The article talks about racism being a fake science which seeks to discover racial differences in the characteristics of people of different races. These views range from an individual to an institutional level and reflecting a universal view of white dominance and culture. Jennifer then explains the ability racism has to establish itself in terms of an individual’s behavior or language through hate crimes or the use of racial slurs not to mention institutional behavior. Racisms worst development is the system of white privilege that aids the up keeping of the racial status quo.
The article furthermore discusses how white privilege is different to individual and institutional appearances of racism. The difference being that it’s not “done” for pleasure. While also explaining our society gets influenced by white privilege. Not only does it serve white people with advantages but also shields them from hardships faced by those of colour.
The advantages received by white people are not presented to others of different races which has caused white people to now possess a sense of entitlement. As white privilege is not limited to small things, instead it’s linked to creating significant advantages for white people where people do not assume that white people got where they are professionally because of their race.
White privilege has poisoned the worlds view of white people, since they now see themselves represented everywhere from the most basic school textbooks to even museums. Where their contributions to the world will never be forgotten. White people have been in power for such a long period, that they have singlehandedly determined what is valuable or useful in terms of education or anything. To the point where diversification is seen as lowering the standards. Things are starting to change and it is time we realize and address white privilege and its effects on society and implement programs to resolve these issues.
This article expresses the experiences of the writer of the article, who resides in Cape Town and is of white Zimbabwean descent, the striking thing is her statement in her introduction, “When I have to tell them I finished high school and went to a university in France before coming to Cape Town. When I have to tell them what job I do. When it becomes painfully obvious that, while we’ve both lost our home to the same political and economic unrest, I was dealt the better hand- I was born white – and that is why I am being driven and they are driving. “She then goes on to justify her opening comment by explaining that white privilege is the same everywhere but is uncomfortable to experience in a country with racial wounds. Where white South Africans live easier lives simply because they are white.
She then goes on to give an account for an incident that occurred in 2016, to 16 year old Franziska Blochliger where she was raped and murdered in the Tokai forest, to further prove that white lives are of more value than those of colour. Her story was all the more tragic after what the media reports had said. The brutal event sparked outrage amongst thousands that gathered in silence to mourn her death. A few weeks later the Franziska accident was still a large topic amongst hikers, but it seemed they didn’t realize people get murdered on a daily basis in the townships. On the same day Franziska was killed around 50 others were also murdered and they weren’t white, and they weren’t on the news like she was.
“Privilege is when you think something isn’t a problem because it’s not a problem to you personally, “another quote from Joe which she further elaborated on that we aren’t as unified as we claim to be since white people don’t get as upset about black murders the same way they do about white murders, is it because they are less relevant or that they do not occur in their community, therefore making it less of their problem.
She then goes on to explain how white people are given the benefit of the doubt with a simple example, spotting black bare feet comes with the assumption the feet belonged to a beggar. The type that walked alongside you until presented with a chance to reach inside your purse. Black people are profiled like this that in the white narrative black nude feet symbolized poverty. While the same image but of white feet evokes an earthly free spiritedness. These are double standards that influence black lives daily, every morning black citizens fill into the city from the nearing townships to work in tax offices, restaurants, hospital wards as well as backyards. Packed in public transport with freshly ironed clothes, polished shoes, oiled hair making it more than impossible to tell the difference between someone who comes from a middle class home or even a shack.
Pride now being associated with dressing well for most people, the self-imposed neatness is unassuming tidiness of a perfectionist trying to avoid criticism. But that weirdly enough in other parts of the world unclean humans are associated with public transport busses and subways, but on a rare chance will one encounter a bad odor body on a public transport ride in South Africa. She further states white privilege comes with not really having to prove yourself to anyone, even though having simple and easy access to running clean water in their homes an odd number of Europeans just seem to let themselves “go”, while the nonwhite working force of South Africa will be scrutinized and even more so judged in ways white people never really experience.
Black people’s intentions and competence are questioned to the point where they are forced to participate by the rules and standards that clearly state black skin and nappy hair not to forget bare feet are equivalent to poverty, uneducated, dangerous, then the first line of defense is to have an unquestionable appearance.
She further went on to discuss how white people are allowed to occupy whatever space they choose unlike blacks who can’t even take a simple jog without being stopped by a private security vehicle then being subjected to questioning as to why they are lingering outside at night. The suspicion and hostility black people are subjected to just for doing the same thing as white people.
This leads her to address the topic of how white people are shielded from daily abuse. Here she talks of an incident involving an elderly white woman at a restaurant causing a scene as she was served an incorrect item. She then throw the well-known tantrum that we all know from customers, but it takes on an extremely particular quality in a place like South Africa where the service provider is of black descent and the customer of white, where we constantly the instance of public humiliation, the conflict began long before interaction had, since it was fueled with the expectation of black incompetence.
This is by no means a comprehensive white privilege establishes, but instead an effort to view the relations of this country. White people are quick to fight and ask why it always has to be about race but maybe it has to be because their race doesn’t present them with hardships, or maybe because race to them isn’t viewed as a personal problem. We need to acknowledge we all are all recipients of privilege, but we also need to understand the degree of the privilege we have as well as the consequences that come with it.
