- Q: What is white privilege and why is everyone talking about it?
- White privilege is a whole collection of unearned societal advantages afforded exclusively to white people. Read Peggy McIntosh's eye-opening article on white privilege here.
- Q: I have white skin, but I grew up in poverty. Do I still benefit from white privilege?
- Yes, benefitting from white privilege does not mean your life has been a joyous carnival ride. It simply means that race, or skin color, were not chief among your concerns. Read more here.
- Q: Can you provide specific examples of when white people have benefitted from white privilege?
- Sure! There is a whole blog devoted to documenting examples of white privilege. Follow it here.
- Q: Where can I find more resources on white privilege?
- If you have more questions, or are looking for more in depth reading material, check out the long list of resources collected by the White Privilege Conference.
- Q: Why is it important to acknowledge white privilege in discussions of race and gender in science?
- We cannot discuss race in our society without simultaneously discussing white privilege. To paraphrase Peggy McIntosh, we have been taught to see racism as something which disadvantages non-white people. In this narrative, we often lose sight of the other side of the story; white privilege, a "corollary aspect" of racism, puts whites at an advantage. That is, racism affects whites as well as non-whites. Societal racism, or at least certain aspects of it, benefit white people. In discussions of race and gender in the scientific community, we always ask what it is about science that keeps white women and minorities out. Instead, why don't we ask why there are so many white men in science? (Thanks to Dr. John Johnson for rephrasing this question.) Clearly there are structures in place that make white men more likely to continue in science than white women or minorities. What are these structures? How can we change these structures to encourage all science students to stay in the scientific community? All of these questions require recognition and deep understanding of white privilege.
- Q: Where do Jon Stewart and Bill O'Reilly stand on white privilege?
- Watch their conversation (below) and decide for yourself!