White Privilege Examples

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White Privilege and Affirmative Action Privilege is defined as “a special advantage or authority possessed by a particular person or group” in the Cambridge Dictionary (“privilege”). Globally, white individuals are often granted privileges than minority groups do not receive. While white privilege often goes unnoticed by white individuals, it causes many disadvantages for people of color and affects how they see themselves. Furthermore, Affirmative Action attempts to equal the playing field for minorities but is faced with contention by many white people. When asked about white privilege, many whites believe that it is a myth while others deny the existence of white privilege entirely. However, white privilege is not a myth. White privilege is very prevalent in society and uniquely effects many different groups. Peggy McIntosh discusses white privilege in her article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” McIntosh states, “I have come to see while privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets which I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was, "meant" to remain oblivious” (par. 3). While white privilege …show more content…

However, when a member of a minority group does something wrong or illegal, it is often related back to the entire group. This is yet another example of white privilege. McIntosh stated in her article, “I can swear, or dress in second-hand clothes, or not answer letters without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty, or the illiteracy of my race” and “I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group” (par. 8). Often times negative stereotypes are created for minority groups based of the actions of a few members of the group. This negatively affects many individual in minority groups as they are initially judged and have assumptions made about them simply because they have a different skin

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