White privilege refers to unearned advantages that white people benefit from in society due to the color of their skin. This includes greater opportunities and less risk of facing oppression, degradation, or racial profiling. White privilege allows white people to avoid acknowledging the hardships faced by people of color on a daily basis. The justice system also treats people of different races unequally, with police more likely to use violence against black men and the media portraying white criminals more sympathetically. Examples show that white criminals often receive lighter sentences or are acquitted for serious crimes like rape and homicide. As a white person, the author will never have to fear being shot by police or face the same barriers as people of color.

1. White Privilege
What is White Privilege? It is the privilege that only those with white skin and
families will be able to cash in on. White Privilege is the direct benefit to white people
from being white; these benefits include being exempt from racial profiling, having
more opportunity, and not having to face the degradation cultures and races other
than theirs face daily. Generally, white privilege is the privilege to less oppression
due to societal views. Some people have never heard of this terminology before, and
I guarantee you that is because they benefit directly from it themselves on a daily
basis without acknowledging it.
It is wrong that there is racial profiling in modern day society. We as people
should be able to move past this, though some continue to be stuck in old values.
Certain groups are blatantly racist, as they view this as traditional and right by past
values. Other people try to make excuses for themselves by saying they grew up
during the time period where it was “acceptable”. It was never “acceptable”, white
history just encouraged racism to make life easier and more comfortable for
themselves. I think the fact that there are people in my generation who are so closed
minded as to view races and religions other than theirs as wrong is just laziness. It is
up to ourselves as individuals to educate and rise above these dated, disgusting
views of other human beings. White privilege is a tool that we can take advantage of
to do so. By using our voices as recipients of this privilege, we can speak for those
who aren’t being heard in order to help better their lives in our society.
To those who don’t believe white privilege exists, there are many things I
could show them in order to prove them wrong. However, the news is a source that
produces more evidence on this matter daily. On main example would be taking into
account how different races are treated within the justice system. Within the past two
years, more social awareness has been brought to the fact that police brutality and
the court system are being unjust towards people of color while treating white people
with nearly blatant preferential treatment. The law should not work in this manner.
For instance, many lives of young black men have been taken at the hands of police
for crimes they should not have been shot for. A lot of unarmed suspects have also
been wrongly killed by law enforcement after the officer had been convinced that

2. they were armed. However, when it comes to young white men, they are hardly tried
as adults; often, the media tries to portray the “more human” side of them, insisting
that they are just children who got caught up in something wrong. These cases are
arguably more serious as well; these young men have been getting acquitted for
things such as rape, homicide, and mass shootings. Jamycheal Mitchell, a 24 year
old who had stolen less than $5 worth of groceries, was arrested and held in jail for
four months without bail. He was later found dead in his cell, which is not an isolated
incident. This has happened more than three other times in the past year alone with
other people of color jailed for minor crimes. On the other end of the spectrum, Owen
Labrie, 19, was acquitted mid last year for a rape he had committed, advertised in
headlines as “an ex-prep school student”. He claimed his body acted on his own and
he couldn’t help himself. He was tried again later last year and only sentenced to a
year in jail with probation. These are just two examples of many that have been
reported; imagine the cases that are being covered up.
White privilege makes it to where I will never have to be terrified of being shot
by a cop when I’m walking home from the store around the corner. It means that I
will be able to get away with more crime than any person of color. It means that I
have more opportunities available to me; whether it be occupational, housing, or
leisure. White privilege means that I benefit from a society founded on racial injustice
daily, and that I will never truly be able to empathize with the hardships that other
races have to face daily.
Works Cited
Cooper, A., & Sanchez, B. (n.d.). Ex-prep school student acquitted of felony rape in
split verdict. Retrieved February, 2016, from http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/28/us/new-
hampshire-prep-rape-trial/

3. Jouvenal, J. (n.d.). Man accused of stealing $5 in snacks died in jail as he waited for
space at mental hospital. Retrieved February, 2016, from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/man-accused-of-stealing-5-in-snacks-
died-in-jail-as-he-waited-for-space-at-mental-hospital/2015/09/29/7ceac8a2-5aff-
11e5-9757-e49273f05f65_story.html
Sanchez, R. (n.d.). Sandra Bland's death: What we know. Retrieved February,
2016, from http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/21/us/texas-sandra-bland-jail-death-explain/