RACISM
What Makes You Think You Are the Exception to White Privilege?
Seriously, we should get to the bottom of this mystery.
White privilege has become an unwelcome house guest for many White Americans who think they are the exception. While some Black people claim that all White people are racist, I respectfully disagree. Racism is like a recipe, and it needs certain ingredients to shine. A system of racial hierarchy, power, and intent is essential in identifying racism and distinguishing it from its cousins, bias, prejudice, and discrimination.
Throughout American history, some White people had chosen to ride with Black people to the bitter end, even when facing lynchings or going to full-on war. Between 1882 and 1968, White Southerners lynched 1,297 White men. While this number pales in comparison to the number of Black people killed, it's worth considering how White racists have historically terrorized White abolitionists and civil rights activists. Some used their white privilege to stand up for Black Americans, and they faced the ultimate price. The selflessness of some White people shows racism, and white privilege are not synonymous factors at all.
Take, for instance, Union Colonel James Montgomery, a White man who vehemently disagreed with the institution of slavery and the…
