There have been many police brutality reports that show young black men being killed by white officers for no reason. The officers accused do not get convicted properly. In the court system, African Americans are ten times more likely to get an improper conviction for their crimes. An African American male is convicted of crimes they do not commit. “Northwestern University in Chicago collaborated to create the National Registry of Exonerations, the researchers found that Blacks accounted for nearly half (47 percent) of all known exonerees in 1989, and whites made up nearly 39 percent of all known exonerees.” Growing up black is truly a challenge African Americans must learn how to deal with white privilege. They are thought to go above and beyond everyone else because as a black child they have to prove themselves in everything they do. The civil war is over and the marches have been marched. …show more content…
However, racism is alive and well in our homes and community. Talking with African Americans, I learned that no matter where a person is from he/she have dealt with white privilege. Which sparked an idea to figure out how does a person define white privilege? This made me realize depending on a person’s race class or gender he/she will deal white privilege differently. Some of them have seen it in their schools, jobs, and in their neighborhoods. The importance of my study is to gain knowledge on white privilege. This is a topic that has been brushed under the rug for years. Knowing this information African Americans need to show that white privilege is everywhere. I interviewed 6 people to get their definition of white privilege and how it has affected each and every one of their lives. People with different genders still have the same idea of what white privilege is. Shocked at the outcome, I realized the wealthier African Americans have dealt with white privilege in unpleasant ways. The reason behind their encounters is the lack of acceptance. I asked my interviewees’ series of questions that gave me their definition, first encounter, worse encounter and how they feel white privilege has shaped America. I did this to obtain a view from African Americans that differ in class, and gender. To gain a picture of what white privilege really is and how it affects America today. I believe that a person determines their definition of white privilege from their experience of being put above or behind another race. Each person I interviewed had his or her first encounter with white privilege at a young age. Some dealt with it in elementary school because the parents of the white race didn’t want their child to be taught the same classroom as a black child. For example, some of the white race was mind bother by a black child having the capability of being qualified to be a gifted and talented child. In my interview I ask the question; what is your definition of white privilege? They all had the same concept of what white privilege means. The most frequent response I received was when one race feels superior or better than another. Pondering on that thought I couldn’t understand why anyone would feel superior over another group. Who gave the white race the idea that we should be better than anyone else? Nobody is perfect in this world; therefore, they cannot be higher or greater than another race. The next question I asked was; Do they feel white privilege has shaped America? I received many different responses. Some said, “YES” and “No” and some didn’t answer the question like I was expecting. I wanted them to think about how different generation’s mindsets were formed. They often went on a tangent about how the country was formed. Which could have been avoided if I re-worded the question? When asking the interviewees what is the actual price of white privilege they all gave me a value? I wanted to know how white privilege damage or enhance or country. Nobody answered the question properly. I could have re-worded a lot of my questions as well as asked them in a different order. Which could have avoided a lot of confusion and questions that