Reaction Paper
The concept of white privilege is one of the most divisive in the history of social equality in the US. While some people believe that white privilege exists, others view the concept as untrue and one meant to portray the white middle class in bad light. One of the more common arguments used to protest existence of white privilege in the US involves the notion that majority of African Americans who are poor are so because they have little desire to work and be successful. While this view has been strongly condemned in the past, it is critical to note that a significant proportion of white Americans continue to hold it as true.
Existence of white privilege across America is supported by several findings and observations as highlighted in past studies. Firstly, a white American is less likely to be arrested during their lifetime compared to a person of color. Although people of color make up only 30% of America’s population, the country’s prison population is comprised of more people from this group (60%) than from any other group. Past studies have also revealed that white Americans are more likely to be admitted to the country’s 468 elite institutions of higher learning compared to people of color. Based on this finding, elite educational institutions have been accused of passively promoting white privilege. It is also critical to note that white Americans to be overrepresented in virtually all American institutions including the country’s elected offices police forces (Lederman, 2013).
Existence of white privilege has also been supported by the finding white Americans are more likely to be deemed “fit” for perceived higher job positions compared to people of color even when individuals from the two groups have similar job qualifications. According to a 2014 study by the University of Chicago, job applicants with “white sounding names” are 50% more likely to be hired for the applied position. Based on this observation, it could be argued that employers tend to overlook “black sounding names” when hiring. And with further studies indicating that unemployment rates for people of color (9.6%) are approximately twice that for white Americans (4.7%), it is increasingly hard to argue against the existence of white privilege in the America (Lederman, 2013).
Overall, as Kimmel (2003) highlights in his article, white privilege may be difficult to see or understand when one benefits from it. For those to whom the privilege works against, it is notably easy to see and understand it. Going forward, there is need for those who benefit from white privilege (white Americans), and those it discriminates against (people of color), to work together towards addressing social issues that arise from its existence and progressively uprooting it from the American culture.
There are several ways through which white Americans could help address the issue of white privilege. By engaging in discussions on race, white Americans can help the larger American community to confront issues related to racism and social inequality. White Americans can also help address racism by getting involved in anti-racism works and supporting advocates of social justice. Conclusively, unless there is a wide acceptance that white privilege exists in America, comprehensively addressing issues related to social inequality will remain a far-fetched dream.
References
Kimmel, M. (2003). This Breeze at My Back. In A. Ferber, & M. Kimmel (Eds.), Privilege: A Reader. Colorado, CO: Westview Press.
Lederman, D. (2013).Higher Ed: Engine of Inequity. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/07/31/report-documents-how-higher-education-exacerbates-racial-inequities
