White Privilege Defined For Whiteys
This might be offensive, but only to racist white people who think they’re not racist. (Haha, I just made it so if you flame me in the comments, that means you admit that you’re a racist white person who doesn’t even know he’s racist. Haha, You can’t win!)
First, I can say “whitey,” right? Cuz I’m super white with only white friends in a mostly white community. That’s how I know it’s sometimes difficult to understand white privilege and “benign” racism without reading about it on the internet, so I can say “whitey.” Right? Oh, don’t worry, our white privilege makes racial slurs against us impossible, so you shouldn’t be offended anyway. For real. We’re super privileged, you and me. (Oh, look, I just used an objective pronoun where I should have used a subjective pronoun, but nobody will call me a dumb whitey. It’s cuz I’m super privileged. Whee!)
Ok, so I was reading around Dawn’s Shared Items and found an article that I wanted to share with my (probably 100% white?) readers who probably have mostly white friends and live in mostly white communities. And because I keep hearing from people who are in their 30s, just like me, who really think racism doesn’t exist, or who say with a pout that if McCain wins, “it’ll be blamed on the fact that we’re a country of racists, but we’re not! *sniffle* We just want 4 more years of the same shit, I promise!” Uh-huh. Nobody wants another 4 years of the same shit and there are not enough evangelical Christians to vote for McCain while praying for his death to make a difference in the election. And I think there might not even be enough full-on racists to vote McCain into office. But, I fear, there may be enough people who don’t know that they’re voting for McCain because he’s a big ol’ Whitey McWhiterson, and these people will make the stupid, stupid difference in this election, effectively changing their benign racism into super malignant racism. So, this article is for the people who think they’re not racist, but are voting for McCain based on nothing. Because, are you seriously afraid Obama will give us socialized healthcare and that’s why you’re voting for McCain? Please! He’s going to be so busy cleaning up other Republican messes that he’s not going to be able to do that. At least until his 2nd term.
An excerpt or two or five (they were all so good, and I’m afraid you won’t click over there, so I had to give you five. Go there and read the rest. And then repent of your racism and vote for Obama because he’s the better candidate. Resist racism! Especially racism that thinks it isn’t racism, but it so totally is because, Why Would You Vote For McCain?!?)
White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because “every family has challenges,” even as black and Latino families with similar “challenges” are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.
White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.
White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you. White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto was “Alaska first,” and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you’re black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she’s being disrespectful.
White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God’s punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you’re just a good church-going Christian, but if you’re black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you’re an extremist who probably hates America.
And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren’t sure about that whole “change” thing. Ya know, it’s just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.
Read the whole thing.
Also, this is good:
Suppose you are a hiring manager and have four young candidates to choose from to work in your business. The job involves managing a diverse group of people, having a basic knowledge of economics, politics, foreign relations, education, law, and government. You need someone who is a team-player, is decisive, and has a “get the job done” attitude.
Looking at these four educational resumes*, without knowing their race or their gender, who would you give an interview to?
Seriously, click that link and look at their educational resumes. You wouldn’t even consider Palin and McCain for an interview. LOOK! I’m not lying.
September 21st, 2008 at 7:27 pm
I read that essay somewhere else, and feel like this part should be on a bumper sticker: “White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you.”
September 22nd, 2008 at 6:27 pm
But Abby — why do you hate white people?
September 23rd, 2008 at 3:03 am
[...] 23, 2008 in Uncategorized Here: Oh, don’t worry, our white privilege makes racial slurs against us impossible, so you [...]
September 24th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
894 out of 899?
daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang.
good links all around - thanks!
October 1st, 2008 at 10:47 am
So, a vote for McCain comes only if the voter is racist?
Hmmm. Will some voters simply vote against the black guy cuz he’s black? Yep; gonnna happen. And some will vote against the old guy cuz he’s old, or for the black guy because he is black.
Is it racist to vote for Obama because he is black?
How about this: in the primaries, at the end, Obama was pulling 90% of the black vote, but many said that wasn’t racist. What if Clinton had received 90% of the white vote? Racist?
October 1st, 2008 at 10:58 am
BTW, I get that many black people will vote for Barack because it is their first chance to vote for someone who ‘looks like me’. I can never understand the pride, exhilaration, etc for that chance. All presidents have looked like me (Perhaps Taft most of all)… all peed standing up (except FDR perhaps… OUCH. Too soon?)
