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RACISM + CULTURE
5 White Privileges You Have Over Black People No Matter Who You Are
Dismantling the myth that some White people don't have privilege
White privilege is one of the most controversial topics in today's discourse. Bringing up privilege in a racially mixed crowd can feel like touching a live wire because most White people "avoid conversations about race," like it’s their personal mission statement. However, unless you're having a Whites-only holiday season, chances are you are going to need to check your privilege, not just your coat, at the front door.
Imagine that America is a board game, like Monopoly, where White people have been winning the game for hundreds of years, but only because they start off owning Boardwalk, Park Place, and Florida Avenue. White people amassed power through the Antebellum Slave Era, Jim Crow, and Racial Redlining in our real American game. Now, they don't want to talk about the wheeling and dealing that led to this point. When White folks deny privilege, they ask us to believe the unbelievable, that it's just a coincidence. White families have 7.8 times the wealth of Black families.
This scenario reminds me of the childhood game my cousins played with me — Candyland. For three rounds, I hid the princess card, and finally, my cousin said, "if you keep the best card for yourself, it's not fun and we won't want to play with you." After that, I became an honest broker because I understood the consequences of selfishness and awarding myself privilege just because I had access to the game pieces ahead of time. So, if I could understand privilege as a child, why is it that most White people have a puzzled look on their faces when you try to unpack this phenomenon?
I think "not knowing" is more comfortable for them than "knowing," so many pretend not to understand the privilege they wield when all else fails. Well, there are five privileges White people have over Black people no matter who they are. This list, while not exhaustive, explains why each White person has privilege. Whether they want to talk about it or not is another game altogether.
