White Privilege

[outskirts]

The whole concept of race is such an odd thing. I mean after all we're still part of the same species! Biologically speaking any one of us could breed with any other person of the opposite sex on the planet. Maybe one day humanity will move beyond this race stuff and finally do something about "CLASS"... I doubt that will ever happen though.
In the mean time, yeah, privilege still exists, but you find it in different forms all over the world. Here it's race based, in other parts of the world it's religious based. Then again we may have some religion based privilege here, after all we do have a black president now. But I'm sure the day this country has an atheist president... is a looooong time coming!

 

[xbocax]

so what im getting is i guess its just where you grew up and how you are now
I can see how someone whos only been raised in impoverished white communities could negate that there is a white privilege
and me who sees it much more often being from So Cal could disagree and fus all day
I guess the topic is slightly more relevant from community to community but hardly any of the privileges i listed were ever touched

 

[outskirts]

Some of us live in very strange worlds as far as race goes. Though my background is mostly white, I do have black and American Indian ancestry, enough to have non white features which are highlighted every summer by my easily tanning skin. I have been mistaken for everything from Brazilian to Iranian. I think many people see what they want to see("racially") when they look at me.

 

[venusinpisces]

colored peoples cultural tendencies are generally stigmatized in the media

I would mostly agree with this although appropriation might be a better word, in my opinion. One theory is that POC have different forms of intelligence besides the right brain analytic intelligence that is so highly valued in our society. Kinesthetic intelligence, for example requires spatial awareness and fine-tuned motor coordination that can be used for art, athletics or aviation. Typically, American culture thinks of these skills as being "low class" but this backwards thinking is a big part of the reason why our economy is on the verge of collapse since manufacturing jobs and other blue collar skills have been deemphasized. Beyond our present destructive society, indigenous cultures had a more holistic understanding of the world (a quality associated with right brain thinking) so that people's knowledge wasn't infinitely subdivided and specialized the way it is now, where we have entire nations of helpless idiot savants who live their lives through a screen. Compare this to previous centuries, where most people had a generalized skill set that allowed for them to not be completely dependent on industry for their every basic need. I'm not against civilization like some people here but it does seem that we need to incorporate some aspects of the "primitive" mode of perception if we want to have any hope of survival as a species. And since whites and Asians have been living in industrialized, bureaucratic societies the longest, those groups exemplify the analytic traits more than other cultures, which is not necessarily always a good thing.

 

[outskirts]

As an experiment, a friend and I once dressed in traditional middle eastern clothes and went into a grocery store. She is of mixed background, white & Inuit. I can't even begin to describe what the stares felt like, and from them all, the white customer, the Latino cashier, the black security guard who followed us around. You could feel the hate or suspicion in many of their eyes. It was a very creepy thing to experience.

 

[plagueship]

Maybe one day humanity will move beyond this race stuff and finally do something about "CLASS"... I doubt that will ever happen though.

are you serious? do you not think class is the most important thing in the world? who is worth more socially in 2011, a black female millionaire or a poor white dude? who would have been more important even in 1900?...

 

[Menyun]

