White Privilege and Issues of Racial Differences - Personal Statement Example

Personal Reflections of White Privilege and Issues of Racial Differences Personal reflections become critical tools to develop new perspectives on issues and events that help to widen the horizon of one’s knowledge. My reflection on the issue of white privilege was a totally new experience in self-awareness and how race, class and ethnicity are intrinsically linked to our unconscious being, thoughts and actions. Superficially, when we see ourselves living in a multicultural society, we feel proud of the fact we have managed to create a society where each member enjoys equal rights and opportunities cutting across race, color and culture. My deeper reflections gave new insight into the subtle privileges that are exclusive to my race. Indeed, the white privileges have emerged as vital ingredients that segregate mainstream population (Wise, 2005). Mainstream population, segregation, diversity, ethnic and racial community are distinct in the subtle differences that are automatically created when these words are used to describe the social structure and norms. I have friends from diverse backgrounds. I feel comfortable in their company with no socio-cultural biases because that is irrelevant between friends. As a social worker, I will also be interacting with people from diverse backgrounds of race, color, and class. I believe that my personal value system is fundamentally based on social equity which ensures that my priority remains to be what is required from me as a social worker and to deliver the same to the best of my ability, without any prejudices. But my reflections on the white privileges have forced me to think deeply on the privileges that are unconsciously and sometimes overtly given mainly because I am white. White privilege can be broadly defined as a favor or a right that is exclusive to the white population. The white privileges are invisible because they are inherent within the system and therefore they are taken for granted. Moreover, whiteness does not come within the consciousness of race but is considered as a measurement against which people who are not white are measured in terms of races, color and ethnicity (Kendall, 2006). I am white and others who are not white are either Afro-American, Asian, American Indian, or Hispanic. The list is endless for non-white. Indeed, small things and events reveal the invisible privileges that I enjoy even when I am with friends who are not white but make same efforts to justify their status in society. Just because I do not behave overtly in a racist way, does not mean that I am not part of a system that enjoys special favors that are solely due to my being white. Now that I have started thinking back over past events, I realize that I have been enjoying the white privileges throughout my life. When I am out shopping with my friends, I may get better treatment at the counter and I take it for granted that the cashier would not be questioning my ability to pay. When I was late for work, it is never attributed to my race but when non-white colleagues are late, they may be given a serious warning. I am also free to go anywhere and would not be suspected of being in a wrong place whereas non-whites would be perceived as looking for trouble or being in the wrong place. This is distressing because equal rights ensure that all people, regardless of color, class or ethnicity have the freedom to be anywhere without being accused of looking for trouble. I really do feel saddened that I am privileged in a society which unconsciously denies others of their fundamental rights of self-esteem and equal treatment. Richard Dyer (1997) argues that the racial imagery is fundamental to the organization of the modern world. It is the way that people and their characteristics are projected including their culture, religion, food habits, nationality, and color of skin that defines racism or the non-white population. Through the times, whites have projected themselves as powers that speak and think about other people. The paradox of white privilege is that it is bestowed on them not because of the merit but because those people belong to certain category by default (Johnson, 2006). The institutional inequities therefore become more threatening because of their impact on the marginalized population, especially for the people coming from different color, race, culture and class. Rothenberg is categorical in her broader ramifications of white privileges which defy the tenets of social justice and democratic values. Rothenberg (2014, p.24) quotes Wright about Jim Crow Rules that were linked to violence, intimidation and even lynching as committed by whites against black people so that they do not try to become their equal. Ethnic minorities still have to fight for their rights and privileges that are still enjoyed by the white population only because of the color of their skin. This is apparent in the fieldwork that I do in my social work. The black women are still hesitant to apply for senior positions, despite having good qualification because they know that they would be deprived of their existent job if they persist in the right to equal rights. Indeed, the poverty and the social burden of marginalization that white privilege has put on them of often become the key reason for their submission to these subtle coercive practices of the whites. One of the worst ramifications of the white privilege is that it has created socio-cultural barriers across the people of color of all generations and income levels. Indeed, within the broader framework of egalitarian society, the poor and the marginalized population continue to face covert and overt forms of racism. Media has played dominant role in making American very class conscious by misusing its power and authority to misrepresent or under-represent the issues and priorities of non-white people, thereby making them ‘faceless identities’ or social outcaste (Mantios, 1995). Racial profiling is prime example of overt form of white privilege where the whites are let off easily in minor traffic offences as against the non-whites who bear the brunt of police stop and search practices in the slightest pretext of any minor offences. The major reason is the projected negative attributes of black and other minority ethnic groups in the media who are often associated with violent activities and drug trafficking (Coker, 2003). Then again, class prejudices are predictable in the consequences because the socio-economic differences tend to favor the rich where poor is marginalized by rich. The white privilege becomes a pertinent issue in the contemporary times because institutional racism or white privilege puts at disadvantage the marginalized population, especially the non-white population. McIntosh has also raised a very serious issue of affirmative action when she insists that “I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having my co-workers on the job suspect that I got it because of my race” (Rothenberg, 2014, p.167). This is gross violation of the rights of marginalized population that necessitated more concerted efforts to implement equity across the workplace. The reflection of the white privilege has made me more conscious of my rights as white that often override the interests of the marginalized population. The things that I initially took as normal like walking around a department store without being followed or applying for a job that suits my academic qualifications now make feel guilty. It also makes me think about the extent to which I am also proactive member of the class which unconsciously supports the unearned privileges of the whites. But the most important difference that the reflection on the race, color and ethnicity has produced is my efforts to rectify the issues in my behavior and interaction with whites as well as with non-whites. Now when I interact with others, I keep trying to identify the hidden ways that white privileges are exploited and immediately try to put an end to it. I believe that as a social worker, I can make a difference in creating a society that is empathetic to human relationships and builds relationships based on equal opportunities by helping people get what they truly deserve. Reference Coker, Donna. (2003). Supreme Court Review. The Journal of Criminal Law and Injustice, 93(4), 827-879. Dyer, Richard. (1997). White: Essays on Race and Culture. NY: Routledge. Johnson, A. G. (2006). Privilege, power, and difference (2nd ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill. Kendall, Frances E. (2006). Understanding white privilege: Creating pathways to authentic relationships across race. New York: Routledge. Mantios, Gregory. (1995). Media magic: Making class invisible. Paula S. Rothenberg and Kelly S Mathew (Eds.), Race, Class, and Gender in the United States: An Integrated Study (pp. 510-518). NY: Worth Publishers. McIntosh, Peggy. (2014). White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. In Paula S. Rothenberg and Kelly S Mathew (Eds.), Race, Class, and Gender in the United States: An Integrated Study (pp. 165-169). NY: Worth Publishers. Wise, Tim. (2005). White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son (Brooklyn. NY: Soft Skull Press. Wright, Richard. (2014). The Ethics of Living Jim Crow: An Autobiographical Sketch. In Paula S. Rothenberg and Kelly S Mathew (Eds.), Race, Class, and Gender in the United States: An Integrated Study (pp. 23-31). NY: Worth Publishers. Read More