If I vote McCain, it is not a race issue. I like a lot of what Barack says; I hope that he can do the things he wants to do…. WITHOUT bankrupting the country.
435 congressmen, 100 senators, 1 president and 9 supreme court justices. Just 545 people…Can’t we replace them all??
Vote NON-Incumbent!
October 1st, 2008 at 11:54 am
I will refer you to the above post explaining white privilege, which explains why 90% for Obama isn’t racist. Would 90% for Clinton be racist? Maybe, but we’re not talking about that election anymore. It’s just another thing to add to the list of the paradoxes of privilege. We’re privileged so the standards of racism are different. I don’t expect everyone (especially white males) to sympathize or even to understand. But when I hear from people who have voted Dem for years but won’t this year because they “just don’t trust Obama,” and when our economy is in the toilet, when paying for college is a completely unattainable goal, when our 401(k) is shrinking day by day thanks to the predatory unregulated lenders and gas prices and grocery prices? All of that, and then we’re going to vote for 4 more Bush-like years? With Palin on the ticket? (Goodbye morning-after pill for rape victims, hello more child abuse, welfare, and services needed), yeah I’m going to cry racism. And I’ll never be convinced otherwise.
Like I said above, Barack is going to be too busy fixing all of these messes and his health care plan won’t even pass (maybe congress’ will, but not his). Bankrupting the country? Too late.
Vote NON-Incumbent, indeed. Starting with the top.
October 1st, 2008 at 4:46 pm
I do get white privilege. Would I rather be in the exact situation I am in now or be financially set and black? I’ll take my current situation and my white-ness.
That said, I sympathize and understand better than many of the privileged. Going through life too large to really participate in many things, too large to even fit in standard furniture… well, I have faced many situations…
Ride at Las Vegas… safety bar wouldn’t close, delayed start (it was a screen with motion seats so, after I had to leave the ride seat, they brought me a chair specially for me..)
Chicago Uno at the Outlet Malls of Birch Run… A family of 4 (Mom, Dad, 2 kids about Lena and Libby’s age)… snickering about the huge dude…trying to guess my weight.. This was pre-surgery, and as I left I stopped and said, ” since you seem interested, its about 450 pounds”. They seemed embarrassed then.
Of course, the pat answer… just lose weight. To which I always respond..
Holy F*cking Sh*t! You are a GENIUS!!! I NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT!!!
But, is it the same…not by a long shot. AND… I can change it; its difficult, but I am working on it. Can’t really change your color (talking to you Mr. Jackson)
I do know my privilege. I was reminded back in 2006 while at Genesee County. My buddy Andre, another accountant and a black man, came in one morning agitated about the prior evening. We were talking and he said he was angry. He had went shopping and went into a store (I don’t remember which one). A clerk shadowed him the whole time he was there; the clerk never offered to help or tried to sell something, just followed not so discretely. I was honestly surprised. Andre told me it happens; not every time, but more often than I might think. I guess that’s my privilege showing: I honestly believed that sort of thing didn’t happen. I figured we had some old dinosaurs like Grandpa but that the younger generations were beyond that.
T
October 1st, 2008 at 7:58 pm
White Priv Redux:
OK… I am hogging this blog, but this is something that has been preying on my mind. Not so much white privilege, but I guess you could attribute my experiences to something like white privilege (not what I would call it but…)
1– I notice commercials starring black actors. TV shows, not so much but the commercials… for non-ethnic items (laundry soap, a bank, auto dealer). When the ‘customer’ is black and most or all actors are, I notice.
Did black people notice the absence of non-whites in this things? Why do I notice the presence of blacks?
2–another story similar to Andre’s above: another friend, from right here in Columbus, is from S. Carolina. We were talking and she said there are places, TODAY, in her home town and county where she cannot enter because she is black. No explicit signs in the window, but she said you know.
3–Why is this stuff so hard to talk about? I mean, when Andre volunteered his story, I had a thousand question. First, was my incredulity. No way that happens in 2006. So, we sat at coffee and neither of us worked that hard for the first couple hours of the day…
So…am I naive? Just realizing the results of my privilege? A combo?
