Let's talk about White Privilege

[Guest]

My husband is blue-eyed blonde and got a job at an IT dept. The hiring manager was not the same manager that he reported to. He reported to a black woman. There were 16 people that reported to her - one was my white husband, 2 guys are from India, all the rest - that's 13 of them - were black. She did not like my husband. At all. She told my husband to his face that it is her duty as a black manager to hire black people to help out their community and that my husband is keeping her from doing her duty. My husband doesn't care. He's just that kind of guy. He did the job he was hired to do to the best of his ability but 3 months later, he got laid off... He's the only one that got laid off...

I thought he'd be upset but no, he just said that job security is not how long you can stay at a job but how long you can get a new one after you leave the old. He got laid off on a Friday, he got a new job by Monday... So he didn't really mind it.

Edited December 6, 2014 by anatess

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

I read an article today that I enjoyed...like Bini's post, it explained what I was trying to say better than I did.

 

In the same way, talking about racial privilege isn’t a way of telling white people they are bad people or racists or that they didn’t really earn what they have. It’s a way of trying to make visible the fact that system is not neutral, it is not a level-playing field, it’s not the same experience for everyone. 

 

What riding my bike has taught me about white privilege

http://qz.com/257474/what-riding-my-bike-has-taught-me-about-white-privilege/

 

[Saldrin]

Thomas Sowell - Progressives, Liberals and Race

http://youtu.be/O6E_8wPz7ks

[bytor2112]

I was born poor...my mother was addicted to drugs and my father an alcoholic. I attended 6 different schools in 5th grade after my parents divorced, 5 different schools in 6th grade and 2 in 7th grade. I was physically and emotionally abused and at various times in my youth did not have a place to live or any certainty of a meal.

 

Today I am very well off...have a son on a mission and another at BYU and am richly blessed!

 

Oh and I am white....

Edited December 10, 2014 by bytor2112

[Vort]

You are the very picture of white elitist privilege, bytor.

 

If you've got a degree -- you didn't earn it! Someone else made that happen! Doubly so if you're white!

[Syme]

I'm white, and I can't speak from experience about what it's like to be black, or asian, or hispanic. I can, however, speak from being an oustide observer of this whole mess.

 

Like prisonchap said, we all have our own perspectives and biases. But this whole 'white privelege' movement is like "Oh, you're white, so your opinion is totally worthless". These people aren't willing to accept ANY opinion, no matter how well-formed and studied, as long as it comes out of a white mouth.

 

And, ironically, when an opinion they disagree with comes from a minority, they're accused of being an "Uncle Tom", etc. It's just a shortcut to dismiss someone without really considering their ideas.

[Traveler]

In a way I know what it is to be privileged.  My father was wealthy, prominent and highly respected.   Because I was his son - a lot was assumed.  I remember in my youth that I had no problem getting a job.  In essence I was asked only one question - are you ---'s son and I had the job.  But there is another side to that coin.  Because of my father's reputation I was expected to assume responsibility, do more than anyone else and be paid less for my level of performance.  The honest truth is that seldom did I live up to expectations.  Also I remember as a youth being picked up at night after curfew by the police.  We were told to go home - except for me.  One policeman looked at me and said, "You are ----'s son aren't you?"  When I said yes - in essence he said, "Your dad would want me to personally take you home."  Yah that is a big advantage - thanks a lot dad!!

 

The simple truth of life is that we are all different.  Every difference gives us both advantages and disadvantages or if you will privilege or less privilege.   In some cases - there are very obvious racial privilege (or advantage) for example, being black and playing in the NBA.  That does not mean that a white boy cannot play in the NBA but if a team has more black players that do not like playing with a white boy - even if the white boy gets on a team it will not work out as well as a less talented black team member that fits in better with the others.  But the problem goes even farther in that the more complaining by anyone that the white boy does not have an equal chance - the worse it will affect that attitudes of the black players and everybody else that use to playing with other blacks - regardless of the reason that someone prefers blacks. 

 

Another simple truth of life is that the more we have positive interface the less differences matter.  I learned this lesson from a very brilliant black friend.  We met many years ago (shortly after Blacks were allowed the priesthood) in the Seattle area because we were both LDS and road the same bus to work everyday.  We talked openly about racial problems in society and the LDS church.  My friend had married a beautiful white girl that happened to be a stake president's daughter.  The family was not happy that the daughter had married a black guy.  But strangely my friend was not upset - nor was he anxious to change things.  He would tell me that such things have to work their way out.  Good people must and will learn to adjust.  He would say that everybody has adjustments to make with in-laws.  I understood this because I did not like my in-laws (except for one) and my solution was to avoid them whenever possible (part of the reason I lived in Washington) - a solution that worked great for me but significantly saddened my wife.  Just a note here - the one in-law I got along with also disliked the rest of the family and also avoided them whenever possible as well.

 

As it turns out - my mother-in-law was classic bipolar and the family is classic dysfunctional.  But I learned from my black friend to think in terms of looking at myself to determine if I am adding to the problem or to a solution.  I would like to say that the problem is now solved but that is not the case - I do not mind the in-laws so much and prior to my mother-in-law passing I got along with her better than any of her children - including my wife.  I had to learn to love her in spite of the fact that I did not like her very much - actually I did not like her at all - for a very long time.

 

We are often told to love our enemies - Another simple truth about life is that it is much easier to love one's enemies that we do not have to deal with very often - we can ignore our enemies most of the time.  The hard thing is learning to love someone that we do not like very much.  And the only way to overcome prejudice is through love and kindness.  This brings me to a lesson I learned over and over from my father.  He would say anyone can be kind to those they like and when kindness is expected.  But a kind person can and will be kind to those they do not like and when kindness is not expected by anyone.  Cruel people are only kind when it suits them and it is expected. 

 

Thus the question we should all ask of ourselves - are we a kind person or are we a cruel person?

Edited December 18, 2014 by Traveler