“White Privilege” – Myth or Reality?

Disclaimer

Let me first say that I am a true believer in racial equality, fairness, and inclusion. I am in no way against white people or any people for that matter. I wasn’t raised or taught to dislike or disrespect anyone for any reason. However, I do love my Black brothers and sisters and hope that my writings help in reinforcing the positive narrative and the fight for the dignity of Black people.

The Backdrop

There is no secret about some people’s perception of Black people. You’ve heard some of the racial stereotypes perpetuated by white people about Black people in order to keep Black America in its place. Racial stereotypes are constructed beliefs that all members of the same race share given characteristics. These attributed characteristics are usually negative. For example Sambo, the pervasive image of a simple-minded, docile Black man or savage as depicted in “Birth of a Nation” showing the taming of the Black man and putting him in his place. Then there’s the “mammy” who lived to serve her master and mistress. The Mammy understood the value of the white lifestyle.

These racial stereotypes were used as evidence of the Black man’s inferiority to whites and played a significant role in shaping attitudes toward Black Americans then and now. While people are not to blame for policies that began before they were born, but they are still benefiting from them at the — often grave — expense of Black Americans. There is a sense of privilege among them – “white privilege.”

Defining Privilege and “White Privilege”

The word privilege has a few meanings and may mean something different to each person. It is something that is pervasive throughout society and exists in all of the major systems and institutions that operate in society, as well as on an interpersonal level. Merriam-Webster defines privilege as a right or immunity granted as an advantage, or favor; to accord a higher value or superior position. Recently, after my mother tried for days to get in touch with her doctor, with no return call, I exerted my privilege of having a Doctorate of Education. I identified myself as Dr. Coxson, her daughter. In no time, I received a call back!

“White privilege” is the inherent advantages possessed by a white person on the basis of their race in a society characterized by racial inequality and injustice. “White privilege” is any advantage, head start, opportunity, or protection from systemic mistreatment, which whites generally have, but people of color do not. Let’s take a deeper dive into what “white privilege” looks like.

Behind the Lens of White Society

The term “white privilege” was first coined by feminist, anti-racism activist, and scholar Peggy McIntosh, a white woman in 1988 in her paper “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. The phrase often provokes defensive reactions among whites. Some who struggle financially may find it hard to emotionally connect with the notion that they are privileged when they have struggled financially. Others from more comfortable middle-class backgrounds can feel that their family success is being undermined or that others haven’t worked as hard to achieve their success – the lazy Blacks.

McIntosh, in reference to being white says “it puts me at an advantage.” McIntosh then lists what she identifies as “white privilege,” and ways in which it manifests itself.  She writes:

• I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.
• I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race.
• I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection.
• If a traffic cop pulls me over … I can be sure I haven’t been singled out because of my race”.

So, for those of you who are not convinced that “white privilege” is a thing, read on.

Existing Evidence that Supports that “white privilege” is Real

Educational “white privilege” – Research has found that students of color in mostly white schools, regardless of their family’s economic status, experience a “burden of representation” not generally experienced by whites. This burden refers to the way in which Black and brown students feel the need to succeed. Such students often feel as though failure or underperformance on their part may reinforce stigmatizing group stereotypes and negatively impact others from their group. Something else to note is that students of color have the pressure of trying to fit in within two different worlds – the school’s dominant culture, and maintaining a feeling of connection to their racial or cultural group. This is something that white students typically do not experience. This is another example in which “white privilege” exists in schools, separate and apart from economics.

Facing the Law – Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein’s cases bear deep resemblances: dated accusations without supporting forensic evidence, an aggressive defense cross-examination strategy, even testimony from the same expert state witness. However, “The difference between Cosby and Weinstein is quite simple,” said Walter Cohen of Harrisburg. “Even though they are both rich and famous, Weinstein is white, and Cosby is Black.” Both cases were going on almost at the same time. But guess what, Bill Cosby was in jail while Weinstein was allowed to be free during his court case. There’s no doubt that both of these two individuals should be held accountable for the wrongs they have committed. 

In the summer of 2020 during a protest of a police killing of a Black man Jacob Blake, Kyle Rittenhouse, a then 17-year-old white male was seen on video in Wisconsin jogging through the crowd with an assault rifle. He walked towards and past police who were present and no one stopped him. Two people were shot to death during a third straight night of protests. At some point after, Rittenhouse was taken into custody in Illinois on suspicion of first-degree intentional homicide. He was released on bail. How was he given bail? Please know that if this was a Black person, with a gun, approaching police…..Well, you know how the story would have gone. Justin Mcfarlin a Black opinion contributor in a USA Today article said “It has become clear to me that open carry and concealed carry are white privileges — permit or not. Despite having a license: I am afraid of being killed by police if I carry a gun in public.”

On May 25, 2020, Karen Cooper, a white woman called the NYPD accusing Christian Cooper a Black man who was bird-watching of threatening her life during a wild caught-on-camera confrontation in NYC’s Central Park. Did she used her privilege as a white person knowing that emphasizing that the man was African American, that the police would come? Charged with falsely reporting an incident, Cooper was sentenced to five days in psychotherapy. On February 16, 2021, after completion or should I say complying with the sessions, charges were dropped! Had the man not recorded the incident, well, you know the rest.

February 2021, CBS News reported that a 70-year-old man was arrested in the hit-and-run death of Robert Maraj, the father of rapper Nicki Minaj. Charles Polevich was charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident and tampering with evidence. Guess what? He was released on bail! Imagine if the roles were reversed! History tells Black America, the outcome would most likely have been different.

In February 2021, prior to Super Bowl LV, linebackers coach Britt Reid, who is white and the son of the Kansas City Chief’s head coach, was involved in a multi-car crash that seriously injured a 4-year old and leaving a 5-year-old in critical condition with brain injuries. The police officer reported “a moderate odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from (Reid)” and that “his eyes were “bloodshot and red.” Reid supposedly told police he had a couple of drinks. Investigators are trying to determine if this was a contributing factor (Investigators said it would take 30-60 days for a full report). Reid’s not in jail. No breath alcohol test was administered.

Reid was taken to the hospital complaining of stomach pains. I didn’t read or see images of him being arrested and it’s unlikely that he was handcuffed to his hospital bed. Reid’s priors include DUI and drug charges as well as gun and drug charges stemming from a road-rage dispute. Why am I mentioning this part? Well, I believe you may know what the outcome would have been for a Black person. That’s their story and this is ours.

Flashback to 2017, Tiger Woods needed to be woken up by an officer as his Mercedes was found stopped on a Florida roadway, before his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence. Woods claimed in a statement that the DUI arrest was the result of “an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications” and “not due to the consumption of alcohol.” A breath alcohol test administered showed no signs of alcohol in Woods’ system, as he blew a 0.00. Let me say that Woods did fail a field sobriety test. Jailed, Woods was cited for improper parking/stopping, along with the driving under the influence (medication) citation. Still handcuffed, his mug shot was shared with the world.

The evidence mentioned here is just two major areas where the power of being white shows itself. Of course, there are many others such as housing and healthcare; a separate discussion in itself.

A Change in Mindset

The truth is that growing up as a white person means never having to consider race for the majority of one’s life. It’s not something white people notice, because the world is set up for their convenience. They have the power of being “normal,” or in the default state. Seeing the undeniable truth of this, we must challenge rather than comply with white superiority and work toward creating a country that is more livable for everyone. Change may only happen when the majority of the population experiences a mindset shift. But let me say, mindset shift begins at the individual level, not the group.