Whiteness, and its Immeasurable Privilege
Necoe Idlett
Herzing University
Cultural Diversity
October 25, 2015
Whiteness is such an explosive word today; it carries and implies both racism and privilege. How has one word been able to amass such turmoil within different cultures, yet be the center of heated conversations in households everywhere? How can one word offer such a different perspective depending upon whom is asked about its connotation? One would assume the answer was simple, but it all depends on who is asked, and it relies heavily on one’s own experiences both as a recipient of whiteness, and the experiences of those that covet its privilege to shape your perspective. Lives are affected daily by race whether there …show more content…
Whiteness is different from other races and ethnicities because it is fundamentally neutral or invisible. If you are white, you posses a position of privilege. You embrace a distinct advantage over others, that belong to other ethnicities, even if you didn’t work for it or aspire to it, can’t see it, won’t see it, or have been taught not to see it. The fact that you can’t see the privilege that is extended to you doesn’t mean it’s not there (Thompson, 2001). If you’re …show more content…
Kendall, 2002). Privilege is also not worrying that the deeds of other people who are like you in some way will reflect poorly on you. Privilege means not spending any mental energy worrying about how you make other people feel by your very presence. Privilege means never having the thought even occur to you. Whiteness offers the ability to be you, nothing more or less, as long as your white. That's privilege (The Critical Media
Necoe Idlett
Herzing University
Cultural Diversity
October 25, 2015
Whiteness is such an explosive word today; it carries and implies both racism and privilege. How has one word been able to amass such turmoil within different cultures, yet be the center of heated conversations in households everywhere? How can one word offer such a different perspective depending upon whom is asked about its connotation? One would assume the answer was simple, but it all depends on who is asked, and it relies heavily on one’s own experiences both as a recipient of whiteness, and the experiences of those that covet its privilege to shape your perspective. Lives are affected daily by race whether there …show more content…
Whiteness is different from other races and ethnicities because it is fundamentally neutral or invisible. If you are white, you posses a position of privilege. You embrace a distinct advantage over others, that belong to other ethnicities, even if you didn’t work for it or aspire to it, can’t see it, won’t see it, or have been taught not to see it. The fact that you can’t see the privilege that is extended to you doesn’t mean it’s not there (Thompson, 2001). If you’re …show more content…
Kendall, 2002). Privilege is also not worrying that the deeds of other people who are like you in some way will reflect poorly on you. Privilege means not spending any mental energy worrying about how you make other people feel by your very presence. Privilege means never having the thought even occur to you. Whiteness offers the ability to be you, nothing more or less, as long as your white. That's privilege (The Critical Media