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Running head: WHITENESS: THE POWER OF PRIVILEGE 1
The Power of Privilege
Institution Affiliation
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WHITENESS: THE POWER OF PRIVILEGE
2
Introduction
Over the past decades, being white has been considered a privilege enjoyed by the white
community. Racial discrimination can be traced back to the colonial era whereby, the colonialist
treated members from their colonies as being inferior to them. The white privileged members of
the society were not faced with challenges like slavery and slave trade. They were the masters
while the blacks and other races were the servants.
Definition of Privilege
Peggy McLntosh argues that privilege refers to the benefits that a set of people see other
people gain but which they remain oblivious to (McLntosh, 2000). It refers to benefits accorded
to one group of members in the society which are not accessible to another group of individuals
in society. White privilege, on the other hand, refers to privilege that the white can enjoy but the
blacks or rather the people of color do not stand to benefit from. White privilege is created
whereby the white members of the society can be allowed to walk with other whites and they
will not be called criminals. Whenever black people walk in a group, law enforcers and ordinary
citizens consider them gang members. Most managerial positions in companies and
organizations are held by the white members of the society, the blacks and other races hold
positions like that of a janitor.
White people can freely shop without being followed around because they are suspected
of being thieves unlike members from the other races who have to be supervised. White people
easily get legal help from law offices unlike the other people of color. Police brutalism is also
directed to the people of color; it is for a white person to be stopped for over speeding and be set
free immediately the police officer discovers that the driver is white. While other races financial

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Running head: WHITENESS: THE POWER OF PRIVILEGE The Power of Privilege Institution Affiliation Date 1 WHITENESS: THE POWER OF PRIVILEGE 2 Introduction Over the past decades, being white has been considered a privilege enjoyed by the white community. Racial discrimination can be traced back to the colonial era whereby, the colonialist treated members from their colonies as being inferior to them. The white privileged members of the society were not faced with challenges like slavery and slave trade. They were the masters while the blacks and other races were the servants. Definition of Privilege Peggy McLntosh argues that privilege refers to the benefits that a set of people see other people gain but which they remain oblivious to (McLntosh, 2000). It refers to benefits accorded to one group of members in the society which are not accessible to another group of individuals in society. White privilege, on the other hand, refers to privilege that the white can enjoy but the blacks or rather the people of color do not stand to benefit from. White privilege is created whereby the white members of the society can be allowed to walk with other whites and they will not be called criminals. Whenever black people walk in a group, law enforcers and ordinary citizens consider them gang members. Most managerial positions in companies and organizations are held by the white members of the society, the blacks and other races hold positions like that of a janitor. White people can free ...
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