I decided to try to work on myself at least by identifying some of the daily effects
of white privilege in my life. I have chosen those conditions which I think in my case
attack some what more to skin-color privilege that to class, religion, ethnic status, or
geographical location, though of course all these other factors are intricately
intertwined. As far as I can see, my African American co-worker, friends and
acquaintances with whom I come into daily or frequent contact in this particular time,
place, and line of work cannot count on most of these conditions.
1. I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the
time.
2. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing
in an area which I canafford and in which I would want to live.
3. I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or
pleasant to me.
4. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be
followed or harassed.
5. I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see
people of my race widely represented.
6. When I am told about our national heritage or about “civilization,” I am shown
that people of my color made it what it is.
7. I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the
existence of their race.
8. If I want to, I can be pretty sure of finding a publisher for this piece on white
privilege.
9. I can go into a music shop and count on finding the music of my race
represented, into a supermarket and find the staple foods which fit with my
cultural traditions, into a hairdresser’s shop and find someone who can cut my
hair.
10. Whether I checks, credit cards, or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work
against the appearance of financial reliability.
11. I can arrange to protect my children most of the time from people who might not
like them.
12. I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without
having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty, or the
illiteracy of my race.
13. I can speak in public to a powerful male group without putting my race on trial.
14. I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.
15. I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.
16. I can remain oblivious of the language and customs of persons of color who
constitute the world’s majority without feeling in my culture any penalty for such
oblivion.
17. I can criticize our government and talk about how much I fear its policies and
behavior without being seen as a cultural outsider.
18. I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to “the person in charge,” I will be facing
a person of my race.
19. If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I
haven’t been singled out because of my race.
20. I can easily buy posters, postcards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys,
and children’s magazine featuring people of my race.
21. I can go home from most meetings of organizations I belong to feeling
somewhat tied in, rather than isolated, out-of-place, outnumbered, unheard,
held at a distance, or feared.
22. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having co-workers
on the job suspect that I got it because of race.
23. I can choose public accommodation without fearing that people of my race
cannot get in or will be mistreated in the places I have chosen.
24. I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help, my race will not work against
me.
25. If my day, week, or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode
or situation whether it has racial overtones.
26. I can choose blemish cover or bandages in “flesh” color and have them more or
less match my skin.
Taken from:
https://www.isr.umich.edu/home/diversity/resources/white-privilege.pdfNone of those are real privileges... and most of them are just based on living in a certain geographic region. Of course in a predominantly white society im going to see more white people at my super market. Thats not privilege, thats just fucking common sense.
And "person in charge will be of my race." What the shit? Most of my previous managers have been some sort of ethnic. Black, Brazilian, one from Ecuador, one was white but he was from Germany (Different kind of white lol).
That is the dumbest list ive ever had the displeasure of wasting my time reading.