October 1st, 2008 at 9:29 pm
I think you’re struggling with the naivete/privilege combo. Good for you. It’s the first step.
I think it’s hard for nice white people who don’t say the “N” word to believe that we are racist. We’re nice! We don’t use racial slurs! We don’t tell racist jokes! We tell our father-in-law not to tell racist jokes in front of our kids! But I think it might be so pervasive that there’s just more to it than that. It’s hard to wrap our heads around because we want to think well of ourselves, but we’re racist. And we’re privileged because we’re white, but it’s hard to understand what that really means. We can’t understand what it’s like to be a minority. From our perspective, everything is fine and whatever “they” think is racism is just all in their heads or they’re being too sensitive. Only that’s not true. It’s hard to be black and you and I will never know how hard it is.
Since you won’t be able to sleep tonight because you’ll be wrestling with your inner demons, a link or two:
http://www.racialicious.com (Pay attention when they give links because you always learn something.)
http://www.hugoschwyzer.net (He’s a white guy! Look in his “race” category; he gets a little self-righteous and whatnot, but still. I think it might be a good place to start for a whitey like yourself. ;))
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:07 am
Well, I don’t think that being white equates with being a racist. Of course I don’t know how hard it is to be black. I don’t know how hard it is to be poor, or how easy to be rich. What I do believe is that there is ‘quiet racism’ (I guess is a way to describe). But, I don’t believe I am a racist. For example, our new place is just 3 minutes from the 18 Bus line. I have become a Public Transport person. Mostly or selfish reasons (about $3.35 of them per gallon). However, at night, walking the couple blocks to my door, I am very aware of my surroundings. I know when people are out and about in the dark.
This is a very diverse area… when people are out, I don’t feel that my nervous level is different for non-whites than for whites. I have gotten over the media scare (all media, not a particular outlet or such) that everyone is out to get me. I realize that 9,999/10,000 I will have no issues walking to my door. But, when people are out, I am extra aware. I want to who is out there, where and how many. Just common sense: be aware of your surroundings.
But… I don’t feel more worried based upon race or skin tone of those around me. The privilege is based in, or begat from, racism and may be a form of that racism. However, if I benefit from that privilege through no action of my own other than to be who I am, then I am not racist. Saying you get X in the name of racism so you are a racist; I don’t buy it.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:15 am
@Tony, I don’t know, saying you’re nervousness is the same no matter the skin color feels pretty close to saying, “I have black friends so I can’t be racist.” I think the quiet or benign racism you’re talking about is the bigger problem for people like us because we tend to think it’s not a big deal or that it’s not really racism, but it is.
October 7th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Nervousness isn’t really the right word… awareness, alertness? I am not sure. I guess it isn’t saying “I have black friends… ”
When I am out and about at night, I try to be aware of my surroundings. 2 reasons: 1-I want to know if there are people around me so that, if something happens, I am not wholly surprised 2–if you are walking around obviously not paying attention, I think you are making yourself a better target. Again, bad things happen rarely, but I try to keep myself out of situations where they can happen.
So, I guess what I am saying is that once I have an awareness of my surroundings, the race of anyone out and about with me does not factor into that awareness. So, do I have this quiet or institutionalized racism in me? Probably. We are all shaped by our environment, upbringing, etc etc. When I recognize it, I squash it…and sometimes I have to have it pointed out to me.
“I have black friends so I can’t be racist” I agree, that is sort of a silly statement. HOWEVER, having black friends can help one see and eliminate that quiet racism. Or privilege. When friends like Andre relate the stories I mentioned above (comment
I am amazed. How can a store clerk be suspicious of someone simply for being black? Or, how can a business not hire someone simply for being black? See, I am a capitalist at heart. As a business owner, the job candidate bringing the most to my business would be the one hired (after my cous, Account Extraordinaire Bryan, of course!). I just can’t see the sense in ‘well, candidate A could contribute 20% to the bottom line, but A is black. So candidate B it is, even though B will only contribute 15%’. SO.. having friends who have, and do, experience that prejudice reminds me that we still need to work on things.
I remember this dude from history, credited with some good ideas. “love one another” or ‘love your neighbor as you love yourself’ I don’t remember any conditions about race, religion, sexuality, age, wealth, ….