Discussion: 7 Actual Facts That Prove White Privilege Exists in America

nihility

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Peggy McIntosh explains the concept of white privilege as an "invisible backpack" of unearned rights and privileges that white people enjoy. "Privilege exists when one group has something of value that is denied to others simply because of the groups they belong to, rather than because of anything they've done or failed to do," reads a quote commonly attributed to Peggy McIntosh.

Here are just a few of the things that are more or likely to be true if one happens to have been born white in America:

1. You are less likely to be arrested.

Research shows that white Americans are less likely to be arrested and jailed. While people of color only make up 30% of the total population, they are 60% of the U.S. prison population.

This discrepancy is particularly apparent when it comes to nonviolent drug offenses, where people of color are jailed at much higher rates, even though drug use in the white community is higher than in the African-American community.

2. You are more likely to get into college.

According to a 2013 report by Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce, elite educational institutions are a "passive agent" in perpetuating white privilege. The report found that white students are still overrepresented in the nation's 468 elite institutions. Even though many white and minority students are unprepared for college in equal rates, more white students are admitted to universities.

3. You are more likely to "fit in" and get called back for a job.

Having a name perceived as "black" is a burden during a job search. In 2012, an unemployed black woman made headlines for reporting that her resume on Monster.com began to receive interest from employers after she changed her name and race.

After Yolanda changed her name to the fictitious Bianca White, however, she received calls with job offers immediately. And not only that, they were for better jobs.

"More shocking was that some employers, mostly Caucasian-sounding women, were calling Bianca more than once, desperate to get an interview with her," Spivey wrote. All along, my real Monster.com account was open and active; but, despite having the same background as Bianca, I received no phone calls. Potential positions offering a competitive salary and benefits all went to Bianca."

4. You are less likely to be perceived as a "thug."

When Seattle Seahawks superstar Richard Sherman dared speak out after making a game-winning play to get his team to the Superbowl, the word "thug" was used 625 times in 24 hours of television broadcasts. Sherman, a Standford University graduate, called out his critics, noting that white male aggression is seen as acceptable in sports like hockey because the vast majority of players are white.

5. You are less likely to be labeled "angry."

The ability to express a full range of emotions without repercussions is a privilege. When someone who isn't white (and let's be frank, who isn't male) expresses anger in a public or professional setting, it's not usually called leadership

6. You are more likely to make headlines when missing.

Sheri Parks, a professor of American studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, calls this the "Missing White Woman Syndrome." Dr. Mia Moody, assistant professor of journalism and media arts at Baylor University, notes the same thing in her research, which looks at the way media frames coverage, with the result that pretty white woman are put on a pedestal, while minorities, the poor and the less traditionally attractive are conspicuously absent from the front page.

7. You are more likely to find adequate housing.

Discrimination in the housing market has been crippling to the attempts blacks and Latinos have made to empower themselves economically," Jones said. "The worst examples are in the sales market — there's a wealth of urban economic evidence showing how the inability to buy homes has affected the black-white wealth gap — but such behavior in the rental market is just as damaging."

Full article: http://www.policymic.com/articles/89...rce=fbpartners

A recent article about white privilege. It does a good job about highlighting some of the ways people of color are discriminated against and systematically oppressed. The discrimination in employment is especially disheartening, considering some people who deny white privilege say that POCs should just work harder, but they don't realize that POCs are denied opportunities for these jobs in the first place.

Gavin.

Oh my god another thread about this

Citrus

Mimie

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Originally posted by Gavin.

Oh my god another thread about this

Racist

Gavin.

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Originally posted by MiMiLamb

Racist

Yup. Every white person is haven't you heard

Deuces

Everyone with sense knows white privilege exists, can we not give the deluded a chance to show out their stupidity.

Mimie

Not 'Bianca White'

jomarr

Don't you guys get tired of posting irrelevant **** like this?

Pluto

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr. Deuces

Everyone with sense knows white privilege exists, can we not give the deluded a chance to show out their stupidity.

Too late

Newt

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Originally posted by jomarr

Don't you guys get tired of posting irrelevant **** like this?

How is any of this irrelevant??

Dickard

this is so annoying, seriously. i think it's terrible how vastly different races are perceived, but i'm not going to feel guilty because i was born white.

NICHOLE

qweenmiley

I mean being afforded various advantages due to things like your appearance, background and position in life is a simple fact. Not much to argue against in terms of the basics of the theory of that. It applies in many different contexts for many different things, one of which is being white in a country like America.
However Tumblr’s perception of it as some sort of guarantee of an easier life without any of the problems that “PoC” face is completely false and their use of it as a tool for the most fundamental form of an ad hominem attack pretty much renders it as nothing more than a joke. Like the theory itself is basically a way to show contextual awareness in terms of how a person has been brought up and the factors in their life that will affect what their life will be like. Instead Tumblr takes it as some sort of pseudo-intellectual justification for their hypocritical racist bigotry.

Deuces

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Originally posted by Dickard

this is so annoying, seriously. i think it's terrible how vastly different races are perceived, but i'm not going to feel guilty because i was born white.

That's great because no one was asking you to.

Lyrical.

So true.

lancelovesgaga

everyone needs to be presentable when out in public.

Dickard

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Originally posted by Mr. Deuces

That's great because no one was asking you to.

i can't really articulate what i want to say without it sounding abrasive and rude, so let me just not.

Changes

You just have to choose your battles.

jomarr

Quote:

Originally posted by Dickard

this is so annoying, seriously. i think it's terrible how vastly different races are perceived, but i'm not going to feel guilty because i was born white.

I was bornBrown

Lyrical.

Quote:

Originally posted by Dickard

this is so annoying, seriously. i think it's terrible how vastly different races are perceived, but i'm not going to feel guilty because i was born white.

You don't have to feel guilty. This is just the way things are.