White Privilege
Does the Idea of Privilege Help Us Achieve Justice for All?
White privilege is the latest buzz-word, designed to help us understand racism. However, it seems like another conceptual red herring that fails to tackle the real issues
White privilege: 1. a. A right, advantage, or immunity granted to or enjoyed by white persons beyond the common advantage of all others; an exemption in many particular cases from certain burdens or liabilities.
b. A special advantage or benefit of white persons; with reference to divine dispensations, natural advantages, gifts of fortune, genetic endowments, social relations, etc.
The above definition references a more extensive version by Kendall Clark, founder of www.whiteprivilege.com. However, this conceptualization of racial inequality needs challenging for many reasons.
To begin with, the word privilege suggests something undeserved. Hence the title of Dr. Robert Jensen’s 1998 article, published in the Baltimore Sun, “White People Need to Acknowledge the Benefits of Unearned Privilege.” The problem with this idea is it does not reflect anyone’s existential experience.
The structural advantages whites have over ethnic minorities, such as fair housing opportunities, access to education, merit-based employment, etc., are not privileges; they are basic rights in any democratic society. Moreover, whites, generally, earn these opportunities; they save to buy the house, and study hard in college to get that better job. To suggest such fundamental aspects of the American dream are actually negative seems unfair and somewhat peculiar.
Furthermore, as Dr. Jensen found from the feedback he received to his article, such sentiments stir up resentment and anger in the white community, further exacerbating the disconnect between the races and closing the doors of communication.
Of more concern however, is the complete failure of ‘white privilege’ to accurately frame the problem of racism that exists in American society. Although the supporting rhetoric of ‘white privilege’ discusses institutional inequities, the charge of privilege is actually leveled at the individual. What should I do if I land a job for which I am qualified? How do I know there was actually a better candidate who happens to be an ethnic minority? Should I decline the position just in case? As an individual in this case, I am powerless to make an institutional change and the problems of discrimination continue. Anyway, who would give up a privilege!?
The real problem is ethnic minorities continue to be systemically denied their basic right to pursue health and happiness. Racism is a structural problem that needs to be challenged at the heart of our social institutions, which happen to be controlled by whites, not at the individual who is just trying to get by.
