White Privilege

Recently, two bloggers I respect, Danny at Jew Eat Yet and Saucybritches, wrote compelling posts about a popular article written by leading anti-racism writer, Tim Wise, titled “White Privilege and the 2008 Election.”  In the article, the author talks about how McCain has been treated differently than Obama during the campaign.  His conclusion at the end:

“White privilege is, in short, the problem.”

After reading the article, I had a heated debate on Twitter because I found the tone of the piece disturbing.  Tim Wise creates a world based on race, where a person is “privileged” because of the color of his skin. 

“What about someone white who is poor and someone black who is rich?” I asked.  “Isn’t this “privilege” theory insulting to both?  And what exactly does this have to do with the election?  I thought Obama’s nomination was a sign of change.  I hear more talk about race from the liberal side than the Republicans.  Isn’t this racial analysis a little… 1970-ish?” 

Apparently, The Angry Black Woman has met bloggers like me before:

“White Privilege exists whether you know it, acknowledge it, or understand it. Any attempts to convince me that you, a white person, don’t have White Privilege will result in laughter, mockery, and possibly a beat down.

It is a given that, whenever I engage in debate with a white person and mention privilege, the white person in question gets all upset. “I do NOT have privilege!” they say, and then begin to tell the story of their poor, rural upbringing or something. I think this reaction stems from two sources. Firstly, White Liberal Guilt, which I have written about before. Secondly, a misunderstanding of the word ‘Privilege’.

When most people hear Privilege or are referred to as Privileged their mind immediately thinks of economic privilege: people who are rich, or are born rich, who have a leg up in society or get by because their parents have a famous name or something. Paris Hilton is an example of that kind of privileged person. Most white people are not like Paris Hilton, nor would I suggest that they are. That would be cruel.

What they don’t realize is that economic privilege is only one kind of privilege. When I speak of White Privilege, I am not speaking of economics (though they may come into play based on the individual), I am speaking of unearned advantages one has because one is born White. That’s not the only kind of Privilege there is, of course. Another I’m very familiar with is Heterosexual Privilege.”

As I read more about the subject, I began to better understand the academic concept of “white privilege.”  Racism is not overt, as in the past.  But that doesn’t mean that white skin doesn’t give a white person certain freedoms.

Peggy McIntosh, in “White Privilege:  Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” writes (via Maria Niles at Blogher):

“As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage.

I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege. So I have begun in an untutored way to ask what it is like to have white privilege. I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was “meant” to remain oblivious. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools , and blank checks.”

Besides White Privilege and Heterosexual Privilege, there is also Male Privilege.  Clearly, as a straight, white, male, I am at the top of the leaderboard.

I may be sabotaging my liberal status in this post, but I find most of this race/feminist/gender academic theory as dull as a butter knife. 

OK, so I am a straight, white, male.  Despite living at my mother’s house, I am privileged.  What the f**k do you want me to do about it?  I try my best to respect others and to support policies that will create a more level playing field.  My entire blogging career has been about making a more level playing field.  I am for affirmative action and insuring that women get paid the same as men.  I also want popular mommybloggers to share some of their free goodies with some of the less popular mommybloggers.

I do my little part to make society better.  But why should whites, men and heterosexuals be burdened with all the responsibilities?  Can’t we just focus on the “less privileged” — in general — rather than dividing society solely by race or gender, which is as simplistic as a children’s book. 

I spent the last half hour developing a “privilege chart,” with the first group listed being the most privileged group and the last being the least.  I think we should all acknowledge that we have some privileges and do our best to try to move those below us a notch or two up the list.  You will notice that on my “privilege chart,” — race, gender, and sexual orientation are not the sole identifiers of privilege.  A black woman born to a wealthy family and blessed with good looks and a slender body has many privileged elements in her life.  Whites need to fight for the rights of blacks, men need to care about women’s issues, straights should promote gay rights, skinny women should not buy from designers who don’t produce clothes for large sizes, pretty girls in high school should invite not-so-pretty girls to be their friends.  That would make this entire “privilege” issue humanistic, rather than academic bullshit.  

The “Privilege” Chart

Good-Looking, Thin, White Heterosexual Male Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Fat, White Heterosexual Male Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Thin, White Heterosexual Female Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Thin, White Homosexual Male Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Thin, White Homosexual Female Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Fat, White Homosexual Male Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Thin, Black Heterosexual Male Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Thin, Black Heterosexual Female Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Thin, Black Homosexual Female Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Thin, Black Homosexual Male Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Thin, White Heterosexual Female NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Fat, White Heterosexual Female Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Fat, White Homosexual Female Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Thin, White Heterosexual Male Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Fat, White Heterosexual Male Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Fat, Black Heterosexual Male Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Thin, White Homosexual Female Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Fat, Black Heterosexual Female Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Fat, White Homosexual Female Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Thin, White Heterosexual Male NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Thin, White Homosexual Male NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Thin, White Heterosexual Female Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Fat, White Heterosexual Female Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Thin, Black Heterosexual Female NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Fat, White Heterosexual Male NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Thin, White Homosexual Female NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Fat, Black Heterosexual Male Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Thin, White Homosexual Male Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Fat, White Homosexual Male Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Thin, Black Heterosexual Male Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Thin, Black Homosexual Female NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Fat, White Homosexual Female NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Fat, White Homosexual Male NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Fat, White Heterosexual Female NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Thin, Black Heterosexual Male NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Thin, Black Homosexual Male NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Thin, Black Homosexual Male Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Thin, Black Homosexual Female Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Fat, Black Homosexual Female Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Thin, Black Heterosexual Female Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Fat, Black Heterosexual Female Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Fat, Black Homosexual Male Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Thin, White Homosexual Female NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Fat, White Homosexual Female NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Thin, White Heterosexual Male NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Fat, White Heterosexual Male NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Thin, White Heterosexual Female NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Fat, White Heterosexual Female NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Thin, White Homosexual Male NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Fat, White Homosexual Male NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Fat, Black Heterosexual Female NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Good-Looking, Fat, Black Heterosexual Male NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Thin, Black Heterosexual Male NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Fat, Black Heterosexual Male NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Thin, Black Heterosexual Female NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Fat, Black Heterosexual Female NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Thin, Black Homosexual Female NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Fat, Black Homosexual Female NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Thin, Black Homosexual Male NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents

Ugly, Fat, Black Homosexual Male NOT Born to Wealthy, Well-Connected Parents