White privilege

White Privilege...does it exist?

     This semester in many of my classes we have been talking about culture. About what it is, how it affects lives, how to accept it in others, how to embrace it, and how to help others with a different culture than our own. We have talked a lot about racism, discrimination, oppression, prejudice, etc. This has always been an area of huge interest and passion of mine. But it wasn't until this semester that I started viewing things differently. That I started to realize what I really could do to help make a change and the things that I was not recognizing that I needed to change. 

    There is thing called "white privilege", who knew that was even a thing? Not me until about 6 weeks ago. The fact that I didn't know about it is evidence that it does exist. What is white privilege? 

1. White privilege (or white skin privilege) is a term for societal privileges that benefit white people beyond what is commonly experienced by non-white people in the same social, political, or economic circumstances.

Seem reasonable? Of course! We read a story in my Interviewing Skills class about a gentlemen that was black who went out to lunch or dinner with a friend, who was white. During the whole lunch/dinner the waitress was directing everything towards the white gentleman. Asked what he would like first, gave him his food first, never even spoke more than she had to to the black man, and even gave the check to the white man; assuming that it was the white man's treat. When in fact the black man was the one treating his white friend to dinner! Maybe when you first read this you think "He's just over-reacting or reading into it too much." But maybe he isn't? Regardless if the treatment he got was intentional or not, it still happens. And it happens often. 

What can white Americans do to change this? 

I want you to watch this video..
http://youtu.be/GTvU7uUgjUI

What she says at the end of this video is KEY to understanding what white Americans CAN do! All you have to do is recognize this privilege you have and use it. Influence those around you to do good as well. Influence them to stand up and not be afraid to do so. 

What did I learn from all this?
That I can make a difference. That I have to stop blaming other reasons and just do it. I will never understand what it is like to feel like the minority just because of my ethnicity alone. Believe it or not I've never even considered myself to have a race. I'm just white. But that's a race, isn't it? Being blind to that and being blind to the privilege I have just because of the color of my skin is evidence that it does exist. I have never been denied a privilege, I have never been followed in a store, I have never been thought of as a threat. This isn't just about ending African American racism but racism with every ethnicity. It cannot change until we as individuals change. 

It is going to take effort from all races to change. Not just one. 

I hope that you can dig a little deeper and help those around you. It really is about people helping people. 

Isn't that what we are here for? 

Let's make that happen. 

Here are some resources if you would like to read what I have been reading this semester: 

http://www.deanza.edu/faculty/lewisjulie/White%20Priviledge%20Unpacking%20the%20Invisible%20Knapsack.pdf

file:///C:/Users/10681048/Downloads/what_does_it_mean_to_be_white%20(1).pdf

file:///C:/Users/10681048/Downloads/I%20CAN%20FIX%20IT_racism%20-%20Damali%20Ayo%20(1).pdf