White Privilege

1. Jordan Bailey
2/15/2015
FYS100
White Privilege
White privilege is defined by Mount Holyoke College as, "a set of advantages and/or
immunities that white people benefit from on a daily basis beyond those common to all others.
White privilege can exist without white people's conscious knowledge of its presence and it
helps to maintain the racial hierarchy in this country." I really don't think that I could agree with
white privilege being an actual thing because I think that white people get stereotypes just like
black people do. I've read things that say white privilege is being able to watch the news
without being embarrassed at how your race is being represented; well I know from personal
experience that I feel the same things being a Christian sometimes. Whenever I watch the news
and see some "crazy white Christian" do something like shoot up a Planned Parenthood its
embarrassing and I know that people are stereotypical of Christians and when things like this
happen, it just makes it worse. I imagine this is exactly how African American's feel when
someone of their race is represented in this same way. Although I know this is just one
example, I think it is perfect to show why I don't believe white American's are shown some
form of privilege when we experience the same things just in different ways.
As a white American, it angers me that people of other races think we live so much
better or that we are handed everything we want. The idea of white privilege bases itself on
how black people feel they are seen and treated by WHITE people. Well, I for one, can say that I

2. think the same exact stereotypes exist when the situation is turned. I know that from personal
experience black people have the same stereotypes about us white people, as they believe we
have against them. I for one am not a racist, but I am not naïve enough to think that we don't
live in a very racist world. I am well aware that there are white people who would hire a white
person over a black person, or there are white cops who would accuse a black person of doing
the same things a white person was doing. The thing is, though, the same exact things apply
when it’s black people instead of white people. If you don’t think that black people have a racist
attitude towards white people, especially white cops, then you are completely wrong.
The whole thing is, that white people have the upper hand when it comes to white
people meanwhile black people have the upper hand when it comes to black people. Not that
this is right or how things should be, but there are no white privileges just as there are no black
privileges. Yes there is racismfrom both sides, but there is no "just white privilege". White
people can say that black people have an upper hand in many ways that the black people use
against us. Black people have their own scholarships, their own TV channels, their own award
shows; so if you wanted to get technical, I guess you could say those are all things that white
people don't have. The race card has been used for far too long and I believe it needs to be
stopped. If everyone wants to be treated equally they need to stop segregating themselves.
There is racismfrom all sides.