Why is the term ‘White privilege’ met with resistance?
- “It targets a specific group of people.”
- “The word white creates discomfort among those who are not used to being defined…by their race” (Collins)”
What are the aspects of White privilege?
- A build-in advantage, separate from one’s income or effort”
- “Systemic advantages given to white people”
- “white people’s lack of awareness that they hold the power”
- “All of the above”
Answer: “All of the above”
Power of Normal Examples
“The first-aid kit having ‘flesh-coloured’ Band-Aids that only match the skin tone of white people” (Collins).”
Do you remember when Band-Aid came out with the series of various skin-toned Band-Aids to solve this issue? What are your thoughts on the new Band-Aids? Do you think that help correct racial discrimination in products that we use? How or how not?
Power of The Benefit of The Doubt
Two friends, Michael, who is of European descent, and Yusuf, who is of Turkish descent, are applying for an internship at a law firm. Yusuf has more qualifications than Michael, though Michael ends up getting the job. There was no face-to-face interview, though they did have to submit their resumes and conduct a phone interview.
Why do you think that Yusuf did not get the job even though he had more qualifications?
“Power of the Benefit of the Doubt” Example
“If white people are accused of a crime, they are less likely to be presumed guilty, less likely to be sentenced to death and more likely to be portrayed in a fair, nuanced manner by the media outlets” (Collins).”
“Look into the #IfTheyGunnedMeDown campaign”
“The personal faults…of white people will likely not be used to later deny opportunities or compassion to people who share their racial identity” (Collins).”
Effects of this type of White Privilege
Many racialized people suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder due to intense encounters with the police in which they don’t know if they will make it out uninjured and alive (Collins).
Power of the Accumulated Power: Activity 1
Due to racist policies set in the past, many racialized people were unable to sustain themselves financially, which meant that in many cases they were unable to build up their wealth. As proven by many economists, the best way to build generational wealth, that is wealth that is passed down to generations, is to invest in real estate. While Canada did not have explicit zoning practices like redlining in the US, we did have policies like the ones that affected the indigenous peoples and people of Asian descent that prevented racialized people from living in certain, usually wealthier, areas. One of the racialized groups affected by those policies was Black people.
Additional Information
“In 2014, the Pew Research Center released a report that revealed the median net worth of a white household was $141,900; for Black and Hispanic households, that dropped to $11,000 and $13,700, respectively” (Collins). For every dollar that a white Canadian makes a person of…
- Hispanic descent makes 68.3¢
- Filipino descent makes 79.5¢
- African descent makes 80.4¢
- West Asian descent makes 82¢
- Other racialized groups 82.4¢ (WealthSimple).
Question
How do you think the net worth of a household and income affect a family? What aspects of life does income affect?
Power of the Accumulated Power: Activity 2
These questions are for everyone (racialized people and White people)
- What privileges do you have in your life?
- How do you feel about your privileges; before this, did you recognize them as privileges?
- How did your family attain these privileges?
- Is there generational wealth in your family?
- If you are able to drive, did your parents pay for your car? Are they paying for your insurance? Are your parents in a position to help you buy a house in the future?
What other examples of White supremacy can you point out in our society? How did people engaged in White supremacy get their message and agendas across? How did they influence people’s ways of thinking? (Hint: If you can’t think of an example, start with the Holocaust.)
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