White Privilege In Today's Society

The debate on whether white privilege exists in the U.S. continues to split the majority of Americans into two conflicting realms of thought; one believing that the theory of white privilege only results in minorities exploiting this concept as an excuse for their lack of success, while the opposing side insists that the structure of American institutions is biased against minorities, mainly towards black Americans, thus resulting in an opportunity gap that impedes these individuals’ ability to realize their goals. These two opposing viewpoints are easily identified in Jon Stewart’s interview of Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, with Stewart arguing that white privilege is a reality for countless black Americans while O’Reilly refutes this argument vehemently.
The central focus of O’Reilly’s case against the existence of white privilege is rooted in the classic concept of “The American Dream”, essentially that no matter where one begins in life, if you work hard enough and better yourself through higher education, then you will be able to

achieve virtually anything that you set your mind to. O’Reilly recounts his upbringing during the interview, relating his childhood in Levittown and how his dedication to his goals resulted in his eventual success, all the while adamantly asserting that it was his passion and diligence, and not his skin color, that led to his various accomplishments.
In addition to referencing his personal experiences, O’Reilly also rejects Stewart’s assertion that minorities continue to face a tougher and more daunting experience than white Americans, rather stating that numerous prominent American figures are black, therefore inequality cannot exist. He cites the statistic that, on average, Asian Americans have a higher household income than white Americans and later on in the interview also references Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey, arguing that if they could have achieved such influence then white privilege is a myth, despite Stewart’s insistence otherwise.
In stark contrast to O’Reilly’s argument is Stewart’s viewpoint, which is that not only does inequality between races persist in the U.S., but that it has become such a part of American institutions and culture that it severely handicaps many minority groups in the U.S. to the point that they are denied opportunities and rights awarded to white Americans. Stewart claims that the “residue” of the injustices that black Americans faced in the past has bled into today’s society, consequently resulting in a system that is skewed in favor to white male Americans. Although Jim Crow and slavery ended, their influence has not, which is evident in the lower quality of schools in predominantly black neighborhoods and the prison pipeline that countless young black men are confronted with in their lifetimes.
However, Stewart is not claiming that white privilege is an excuse, rather a factor that makes it harder for certain groups of people to succeed in the U.S.

O’Reilly reminisced about his childhood in Levittown and how those years growing up in that town molded him as a person and gave him certain morals and values, all of which he asserts led to his success. Except, as Stewart points out, black GI’s were not afforded the opportunity to live in communities like Levittown with their white military counterparts, therefore denying their children that stable upbringing individuals like O’Reilly experienced. This, Stewart contends, is the first of countless hurdles that black Americans face in their lives that, although seemingly small, build up overtime and highly influence those exposed to these barriers. With this argument, O’Reilly slightly yields to Stewart, agreeing that this possible racial inequality could be a

factor.
In spite of O’Reilly’s minor concession at the conclusion of the interview, I do not believe that he admitted that white privilege exists. Rather, he acknowledges that previous injustice existed in the form of slavery and Jim Crow de jure racism, but he still appeared to believe that racism is over and the nation has achieved equality across racial groups. O’Reilly appears to be the type of individual that needs to witness firsthand the events that Stewart described to be able to fully understand the black American experience, therefore then being ready to agree that white privilege does exist in the U.S.