“White privilege isn’t real. White privilege can’t be real because as a white person, I’ve had a tough life. Right?” Wrong. Many Americans don’t believe in white privilege. In fact, according to a 2017 NPR article, 55% of white Americans believe that white people face discrimination in the US, yet less than 20% reported facing discrimination while applying for jobs, being paid equally/being considered for promotions, or applying to/being at college. Additionally, 16% of those surveyed believed that discrimination does not exist against racial/ethnic minorities in the US.
Among those who believe white privilege isn’t real, the idea that white privilege is nonexistent because white people face challenges is common and likely stems from not knowing what white privilege really is.
Merriam Webster defines white privilege as “the set of social and economic advantages that white people have by virtue of their race in a culture characterized by racial inequality”. Having white privilege doesn’t mean that white people will have an easy life or never face challenges. On the contrary, it means that a white person won’t face challenges because of their race, while many POC (people of color) do. This privilege benefits white people over POC.
White privilege can be found anywhere from the healthcare system to police encounters, to the media, to everyday experiences with racism. A person can be white and have a tough life riddled with various challenges, but this does not disprove the existence of the privilege that a person has because of their skin color.
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Written by: Brinley Pethe