I know this phrase hits a NERVE. I’ve seen folks use their social media platforms to make videos and write long posts about how they’ve worked for everything they have or that there is no privilege in being white. I mean, this is America, right? Everyone can pull themselves up by their bootstraps and do exactly what you did the way that you did it, right?

You hold no advantages that I do not hold, right?

Let me just make this blunt. If a super attractive person tells an “average looking” person that there are no privileges attached to being incredibly good looking, would you agree? A tall handsome man has no advantage over a short average looking guy, right? If you agree with these statements, please stop reading here. Apparently you are not an earthling. Nothing I say in this post will make sense to you. Back to your cornfield maze, you extraterrestrial being.

No, really, stop reading. There is nothing for you here, ET.

OK, so really, what is white privilege? For our working definition of “White Privilege”, let’s turn to Merriam-Webster’s definition #2:

white

 adjective

\ ˈ(h)wīt  \

whiter; whitest

Definition of white

1a: free from color

b: of the color of new snow or milkspecifically : of the color white

c: light or pallid in colorwhite hairlips white with fear

d: lustrous pale gray : SILVERYalso : made of silver

2a: being a member of a group or race characterized by light pigmentation of the skin

b: of, relating to, characteristic of, or consisting of white people or their culture

c[from the former stereotypical association of good character with northern European descent] : marked by upright fairnessthat’s mighty white of you

To be clear, for the purposes of this post, we’re going to go with definition 2a and 2b.

privilege

 noun

priv·​i·​lege | \ ˈpriv-lij  , ˈpri-və- \

Definition of privilege noun

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: a right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor : PREROGATIVE

especially : such a right or immunity attached specifically to a position or an office

So what do you get from those definitions when you put the two words together? White Privilege. I think many white people get bent out of frame because there is an automatic assumption that you are being accused of something when the phrase white privilege is invoked. That’s not what that term means. It simply means that your skin tone affords you benefits that other skin tones do not. And as silly as it may sound, it is truly a thing here in these great United States. Read the words again:

white privilege

These words don’t say that your skin tone makes you rich. They don’t say that you, white person, have never worked hard for everything you have. They don’t say that you or your family were slave owners or that you are the author racism. They don’t say that you’ve never had hard, tough or even traumatic personal experiences. The words simply say that whiteness comes with a peculiar benefit, immunity, advantage or favor.

True story:

A white acquaintance once told me that she “used to” be against interracial relationships (dating/marriage) because she believed that it would make life more difficult for her children and grandchildren. This 30 something, white, Christian evangelical very effectively articulated and affirmed the reality and power of white privilege (whether she meant to or not). Otherwise, what, about her white kid being married to an African-American, would make it hard for them or their kids?

Think about this……people don’t look at your skin tone alone and make judgments like this:

You are dangerous.

You are not qualified.

You are not smart.

You are not capable.

You have poor parenting skills.

You do not care about your family’s well being.

You can’t afford/didn’t earn the merit/not smart enough to be in this place.

You are likely a criminal.

You don’t want to work.

You want a handout.

You are not responsible.

You’re up to no good.

You don’t belong here.

You have low morals.

You don’t value education.

Something else to think about, many affluent African-Americans endure suspicions and investigations in their own neighborhoods, their own cars and in possession of their own stuff. Why? Because others see their “race” and assume that they shouldn’t be where they are. Another question for you to ponder: If my son walks down the street on a cool evening with his hoodie on and your son or grandson walks down the street on a cool evening with a hoodie on, which one of them is more likely to experience visible signs, from a greater number of people, of suspicion or feeling threaten by his presence as he passes by? This scenario actually invokes a discussion around “intersectionality”, but I will not talk about that today. You can Google or Youtube it.

So these examples are the level of privilege that the term “White Privilege” most adeptly encapsulates. The term can apply to many other examples of “white privilege” that I won’t touch in this post. It’s already long enough.

In short, white privilege allows white people the freedom to just be. Think of this: African-Americans know from day one that we are judged. Not because someone groomed us to think it but because we experience and make sense of it for ourselves. Many of us even take on the burden of “masking” in order to demonstrate the worthiness of our race through our individual actions and achievements. Code switching is a thing, for a reason. Very shameful, but nonetheless true.

Confession:

As I write, I am constantly in battle with my own conscience and thoughts about what is real and what is a narrative, cooked up by folks who need to stay intellectually relevant and their friends who are gaining power and money by perpetuating such narratives. I do believe that our “perspectives” must be analyzed as objectively as possible. However, my conclusion is always this: I cannot throw away truth and reality just because some other people might be using it perversely. Remember when Paul explained to the Philippians that people preach the Gospel with different motivations, but what does it matter? The point and the power is in the fact that The Gospel is being preached! I have found that the truth and facts are just that. They are partial to no man, they just are. Man will pick them up and use them as he will, sometimes with integrity and sometimes not. Either way, the truth remains what it is. When it comes to race and racial issues, too many Christians are discounting truths and fact because they don’t trust or like the messenger.

As you read this, please understand that African-Americans are survivors. We are strong. We are resilient and we don’t walk around looking for “Blacks Only” meetings to opine about why we are so persecuted. Instead, we overlook racist and belittling comments to focus on our goals. We maintain our professionalism as we watch mediocre peers receive praise with little to no scrutiny for unimpressive work. We protest, vote and get involved and still go to work the next day and hear nasty comments about rioters and looters rather than compassion for a human life. This is not new to us. Our parents did it. Their parents did it. Our many forefathers did it. We are a little bit sick of it. But we are not going to lay down and let un-insightful, arrogant, hypocritical, white people gaslight us and tell us that we are essentially big babies and drama queens for demanding equality in all things. And don’t worry, that last sentence is NOT ABOUT YOU. Unless of course, that is you.

In today’s society, there are many things that we can physically or socially change or modify about our person. The skin and ethnicity that I was born with is not really one of them and it should not be a “black mark” against me. No pun intended. Or maybe so.

Aren’t you privileged that you don’t have to worry about that.

What to pray for:

Let’s pray that the Father will open our eyes to see the realities of others and the hearts to be the transformed people who make the difference – not just in our personal choices but also in what we tolerate from others.

Learn to do good;

Seek justice,

Rebuke the oppressor;

Defend the fatherless,

Please for the widow

“Come now, let us reason together”, says the Lord…

Isaiah 1:17-18a