Essay on Racism and White Privilege in the Education System

Many people in the United States society believe that people of all cultures, races, and ethnicities are now on an even playing field. People with this belief support their logic with the argument that since equal rights for people of color and women have been required by law for some time now, we are all inherently as equal as claimed in the Declaration of Independence. Many believe that race is no longer an issue, a viewpoint frequently referred to as color-blindness. National polling data indicated that a majority of whites now believe discrimination against racial minorities no longer exists. (Gallagher, 96) Color-blindness allows a white person to define himself or herself as politically and racially tolerant and then proclaim their†¦show more content†¦By associating the potential existence of racism with consumption, a form of rationalization is that we now live in society that does not recognize and reward race, but merit. In turn, whites do not inherently realize th e privileges that they are born with. Peggy McIntosh actually used the terms unearned entitlement and unearned advantage to describe disproportionate lead that whites have over blacks (McIntosh, 103). The fact of the matter is that most white people are in denial that they have been born with unearned entitlements that minorities do not have and according to McIntosh this is because they have been taught not to recognize it. As much as white people have been taught not to recognize that they have been given white privilege, blacks and minorities recognize that they do. Although many believe that the playing field is now level, is apparent that there is an uphill struggle for people of color. But how should one first recognize this struggle? The first step is to separate what one believes from that one knows, and to separate what is from what must be. (Hinchey, 5) By doing this, one is able to begin to deconstruct the assumptions about the system in which we operate, which allows the individual to see the system as custom instead of irrefutable law. The next step in critical theory isShow MoreRelatedWhite Privilege : A Crime America Pays For1635 Words   |  7 PagesWhite Privilege: A Crime America Pays for Being Privilege is something many of us do not realize we have on an everyday basis. Privilege is something you can get over time, but others are born with the natural ability to be privileged. Anybody who is â€Å"white† descent is born with what is known as white privilege. Many of us do not recognize this the privilege that comes with being white in society. We go on everyday taking advantage of other races by being white without even knowing it. Read More White Privilege in America Essay710 Words   |  3 PagesWhat is privilege? What does it mean? Is privilege inherited or is it earned? 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