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Jan. 14, 2022

Is White Privilege a Real Thing?

Is White Privilege a Real Thing?
This is an email response to a friend as we engaged in conversation about white privilege. Is white privilege a real thing? I think it maybe a phrase used incorrectly to pit people groups against one another. specifically when the term is used out of context.
 
 
 
I probably should wait to speak to you about this so I can hear where you're coming from. I would start by saying that words have meaning. In my text response to you I said we all have earned privileges. This discussion, however, is centered around unearned advantages or privileges. Because, until now I have had no interest in the subject I was not aware that this was what was being discussed. This is part of the issue when most discuss any really controversial topic, most really don't know what they are talking about, on both sides.
 
The definition I found for privilege is "the unearned and mostly unacknowledged societal advantage that a restricted group of people has over another group." I'm not positive I know what that really means.
 
So looking at the definition and adding white to it, I'm going to say the belief is all white people have an unearned and unacknowledged societal advantage over everyone who is non-white. Interesting. Here's where problems start. People create their own definition of words to fit a specific goal or narrative. In an article written Jan. 2, 2021, Ella Alexander wrote, "white privilege means actively benefiting from the oppression of people of colour." She also described it as an "unearned racial advantage."
 
So when you say you believe this is a thing, which definition are you subscribing to?
 
Again words have meaning so looking up unearned I see it means "not deserved, unwarranted, not merited" So what you have is a not deserved and not acknowledged advantage over me in society.
 
My limited research would indicate that if you and I attempt to buy a home, you will have an unearned advantage over me in getting that home because, IF the realtor is white they, will acknowledge your privilege, will make sure you get the house and I don't. What if the realtor is black? When I say you, I'm speaking generically and not to you specifically. Would your white privilege trump the advantage I have of being black dealing with that black realtor?
 
Is there such a thing as white privilege? I guess. What does acknowledging it do? How did we get to a place where it is believed a certain group of people has a societal advantage over another group? Is this privilege a bad thing? Do you believe you are an oppressor?
 
In the military, and most areas of life, the majority prevails in everything. In these general hosing down of people with hurt filled words or comments we do not take into account relationships or personal experiences.
 
You are still getting to know me, but do you feel as if you have an understanding of my struggle because I'm black? That is a real question but before you answer let me share that I have always had more white friends than black. I have dated more white women than black women and I tend to attract white women and relate to them better than black women.
 
I recently made a request on Facebook about the best way to contact the USAFA Supt. In my DM I received his email address and office phone number from the wife of one of our classmates. She didn't have to do that, but I believe she did it because she has seen how I interact on FB and her husband and I are working on the class giving committee, so overall I appear to be a nice guy. Truth be told we do not know each other. To top it off, she didn't ask nor has any idea why I want to contact the Supt.
 
There is nothing I did to earn the right for her to give me that information, other than be a decent human being. Should this be considered black privilege or just being a decent person privilege?
There was a white classmate who wanted the same information I did. She did not pass that information on to him. The advantage she had of having that contact information was earned as her husband is a retired general officer and she is friends with the Supt's wife.
 
White privilege in this matter would be her giving the contact information to the white guy and not me strictly because he is white. That didn't happen.
 
The other problem is that when this verbiage is used, white people go to the other extreme and make me feel uncomfortable in the things they do or say. Just because my skin color is black doesn't mean I've had the exact same experiences as every black person you may know or have seen on television. Assumptions are made and opportunities are over extended so you don't appear to be exerting your "privilege". Then I am placed in a position of accepting or turning down things I did not earn. Again who's privilege do we blame this on? You for having the ability to provide opportunities or me for having to turn them down or accept the provided opportunities?
 
This really makes no sense. The privileges you have, you have earned. The privilege I have, I have earned. The ones we don't have, we didn't earn. I am not aware of any unearned privileges you have or that I have. In the article I referenced earlier, the lady attempts to list 20 examples of white privilege. She does state 2 things that make sense. First, this is a very complex subject. So if anyone starts to discuss it with you on either side, as if they are a know it all, dismiss them and their thoughts. Second, and I'll add my words to her comment, I don't like being told I'm articulate, well spoken and a credit to my race (although I don't hear that last comment anymore). The takeaway is then, that most black men are the opposite of those attributes, therefore I'm an outlier.
 
Are their people who are oppressive to men, women, everyone because they are assholes? Absolutely. Was oppressive behavior (minorities, women, etc.) something that ruled the day decades ago? Yes. Are there still people who make decisions/judgments based on the color of people's skin and not the content of their character? Sadly yes. Worse, we are moving further and further away from caring about character and being more concerned about skin color and gender. We are looking at oppressing you so we can somehow feel better about ourselves.
 
If this makes no sense, please feel free to correct me. At the end of the day I believe there are people out there creating terms and phrases with the intent of hurting people and creating division, that I don't believe is wanted by the majority of people.
 
As a final thought, my wife told me she was called a racist by some of her fifth graders. She said in the sixth grade that's a thing and they call their teachers that a lot hoping to get them in trouble. It's very easy to make anything you say or do appear racist. You having to defend yourself in these matters is very tricky.
 
I look forward to speak with you about this very interesting topic and hearing what you have to say about it.