I think It depends on where your at and how you look at it... I grew up in a mostly native american town where job priority went to them and at their casino's its even stated that native americans have job priority. Which is kinda fail I think cause thats against the law for anyone else to do. As I see it, it comes down to effort. How bad do you really want it? etc. Now I'm not saying their isn't priv. out their because its all over but not only for white its out their for most races... As a white man I can't get a college scholarship just for being white yet they have black scholarships, schools, etc. Same goes for natives. I don't see much as far as hispanics although they do have hispanic heritage clubs in HS where they don't for whites. Asians probably have the least priv. but seem to do the best with nothing. Could just be from what I've seen though havn't been in a largely asian area. With large companies they even get tax breaks and what not for hiring more minorities. going to your questions though and my exp... "you probably will be able to go shopping at the grocery store and not be followed" - when I worked retail we were taught to follow and watch anyone that looked suspisious... I'm by no means racist but im sure if i were they would probably play a part in who I followed but with the people I worked with I would say a generaliztion of what we considered suspicious would be dirty steet kid types would be top priority to follow then after that anyone that seemed to be hiding behind racks or constantly looking your way would get your attention. "you can turn on the tv or open a newspaper and see people of your race widely represented." I would say tv and newspapers are mostly whites that are on them, although, you don't ever see a white person getting cudo's for being white on them either do you? and you often do with blacks or hispanics. "you can be sure that what your children will be given info in school which will testify to an existence of their race" - I'm not real sure what you ment by this one in school I learn about alot of cultures/histories... Whites, Nativies, Indian's (India Indians =P), Asians, etc.... I can't say I remember studying a africian curture though with the exception of Egyptian... but to my knowledge blacks never had a giant empire way back when. "you can count on your skin color not making people preconceive whether your check or card will go through" I think that comes down to appearance kinda like the following suspisious people thing if you look broke people think your broke... my older brother looks like a red neck straight out of the trailer park drives a old beat up chevy but in reality he is a computer programer thats makes 150k+ a year and lives in a 500k house. "you can speak in a public place without putting your race on trial" I lol'd a bit on this one because half the time where im from when a black or native doesn't get their way here they always say "its because I'm ______ isn't it? "you can do well in a situation without being considered an accredit to your race" - im not sure on this one it could be because of minorities wanting the high praise or lack of acredible people among color so they put in any average day crap.. I do actually see that alot and unsure as to why most the time. "if a cop pulls you over you can be sure its not because of your race" I think this one goes with where you live If a majority of crime commited in a area is by one race thats what cops will consider suspicious although their are always different circumstances I have a friend that will admit he racial profiles against blacks but he is black and his reasoning behind it is that he tries to stay on top of the people in the neighbor hood he grew up in to keep them in line best he can so they don't make him look bad. "you can choose blemish color or bandages that will somewhat match your skin" I think your trying to confuse me again but make-up was originally made by a white woman right? but they make all colors now hell I seen a commerial for that just the other day. and bandages im not sure on the original color choosing, but the ones that are a light tan color now are probably that way because the original ones were but you can get them and all colors I like the sponge bob ones myself.=) "you can go to any barber and they will know how to cut your hair" anyone can cut straight hair it takes more skill to cut coarse curly hair. and that comes down to location in a way aswell If I go to the barber in BT and just ask for a cut I just want it short and to look good he's going to edge my hair where other barbers don't do that and if they never have before they wouldn't even know thats to be expected from a black guy. "you hang around in groups of 5 or more without looking suspicious" that falls into a pattern of crime their arn't many white gangs to be suspicious of but if a large group of whites were to pull up on motorcycles I guarentee the cops would pay attention..... lol Kinda lost my train of thought hope that helps some coming from the white perspective. Oh and Pigpen I dare you to smack this white boy i'd break your fucking neck.... If you didn't mean that offensively then ignore me as being retarded or whatever but I guarentee you wouldn't touch me if I was in your face unless you either had a death wish or your just out of your mind.

 

[Menyun]

damn lol thats alot bigger post then I thought it was gonna be.

 

[Dishka8643]

I think it just depends on where you are. Most people tend to favor others of the same race.

I'm white, and having went to a mostly black school, I firmly believe that white privilege is complete bullshit. White guilt, however, is extremely prevalent. In my school, most of the teachers were black, and they favored the black students. Black history month started a month before and ended a month after February. We even learned about that shit in math class. We had assembly after assembly about how amazing african culture is, and how bad whites were for enslaving them. They seem to forget that thousands of whites died fighting in the civil war to ensure their freedom. I didn't feel like being white gave me any advantage in that environment.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, a black person in a mostly white area would probably face a lot of the same stigma. Just depends on the people and the local culture. I don't think it's a universal phenomena.

 

[outskirts]

I was reffering to the whole world in general not just America.

 

[outskirts]

are you serious? do you not think class is the most important thing in the world? who is worth more socially in 2011, a black female millionaire or a poor white dude? who would have been more important even in 1900?...

I was reffering to the whole world in general not just America.

 

[katbastard]

I'm an idiot??? you quote wiki, but i am the idiot? Seriously dude? Name calling???? WOW!!!! You preach about one supposed hatred by espousing another??? NICE!

If you want to get SUPER technical about it bro, theres only ONE race of human.... and that one is HUMAN... Race itself was predominantly made up by ETHNIC groups... The ANTHROPOLOGICAL aspect of RACE is what I POSTED.... Here, you can have this thread, because I was under the impression that the gentleman that started the thread was looking for INTELLIGENT conversation... peace out....

there is only one race and that was my point, to pull out the old anthropological racist aspect is not that intelligent, that ideal of race is way outdated and as far as i am concerned very far right white power rhetoric.

 

[Dishka8643]

I'm white and I can assure you it hasn't done a damn thing to make my life any better than anyone else's. If I am somehow in higher standing than someone of another race, it's because I worked for it and didn't spend my time bitching about how someone else has it easier than me.

White privilege, a banner for the lazy and unintelligent to hide under.

I Absolutely agree with you there. And as far as being"racist" so what if he wants to ensure the continuity of his blonde haired, blue eyed genes. That's his choice. If a colored person said they didn't want to breed with whites, I doubt anyone here would have said a damn thing. This double standard pisses me off more than anything.

And I think in a lot of ways, blacks actually have it easier in this country. In schools, teachers are trained to "pump up" the self-esteem of black students, while givinig white students less support, assuming that they don't need it. Blacks are taught to be proud of their race, while whites aren't taught about their ethnic heritage at all. There are tons of after school programs for black adolescents. The purpose of that is to counter-balance the negative effects that segregation MIGHT have on a black person's self-esteem (even though segregation is no longer in use) Black politicians and community leaders often pass legislation that is specifically designed to help their race, and they are allowed to do so. If a white mayor opened up a private school for at-risk white children, people would be throwing the racist card left and right; yet that happens all the time in inner-city black communities.

