (such as greater opportunity in the labor market, or greater net worth, due to a history in which whites had the ability to accumulate wealth to a greater extent than persons of color), social (such as presumptions of competence, creditworthiness, law-abidingness, intelligence, etc.) or psychological (such as not having to worry about triggering negative stereotypes, rarely having to feel out of place, not having to worry about racial profiling, etc.).

White privilege is simply the flipside of discrimination against people of colour. The fact that white privilege exists does not, however, mean that all whites are wealthy, or that in competitions for jobs and other opportunities, whites will always win. There are, after all, also such things as class privilege.

So YES - You get poor white people. You get homeless poor white people. But judge that poor homeless white person with a poor homeless black person and I PROMISE YOU white privilege would exist

White privilege is just about money and wealth. Rather it is the daily psychological advantage of knowing that one’s perceptions of the world are the ones that stick, that define the norm for everyone else, and that are taken seriously in the mainstream.

If white people say black people like chicken, that will stick
If white people say black people like water melon, that will stick
If white people say black peoiple are stupid, that will stick

There is not a non white person who could say the same thing about white people and get it to stick and get it to be lodged in people's minds. Even though there are millions of stupid white ppl. who love water melon and chicken. I mean - Who the F**K does not not like chicken ? But we black people are meant to be chicken kings

Part of white privilege is never having to examine white behavior (or even acknowledge that there is such a thing as white group behavior at all), and to avoid being stigmatized by the actions of others who just so happen to fall within the same racial group as you.

While black peoplebear the burden of disproving negative stereotypes regularly, when interviewing for a job, taking a standardized test, or merely driving in the “wrong” neighborhood, where we are presumed not to belong, whites rarely if ever have to worry that the actions of others like them, no matter how horrible, will stick to them or force them to prove that they are somehow different.

For example, whites can screw up on the job, run entire corporations into the ground, rip off the Savings and Loans to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars, cut corners on occupational safety and health in the workplace, or scam millions from employee pension funds, without the rest of them having to worry that suchdishonesty will result in whites being viewed suspiciously.

For those reading this who are white, ask yourselves, when was the last time you felt the need to stand up and apologize for a crime committed by another white person ? Better yet, when was the last time you felt the need to do this for fear that if you didn’t, your community would come to be viewed as inherently violent and dangerous, and perhaps be attacked as a result ? And when was the last time someone suggested that our failure to openly condemn white criminals implicated us in their wrongdoing ?

Yet when there was those child sex cases in Rotherham EVERY ASIAN MUSLIM, HINDU, SIKH leader under the sun had to grovel and beg white people for forgiveness and to this day, Asians in rotherram are still stigmatized.
.
And whenever black folks do something wrong, Everyone Hears About It. If gang violence heats up in America’s inner cities, you can bet it’ll be front-page news. Unacceptably high dropout rates ? Yep, you can read all about it. Drugs, crime, out-of-wedlock childbirth ? Yes, yes, and more yes, as the press never seems to tire of bringing us a steady drumbeat of negativity when it comes to blk people.

Given the way in which negative stereotypes can contribute to discriminatory treatment, we can’t then be surprised when those same persons face discrimination in the job market, in schools, housing and on the part of law enforcement



perfect post.
Tbh, this whole privelege argument revolves around peoples feelings not what can be proven beyond any reasonable doubt

for example I could say that I have encountered racism because of my heritage but what i perceive as "racism" might just stem from a lack of understanding as opposed to a conceited effort to offend me. (please bear in mind that people may not fully understand the culture of those they are talking to or societal norms)

Most of the time the "barriers" that people discuss are not articulately explained nor do people who discuss privilege actually "check their privilege" (ie Munroe Bergdof) which means that the argument is often one sided.

Yeah sure some people have advantages, head starts in life does being born with white skin mean you have these advantages, no

To say that someone has had a head start in life solely due to the colour of their skin without any tangible evidence is frankly just malevolent speculation.

The common arguments on this thread follow the same formula "if you have two people that are x, y or z and one is ............ whilst the other is........... the other person would be treated better" without ANY tangible evidence.

As to the people that believe anyone denouncing the concept of white privilege somehow believe that racism doesn't exist, you are wrong racism according to the definition outlined in the oxford dictionary (ie the belief that one's race is superior) does undoubtedly exist, however as those who support the concept of white privilege seem to have invented an entirely new definition for the word you will still continue to believe that it exists.

