White Privilege

About a month ago, I was having a conversation with a good friend of mine about his day, etc. In general, he likes to make up nicknames for all of his friends. Sometimes the connection can easily be made and other times I have to ask how the nickname was born? As I was listening to one of his stories, I remember him mentioning someone new that I had never heard of before. His name was White Boy. I knew right away that the chance that this individual was white was probably less than 5%. So, I felt compelled to ask him where this term of endearment had come from. Why would anyone want to be called White Boy – it would be too vague for an actual white and nonsensical for any other race.  Apparently, however, this name was not one that my friend had created. Rather, this individual had been dubbed his nickname by his own family, and it had stuck. I do not know if anyone else can guess why, but I was certainly stumped… White Boy’s name, I learned, was given to him because he was the youngest child in a family of ten. His sibling claimed that as the youngest, he was spoiled by his parents and other family members. His name, in other words, is a testament to the existence of white privilege and a (sub)conscious reminder of the structural realities of our society to others who interact with him on a daily basis. It was not until after class on Tuesday that I realized the power of this man’s name. The structure of racism that frames our social experiences gives his name meaning, without the existence of this type of system his name would never been what it is.  

In our discussion about White Privilege in class on Tuesday, we focused our attention on the concept of white privilege as a system of structural inequalities that constantly works to reproduce and reinforce itself through the allocation of unearned rewards. The power of privilege for whites is that we do not even have to think about ourselves as raced individuals! It is much harder therefore to admit and give up privileges than it is to advocate for equality and call for justice. The mere ability to be shocked at injustice is a privilege in and of itself. The list of examples given by McIntosh just grazes the surface of the multiplicity of privileges that exist for whites within our own society.  The first time that I read this essay by McIntosh my freshman year in intro to sociology, I can remember the shock I felt upon reading some of these truths. The one that stands out most sharply to me, even to this day, is that something as common and simple to daily life as a band aid continues to reflect structural inequality based on race. This old Band-Aid box is particularly insightful. Beneath the picture of the happy white nuclear family the box states that this box contains “The modern transparent bandage that blends with your skin.” As this image illustrates however, the transparent bandage that is meant to blend with your skin is still of a peach like hue…

     Today, the official Band-Aid website advertises the following: “BAND-AID^® Brand Adhesive Bandages have long been a staple in a family’s first-aid kit as a source of healing, comfort and protection. And as the brand has expanded over the years, so too has the technology and innovation behind it. BAND-AID^® Brand has moved from being strictly a bandage to becoming a brand that offers a wide variety of products to meet the diverse needs of today’s active families and their lifestyles.” Diversity of skin tones of their products, however, is still lacking. From simple household products to the names of individuals, white privilege permeates all aspects of our society. Simply acknowledging the existence of our privilege, however, is not the same as giving it up. Racial inequalities will continue to exist both overtly and covertly as long as the system remains in place. Knowing that the break-down of this structure is necessary for effective change, what can we as individuals do to aid in that process?