 

[Puckett]

I think it just depends on where you are. Most people tend to favor others of the same race.

I'm white, and having went to a mostly black school, I firmly believe that white privilege is complete bullshit. White guilt, however, is extremely prevalent. In my school, most of the teachers were black, and they favored the black students. Black history month started a month before and ended a month after February. We even learned about that shit in math class. We had assembly after assembly about how amazing african culture is, and how bad whites were for enslaving them. They seem to forget that thousands of whites died fighting in the civil war to ensure their freedom. I didn't feel like being white gave me any advantage in that environment.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, a black person in a mostly white area would probably face a lot of the same stigma. Just depends on the people and the local culture. I don't think it's a universal phenomena.

my high school was the same way. and lets not forget it was black people who sold us most of our slaves.
and when i hear blacks talking about how the whites owe them i just simply say, i myself have never owned a slave so i dont owe you shit. what it really comes down to is if your an asshole then im not going to be your friend but if your cool then we can hang out. to me racisem only effects and influnces you if you let it. if no one let it then it wouldnt excist.

 

[thapoet]

my high school was the same way. and lets not forget it was black people who sold us most of our slaves.
and when i hear blacks talking about how the whites owe them i just simply say, i myself have never owned a slave so i dont owe you shit. what it really comes down to is if your an asshole then im not going to be your friend but if your cool then we can hang out. to me racisem only effects and influnces you if you let it. if no one let it then it wouldnt excist.

Agreed... I've often wondered if blacks who talk about how much they are owed through reparations and such if they ever take into consideration the blood ransom paid by over a million people during the civil war. That was one helluva price tag, especially for a war that began with industrialism and ended with the freeing of slaves.
And in answer to kat, whether you or ANYONE else ever admits it, the whole white privilege debate is just another affirmative action mission statement issued for "race" leverage. And furthermore, just look around and you will see that racism is not a white disease, its a human disease. It affects us all. And it DOES its job well, just look at what came out of this thread!

Look, I REFUSE to feel sorry for myself, SO I SURE AS HELL AINT GUNNA FEEL SORRY FOR SOMEONE WHINING ABOUT COLOR AND SO-CALLED "RACE"...


"I never saw a wild thing
sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough
without ever having felt sorry for itself."
(D.H. Lawrence)

we should all take lessons from nature..... Nature doesn't see race, or color....Nature sees food and shelter. BUT, a wild thing will also fight to the death to protect its small little place on the planet...

 

[katbastard]

closed

 

[xbocax]

damn black people sometimes have it easier
lets not forget it was mostly blacks that sold slaves to the americans...................
I guess this is just preparing me for when I get outside the south west

 

[xbocax]

at the very least i can only encourage y'all to watch 500 years later the documentry

 

[xbocax]

here watch the last 2 minutes of this
its very unsettling how a topic of how whites have privileges in america turned into
well its kinda the africans fault and theyre better off now anyway
almost every point i made was never touched and people took the opportunity to not accept what has happened and to a degree is still happening in this country
its why to this day there has never been a formal apology by the government to people whos ancestors were abused mistreated and degraded
we can accept and grieve over everyone elses holocaust but our own
http://youtu.be/3Db3RGsS93o

 

[venusinpisces]

its very unsettling how a topic of how whites have privileges in america turned into
well its kinda the africans fault and theyre better off now anyway

I wouldn't necessarily assume that the people who posted in this thread are representative of the squatter/traveler population as a whole. There are many people out there who recognize that Native American genocide and the transatlantic slave trade is what this country is founded on. Speaking for myself, this is one reason why I will never be able to look at the "founding fathers" as heroes or defenders of freedom, since every single one of them worked to enable the eradication of Native peoples while living off of slave labor. If you want to meet up with people who are sympathetic to this viewpoint then there are many in the anarchist scene who would agree. But as for street level travelers, a lot of them come from poverty and the idea of white privilege simply does not apply to them the way it does to someone from a middle class background. I think that white privilege is a relative concept that applies to some people at some times but it is not a universal get out of jail free card the way some people have characterized it. One area where I think it does apply is hitchhiking which is definitely more dangerous for people of color. But it's also worth keeping in mind that the majority of things on white privilege checklists also apply to people who are visibly dirty or have lived outside without education or resources for most of their life, including job discrimination, police profiling, etc.

Some travelers are middle class and can go back to their parents' house to get a shower, but other are not and these are the people who may be the most antagonistic to the idea of white privilege, because when it is framed in absolute terms, it completely erases their own history. Of course, there are also ignorant conservative people who think that anyone who works hard enough can be president/a millionaire and I'm not even going to attempt to defend that viewpoint because it's not based in reality. I'm not trying to dismiss what you have to say because it's an important perspective that people need to hear. But since you asked for the other side of the fence, I hope you can hear that there are people who recognize the reality of racism while also seeing that the situation is more complex than a checklist could convey.