If anyone has tangible evidence (From a reputable source not 'sources' quoted in a bias video) then I would love to see it
Now why is this thread back? I do appreciate being able to get even bigger returns from my most repped post ever but this thread is well past its best before end
Original post by Retired_Messiah


He's probably less likely to be shot than a black homeless guy.
Original post by Retired_Messiah
Now why is this thread back? I do appreciate being able to get even bigger returns from my most repped post ever but this thread is well past its best before end


The world is full of equally stupid poeple :h:
It's not the race but the class which you belong to that matters. A white person from a low socioeconomic area will face similar struggles to those in the BME community.
Original post by username1504459
I've said SOME not ALL, obviously
Almost everything time I mention this issue on this forum, it seems that some user (most likely white) is going to "attack" me on how dumb, outdated and racist this concept is.
Racism is a pyramidal construct that goes from microagressions to full blown genocides:

Now, I agree that generally, we find ourselves in the lower strates of the pyramid (but that depends on the country: look at the USA) but that doesn't mean that racism or the concept of white privilege is completely outdated and stupid. That's just trying to ignore reality lol
I've based myself on the essay by Peggy McIntosh (she's white by the way) entitled "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack". She gives a list of all the privileges that white people enjoy in American society, but I'm sure that a lot of people would recognise themselves in these:
1. I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.
2. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area which I can afford and in which I would want to live.
3. I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me.
4. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.
5. I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.
6. When I am told about our national heritage or about “civilization,” I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.
7. I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race.
8. If I want to, I can be pretty sure of finding a publisher for this piece on white privilege.
9. I can go into a music shop and count on finding the music of my race represented, into a supermarket and find the staple foods which fit with my cultural traditions, into a hairdresser’s shop and find someone who can cut my hair.
10. Whether I checks, credit cards, or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of financial reliability.
11. I can arrange to protect my children most of the time from people who might not like them.
12. I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty, or the illiteracy of my race.
13. I can speak in public to a powerful male group without putting my race on trial.
14. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.
15. I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.
16. I can remain oblivious of the language and customs of persons of color who constitute the world’s majority without feeling in my culture any penalty for such oblivion.
17. I can criticize our government and talk about how much I fear its policies and behavior without being seen as a cultural outsider.
18. I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to “the person in charge,” I will be facing a person of my race.
19. If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven’t been singled out because of my race.
20. I can easily buy posters, postcards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys, and children’s magazine featuring people of my race.
21. I can go home from most meetings of organizations I belong to feeling somewhat tied in, rather than isolated, out-of-place, outnumbered, unheard, held at a distance, or feared.
22. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having co-workers on the job suspect that I got it because of race.
23. I can choose public accommodation without fearing that people of my race cannot get in or will be mistreated in the places I have chosen.
24. I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help, my race will not work against me.
25. If my day, week, or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it has racial overtones.
26. I can choose blemish cover or bandages in “flesh” color and have them more or less match my skin.


I added a new one: When traveling to a country, I don't think my race will be a disadvantage


I'm genuinely trying to understand some people just can't get this. And please, no rude comments.


*asks why don't people understand*


*posts a complex pyramid scheme and loads of text*


no thanks :tea: :cyber:
Original post by username1504459
I've said SOME not ALL, obviously
Almost everything time I mention this issue on this forum, it seems that some user (most likely white) is going to "attack" me on how dumb, outdated and racist this concept is.
Racism is a pyramidal construct that goes from microagressions to full blown genocides:

Now, I agree that generally, we find ourselves in the lower strates of the pyramid (but that depends on the country: look at the USA) but that doesn't mean that racism or the concept of white privilege is completely outdated and stupid. That's just trying to ignore reality lol
I've based myself on the essay by Peggy McIntosh (she's white by the way) entitled "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack". She gives a list of all the privileges that white people enjoy in American society, but I'm sure that a lot of people would recognise themselves in these:
1. I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.
2. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area which I can afford and in which I would want to live.
3. I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me.
4. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.
5. I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.
6. When I am told about our national heritage or about “civilization,” I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.
7. I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race.
8. If I want to, I can be pretty sure of finding a publisher for this piece on white privilege.
9. I can go into a music shop and count on finding the music of my race represented, into a supermarket and find the staple foods which fit with my cultural traditions, into a hairdresser’s shop and find someone who can cut my hair.
10. Whether I checks, credit cards, or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of financial reliability.
11. I can arrange to protect my children most of the time from people who might not like them.
12. I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty, or the illiteracy of my race.
13. I can speak in public to a powerful male group without putting my race on trial.
14. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.
15. I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.
16. I can remain oblivious of the language and customs of persons of color who constitute the world’s majority without feeling in my culture any penalty for such oblivion.
17. I can criticize our government and talk about how much I fear its policies and behavior without being seen as a cultural outsider.
18. I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to “the person in charge,” I will be facing a person of my race.
19. If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven’t been singled out because of my race.
20. I can easily buy posters, postcards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys, and children’s magazine featuring people of my race.
21. I can go home from most meetings of organizations I belong to feeling somewhat tied in, rather than isolated, out-of-place, outnumbered, unheard, held at a distance, or feared.
22. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having co-workers on the job suspect that I got it because of race.
23. I can choose public accommodation without fearing that people of my race cannot get in or will be mistreated in the places I have chosen.
24. I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help, my race will not work against me.
25. If my day, week, or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it has racial overtones.
26. I can choose blemish cover or bandages in “flesh” color and have them more or less match my skin.


I added a new one: When traveling to a country, I don't think my race will be a disadvantage


I'm genuinely trying to understand some people just can't get this. And please, no rude comments.


This one is a favorite of mine:

(also microaggressions are BS)

(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by username1504459
I've said SOME not ALL, obviously
Almost everything time I mention this issue on this forum, it seems that some user (most likely white) is going to "attack" me on how dumb, outdated and racist this concept is.
Racism is a pyramidal construct that goes from microagressions to full blown genocides:

Now, I agree that generally, we find ourselves in the lower strates of the pyramid (but that depends on the country: look at the USA) but that doesn't mean that racism or the concept of white privilege is completely outdated and stupid. That's just trying to ignore reality lol
I've based myself on the essay by Peggy McIntosh (she's white by the way) entitled "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack". She gives a list of all the privileges that white people enjoy in American society, but I'm sure that a lot of people would recognise themselves in these:
1. I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.
2. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area which I can afford and in which I would want to live.
3. I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me.
4. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.
5. I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.
6. When I am told about our national heritage or about “civilization,” I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.
7. I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race.
8. If I want to, I can be pretty sure of finding a publisher for this piece on white privilege.
9. I can go into a music shop and count on finding the music of my race represented, into a supermarket and find the staple foods which fit with my cultural traditions, into a hairdresser’s shop and find someone who can cut my hair.
10. Whether I checks, credit cards, or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of financial reliability.
11. I can arrange to protect my children most of the time from people who might not like them.
12. I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty, or the illiteracy of my race.
13. I can speak in public to a powerful male group without putting my race on trial.
14. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.
15. I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.
16. I can remain oblivious of the language and customs of persons of color who constitute the world’s majority without feeling in my culture any penalty for such oblivion.
17. I can criticize our government and talk about how much I fear its policies and behavior without being seen as a cultural outsider.
18. I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to “the person in charge,” I will be facing a person of my race.
19. If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven’t been singled out because of my race.
20. I can easily buy posters, postcards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys, and children’s magazine featuring people of my race.
21. I can go home from most meetings of organizations I belong to feeling somewhat tied in, rather than isolated, out-of-place, outnumbered, unheard, held at a distance, or feared.
22. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having co-workers on the job suspect that I got it because of race.
23. I can choose public accommodation without fearing that people of my race cannot get in or will be mistreated in the places I have chosen.
24. I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help, my race will not work against me.
25. If my day, week, or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it has racial overtones.
26. I can choose blemish cover or bandages in “flesh” color and have them more or less match my skin.


I added a new one: When traveling to a country, I don't think my race will be a disadvantage


I'm genuinely trying to understand some people just can't get this. And please, no rude comments.


I suppose what most of those people have a problem with is this idea of indiscriminate white privilege. For example when comparing a rich black celebrity with a white homeless person, I would find it very hard believe that the homeless person benefits from any kind of privilege over the rich person.

I think each case should be looked at individually and if an individual has been wronged solely because of their race that should be condemned.
Original post by TheWoke


How is being homeless comparable to 'sometimes being sad'.
How could you call a homeless person privileged?

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