Try telling the average White person that he or she benefits because of White privilege and listen to the litany of comments denying it. The most common statement I’ve heard is the “I wasn’t born privileged. My family was (whatever) class. We weren’t rich.” Those of us who understand the true meaning of those two incendiary words just shake our heads and walk away. We realize it is useless trying to explain what White privilege really is to folks who don’t want to own up to it. Yet, I’m going to try or at least give you an idea of what it means to me.
Several years ago, former White Sox manager, Ozzie Guillen got into a pissing match with one of the sportswriters of a local newspaper that lasted several days. Under normal circumstances this would not be on my radar. However while watching the news, I heard a broadcaster mention that Ozzie’s tirades were going to make it difficult for another Hispanic man to have the opportunity of managing a professional baseball team. I was so angry after hearing this that I screamed. My husband rushed into the room thinking that I’d hurt myself. Once I’d calmed down and told him what made me scream, he began to rant and rave himself.
Why is one person of color always made responsible for everyone else in his race? Why is it that Whites take any opportunity to keep us from getting ahead by using the behavior of one person to condemn us all? Why is it someone White can do something and it is understood that the behavior is by an individual and not an indication of the entire race. After all, the man who shot up the theatre is Denver is an individual. The young man who shot and killed the people at Sandy Hook is an individual. The Oklahoma City bomber is an individual. Not once has anyone said that all young White men are killers or deranged. Why is that same reasoning not accorded to people of color? That’s the million dollar question.
The original title of this essay was “Bobby Knight” because he is a perfect example of what I’m referring to. For years, Bobby Knight screamed, cursed, threw things, hit people and acted a natural fool on television, in press conferences and on the floor of the basketball court. He violated any number of collegiate rules and criminal laws (assault and battery immediately come to mind) and yet he has been revered by those in sports. If he were to indulge in that behavior anywhere else but on a basketball court, he would have spent more than a few weeks staring at the bars of a jail cell. Yet I never once, in the many years he coached basketball, heard anyone say that his behavior was going to prevent a White man from coaching college basketball in the future. Bobby Knight’s behavior was attributed to one person – Bobby Knight. Why then are people of color held to a different standard? Ozzie Guillen, regardless of how you feel about his statements, represents one person and one person only – Ozzie Guillen. He is not responsible for what anyone else of his ethnicity does nor is their behavior accountable to him. We are individuals like you with warts, foibles, talents and interests and we should be accorded the singular respect that comes with seeing all people as individuals.
White privilege, indeed, has nothing to do with being rich. Poor whites had white privilege over poor blacks, and back in my day, even over rich educated blacks by virtue of race.
ReplyDeleteManning Marable, the author of "Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention" said in 1977:
ReplyDeleteWhiteness in a racist, corporate controlled society is like having the image of an American Express Card. . . . stamped on one's face: immediately you are "universally accepted."