This document discusses the concept of white privilege in the United States. It argues that whites have historically had advantages over other races in areas like education, career opportunities, interactions with police, and in how history is taught from their perspective. It also discusses how the definition of who is considered white has changed over time to include groups that were once not. While some privileges may also be given to minorities at times, whites generally have more privilege and advantage in politics, education, and society.

1. Jessie Lycans
Harold Blanco
FYS 100
18 February 2016
White Privilege
Throughout time, racial inequality has remained an issue among the United States. Many
races other than whites have to experience situations where whites are superior to them; whether
it be from education, career paths, or purchasing large valued items. The concept is hard for
numerous whites to understand that they are privileged. Their lives may be hard by not making
enough money and living paycheck to paycheck, but life is an ongoing battle for everyone, no
matter what race they are. Whites usually get the privilege when it comes to police officers
especially. A white man could go up to a police officer and ask him a question, and the police
officer wouldn’t have a second thought about it, but if it were a black man, the officer would be
curious or even concerned. Lots of people believe that they don’t discriminate but become very
defensive when it comes to the subject of White Privilege. Some like to change the way the
argument is going based on their views and can benefit them. Past racist behavior tends to
privilege white people today. Today, students aren’t taught the things that African Americans
have done in the past; they just learn about our basic American history through the eyes of a
white person. The media contributes to this as well by feeding our brains negative thoughts of
the nonwhite race, and having stereotyping be unavoidable. Racism is something that is most
likely never going to be overcome.
Wenger, Michael R. "White Privilege. (Cover Story)." Poverty & Race 22.4 (2013): 1. Points of
View Reference Center. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.

2. To our knowledge, the public institutions have been created to serve the interest of
Americans who are seen by themselves and other as whites. This means that the boundaries of
setting who is white, and who isn’t, is not very limiting. In the past, it is known that some races
weren’t considered to be white even though their skin was, but now are considered to be today;
for example the Irish or a second generation of Iranian American that was fair skinned.
According to this, these people see themselves as white, and enjoy the fact that they are. Majorly,
it is the African American descent that is excluded from the white race.
SALAM, REIHAN. "Black And White In Shades Of Gray." National Review 67.18 (2015): 29.
Points of View Reference Center. Web. 21 Feb. 2016
Technically defining the term “privileged” is that someone having access to, or enjoying
the rights to do something that someone else is not allowed to do. For example: citizens of the
United States have certain privileges that non-citizens can’t enjoy because they don’t have them.
Many individuals look at a privilege as being an advantage. The white race typically has the
advantage when it comes to education and history. As stated before, various historically events
that occurred and have been written in a textbook for a student to learn has been from a white
individual. They tend to make some of these events not as important as others based on talking
about a specific race because it makes them not seem so bad as if it were written from an African
American’s perspective. Sometimes the minorities do get advantages that whites don’t, like
scholarships, but that’s one of the small situations that doesn’t compare to politics or historical
events. Some believe that this doesn’t always confine to just whites, and they may be correct.
Overall, whites typically are more privileged than other races in many different aspects.
LARABELL, JOHN T. "Have You Checked Your White Privilege Lately?." New American
(08856540) 31.19 (2015): 44. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 21 Feb. 2016