Source F
This article talks about privilege and how it’s an advantage granted only to a person, and how society has constructed and normalized it, and how hard it is to eliminate privilege. The writer goes on to give her opinion that people act and treat certain people in a certain way ‘unconsciously’ or just choose to ignore the fact privilege exists. It is hard for those who are recipients to see that they are since they have been exposed to the privilege since a young age, but it’s easy for those who are excluded from the advantages to see it. While to others it’s something they are ignorant about until they are presented with evidence that it exists. But once one accepts that they are privileged they need to educate themselves more about it, to question it until they attempt to not use it for personal gain. Once one sees privilege a task is given to try minimize its effects.
‘’Everyone is a recipient of privilege and this grants them with the ability to create structures on law, values and institutions. Which will only work to the advantage of those in power, while those who aren’t have their needs seen as secondary. Therefore making it impossible for them to become successful unless they follow and respect the frameworks created by privilege.” We as people should and must work towards characterizing and differentiating privileges so that we will be able to eliminate them if we cannot make them available to all from the actions of all to remove privilege.
The author goes on to acknowledge that she’s a recipient of white privilege and that she tries her best not to use it to get ahead in life, but that it all revolves around education. She furthermore goes on to state that as an activist for equality she sincerely understand she has a role to play in the eradication of the regulations that assist privileging members of society just because of their skin color. Referring to Peggy McIntosh, she stated a white people have always been educated that racism puts others at a disadvantage but never that white privilege puts white people at an advantage. White people are seen as oppressive by those of colour because of the oppressive nature which radiates from them unconsciously. So she began counting all the ways in which one of white skin enjoys their privilege and how badly they have been normalized to it.
The article talks about racism still being present and even now having the ability to shaping the educational experiences of the black minority students in the UK and USA. Universities need to admit to racism occurring there and white privilege being in motion as a failure to do so would result in a failure to address the issues of exclusion being practiced in society, white individuals still being privileged, and the status quo remaining unchanged. Black learners enrolling into tertiary institutes are subjected to racism, while at senior levels the exclusion factor comes into play where they still don’t possess the occupations of being a professor or decision making roles. Academies usually represent the racial demographic of the country, and it’s exactly like that at universities, where the white middle class is dominating. A racial shift is in demand from universities. As they play a key role in preserving white privilege and setting up the changes needed to deal with the inequalities that have been created.
Official structures need to accept and to assist in change. Where universities keeping an eye on racist incidents, helping in preparing ways to scale up on how to deal with racism, this all needs to be backed by a clear link between seeing the issue and stating a way to solve the issue. Universities now need to deal with racism publically as this would help strengthen their case in dealing with racism.
There after universities are to be held accountable for their lack of blacks in senior decision making roles through reviewing their staff, there is a great demand for blacks to fill these gaps. Meaning universities attempt at diversification in which name blind applications should be introduced so that one is chosen because they are qualified for the job rather than them only being white, while at the same time they should be granted with opportunities in which they will be further trained and educated to further their experience and qualifications to truly unlock their potential. As there is no substitute to having actual black learners within the state. A quota system should be implemented if they have consciously or unconsciously failed to diversify their places of learning. The fact they fail to recruit a bright student just because of the color of his skin further enhances white privilege, at that time white privilege is given to those who are already privileged which just creates a further imbalance where whites are able to maintain their positions of power and wealth. Race now acts as a marker of differences in a society poisoned by fear and insecurities. This leads to people willing to do whatever they have to just to protect their positions of power.
Source H
The source discusses how white privilege is the opposite of racism, now since nonwhites are treated badly due to promoted impulses of white racial superiority. Leading to the instigation of better treatment of white individuals. White superiority has now become a global belief because of the recent history of European colonialism and racial subjugation.
This then serves as the trigger for white people even when being faced with being the minority. Acquire treatment far better than any other racial minority, hence why white people raised in Africa are so culturally inaudible from Africans but usually get treated better than the people they grew up with- this showing the legacy of white privilege.
Source I
The article talks about a white individual who basically explains he was born into a white family during the Apartheid era, which ensued in him becoming a recipient of white inherited privilege. This allowed him to receive an excellent education. But that he has not been capable to accumulate wealth or own land. That his voice and opinions are all he has, especially when living in a county like South Africa, which allows citizens to voice their opinions resulting in him being exposed to other people’s opinions about people of white decent.
All the criticism has reached a point where one would think white people aren’t allowed to think or feel for themselves anymore, since they are painted to be nebulous, racist individuals. The review affects the individual on an emotional level, where he gets upset when he reads about how awful of a person he is, because he is white. The Apartheid era having left a mark on the soul of the citizens of South Africa, has caused that we view each other as races, and that wealth or poverty is defined by skin color, but not to forget it reflects a antiquity of oppression and injustice, where the perpetrators were not punished. Harm was committed and that cannot be undone with a vote or having an education or a job. The injustices committed cannot be indulged over by living next to all races and get on living in a nonracist society, because we live in such a society. We need to understand that anger follows, once we as humans experience pain. And as human beings the most hurtful thing is having to witness loved ones being humiliated, or subjected to injustices and feeling disempowered to help.
He even goes on to state that he too a white individual has been a victim and can relate to being hurt from a personal experience which angered him just because he witness someone close to him being hurt which had me feeling disempowered. Now one has to imagine how much collective amassed anger must be developing in black homes, where victims of pain, humiliation and disempowerment at the hands of white people during the Apartheid era reside.
He went on to explain that as a white person he tries to understand the hurt but that no matter how hard he does just never will.
