Types of White Privilege?

White Privilege as the “Power of Normal”

In an effort to avoid addressing larger issues surrounding white privilege, smaller, less damaging examples of white privilege are presented instead. “These subtle versions of white privilege are often used as a comfortable, easy entry point for people who might push back against the concept” (Collins).

Examples

• “The first-aid kit having ‘flesh-coloured’ Band-Aids that only match the skin tone of white people” (Collins).
  • Reflection
    • 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?
• “The products that white people need for their hair being in the aisle labeled ‘hair care’ rather than in a smaller, separate section of ‘ethnic hair products’” (Collins).
• “The grocery store stocking a variety of food options that reflect the cultural traditions of most white people”

While these issues have been addressed over the years, people continue to ignore the underlying problem, which is systemic racism that has made these things acceptable and seem normal. “If public spaces and goods seem catered to one race and segregate the needs of people of other races into special sections, that indicates something beneath the surface” (Collins).

White Privilege as the “Power of the Benefit of the Doubt”

Another form of white privilege is the power of the benefit of the doubt. This type of white privilege relates to the fact that white people are more likely to be viewed in a positive light than non-white people. When thinking about media (this includes news media and entertainment media), white people tend to be “treated as individuals, rather than as representatives of (or exceptions to) a stereotyped racial identity” (Collins). They are more likely to be granted forgiveness when they make mistakes and receive compassion (Collins). Unfortunately, racialized people, who do not have this privilege, are often judged by the stereotypes associated with their race and must “face the consequences of racial profiling” (Collins).

Examples:

• “White people are less likely to be followed, interrogated or searched by law enforcement because they look ‘suspicious’” (Collins).
• “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).
  • Activity #1
    • 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).

While most racialized people do not have deadly interactions with police in racial profiling situations, many still suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder due to these intense encounters with the police in which they don’t know if they will make it out uninjured and alive (Collins).

White Privilege as the “Power of the Accumulated Power”

Due to racist policies set in the past, many racialized people were unable to sustain themselves financially, which mean 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 the generations—is to invest in real estate. While Canada did not have explicit zoning practices like redlining (U.S.), 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.

Imagine you are playing Mario Kart with a friend, but the friend you are playing with gets to complete one of the laps before you are allowed to start. And while you do eventually get to step on the gas and participate in the race, you are already behind. This is what it is like when it comes to white privilege in the sense that white people have been able to build generational wealth for hundreds of years, while racialized people only started to be allowed to do so in the past few decades.

Activity #2

“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).

How do you think the net worth of a household and income affect a family? What aspects of life does income affect?

So, while racialized people are free from slavery, they are not free from the systems put in place in the past that still hold reigns on them and prevent/make it difficult for them to thrive in society.

Activity #3

The following questions are for everyone (all racialized 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 going to post-secondary, are your parents paying for your schooling?
• 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?

These questions can help you determine how generational wealth does or doesn’t play a role in your life.