White Privilege: An Analysis
When talking to Gen Z about Black Lives Matter, I was able to go into in-depth discussions about white privilege. I gained so much insight from these conversations, but I also saw people express that they believe that white privilege is not real. What exactly is white privilege, and why is there such a large debate over whether or not it is real?
There are all different types of privileges in this world. Wealth, gender, and race confer privilege in most societies. White privilege is a social privilege. White privilege does not mean that all white people have easy lives and that they do not struggle. However, white privilege does mean that white people do not experience certain biases and struggles that people of color experience.
White privilege can be seen in situations that most people do not think about or can be subtle. For instance, white people have always been represented in the media. They have always felt represented in movies and TV shows because TV shows have almost always had predominantly white casts. Also, white people have always had more makeup options compared to people of color. They have had more shades available to them because makeup has been tailored towards white people. These seemingly “little things” in society contribute to people of color feeling less represented and less valued.
The people that do not believe that white privilege exists typically do not understand what it means to have white privilege. Some people think that white privilege means that all white people are racist which is not true about this term. These types of misconceptions make people believe that white privilege is not real, and as a result it can be very harmful to people of color and minorities. However, white privilege can also include an inherent sense of racial superiority, whether that is experienced in schools, in jobs, in neighborhoods, in experience with law enforcement, or in the justice system. White privilege is referencing the underlying factors that have benefited white people and continue to hinder equality for people of color.
Understanding white privilege is one of the first ways to make change for this topic. People need to come together and realize that white privilege is real, and that it can negatively affect people of color and minorities as a result. Everyone needs to understand these struggles, because understanding them is one of the best ways that we will be able to move forward as a country in a positive direction. Gen Z are the next leaders of this change.
