Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsMeaning of White PrivilegeExamples of White PrivilegeHow White Privilege Affects White PeopleAcknowledging White Privilege
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Meaning of White Privilege
Examples of White Privilege
How White Privilege Affects White People
Acknowledging White Privilege
Close
White privilege is a concept that highlights the unfair societal advantages that white people have over non-white people. It is something that is pervasive throughout society and exists in all of the major systems and institutions that operate in society, as well as on an interpersonal level.
The term has a long history but it has come into sharper focus due to events such as the murder of George Floyd and the resultingBlack Lives Matterprotests.
Origin of the Term
In other words, power, benefits, and other advantages are distributed in unequal ways among the different groups in society. Specifically, with respect to white privilege, the advantage rests with white people.
Reactions to the Phrase
On the other hand, for some, the idea that a person could have special privileges just because of the color of their skin is an unsettling realization and can elicit feelings of shame, guilt, and confusion.
If you are a white person and feel like the concept of white privilege doesn’t pertain to you, you are likely mistaken.
If you are white and have grown up feeling as though others have advantages over you, perhaps regarding your wealth, you might bristle at the notion that you are in some way privileged because of your race.
White privilege is an advantage that protects white people against any form of discrimination related to their ethnicity and race.
White privilege, however, does not imply that white people have not or cannot experience challenges in life; it means that any challenges that a white person has faced or may face is not related to the color of their skin.
In order to understand white privilege in action, it’s helpful to think of examples of how it can appear in day-to-day life. The following examples are drawn from the work of Peggy McIntosh.
Shopping
Hairstyle
Media
Freedom and Perception
Achievement
Parenting
Law Enforcement
What Are Microaggressions?
A major issue that comes up in discussions about white privilege is that bringing up the topic of white privilege can often trigger defensiveness in white people. They may shut down and stop talking or stop listening.
White Privilege Doesn’t Invalidate Struggle
Is one type of struggle worse than the other? That would be a matter of opinion as all struggles are valid but nobody would argue that living in poverty or experiencing trauma is not a difficult situation regardless of someone’s race.
White Privilege Ignores Implicit Bias
The truth is that growing up as a white person means never having to consider race for the majority of one’s life. It’s not something white people notice, because the world is set up for their convenience. They have the power of being “normal,” or in the default state.
When white people say they are “color blind” or don’t notice differences in skin tone it actually minimizes BIPOC experiences and ignoresimplicit biases.
White Privilege Is Not About Blame
White privilege is not about blaming white people for the advantages they have. How can you be blamed for something you have never had to consider?
The phrase is about helping white people realize that they have systematic advantages over non-white people and that they can make efforts to ensure equality.
In all areas, there is a gap between those with white privilege and those without, when it comes to generational wealth (and particularly property ownership), the experience of violence, and other indicators of quality of life.
So, if you’re white, here’s what you can do to acknowledge your privilege:
A Change in Mindset
Change will only happen when the majority of the population experiences a mindset shift. Moreover, that mindset shift begins at the individual level not the group. One person at a time, changing their mind.
A Word From Verywell
What Is White Guilt?
1 SourceVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.McIntosh P.White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.Additional ReadingInstitute on Assets and Social Policy.The Roots of the Widening Racial Wealth Gap: Explaining the Black-White Economic Divide.McIntosh P.White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.
1 Source
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.McIntosh P.White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.Additional ReadingInstitute on Assets and Social Policy.The Roots of the Widening Racial Wealth Gap: Explaining the Black-White Economic Divide.McIntosh P.White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
McIntosh P.White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.
Institute on Assets and Social Policy.The Roots of the Widening Racial Wealth Gap: Explaining the Black-White Economic Divide.McIntosh P.White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.
Institute on Assets and Social Policy.The Roots of the Widening Racial Wealth Gap: Explaining the Black-White Economic Divide.
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