Is the Claim of White Skin Privilege a Myth

Is the Claim of White Skin Privilege a myth? As a whole, minorities from all religions, races, and sexualities have reached numerous high points in life. These high points have resulted in the establishment and entitlement to minorities having the same rights as whites. However, the right of blacks as in being equal is always up for debate. Statistics show and prove that for every dollar a white household brings in, a black household only brings in 61 cents. Some people like to say that the white household is more skilled or has a higher education, however, this is not the case in most situations.

These facts can be accurately traced back to the issue of discrimination against blacks. Most people agree that this type of discrimination is seen frequently but never spoken of. Why are there different meanings of this word for different races, if the foundation of our country established as everyone is equal? What do these rights actually mean, and if most people pay these rights absolutely no attention at all, why are these rights even in place? Focusing on the topics of white benefits, white denial, and a personal opinion, in this essay will I will explain to the reader the question, “Is the claim of white skin privilege a myth? Referring to the author from the first passage, Paul Kivel, “ The reality of privilege is so embedded within the dominant group that to recognize and admit its reality is alien to most whites. ” As a whole, white people in the United States do not recognize the fact that they have different right to this day. They just realize the effects that most benefit themselves. The benefits that white people receive are coveted by numerous people all over the globe. Many people around the world sacrifice their customs, beliefs, and languages, just so they can have these benefits.

It has been proven that whites have thrived in many parts of life just for exploiting and manipulating people of color. Why would someone risk their own culture in order to obtain these privileges, is a question a lot of people ask? The only answer that makes any sense at all is for the people to be economically successful. Many people of color face difficult challenges and disadvantages over whites, simply because the person is white. With people of color having disadvantages, there comes, insults, discrimination, violence, harassment and economic and cultural exploitation.

The majority of people of color have experienced at least one of these disadvantages in their lives, but most have grown to expect these disadvantages. Just because of these discriminations, a lot of colored people avoid a lot of situations at work and at school, and they are more likely to have fingers pointed at them for robberies, or have their car searched for some bogus reason. When a topic of race is brought up however, whites are quick to speak on it. Many dramatic emotions and feelings flow through the minds of white people as they are forced to talk about the existence of racism in today’s society.

Black people are consistently accused of using or pulling the “race card”, but is something expected to be an outcome of it? According to Tom Wise, the black person’s reward is actually non-existent. Actually it is normally the white person who pulls a race card and gets a positive outcome from it. According to whites, the race card, “is something people of color play so as to distract the rest of us, or to gain sympathy. ” However, studies show that people of color are actually normally scared to use the card in fear that they may be attacked, or simply ignored altogether.

Wise accurately addresses the problem that people of color deal with. “Simply put: whites in every generation have thought there was no real problem with racism, irrespective of the evidence, and in every generation we have been wrong. ” Over the course of many years, whites have actually become immune to the claims of racial inequality; they say that they have found cures for people of color and their problems. These cures are Drapetomania and Victim Syndrome. Drapetomania originated as a so-called “cure” to explain why slaves escaped from their loving masters.

Masters were told that keeping a slave in a child state of mind, that he or she would in turn be loyal to there master. However whites also found a way to ignore the state of mind that the slaves were in, they stamp them with an illness and took it ay to far. This stamp is revealed over a century later in Washington State in a school district. People of color were falsely accused of having disorders, and also accused of being extremely paranoid. The actual name created for their “illness” is called the “victimization syndrome. Whites are quick to accuse blacks of victim mentality, due to the fact that they were being inspired by the Civil Rights Movement, and for the simple fact that they “want” to be considered targets for harassment. Whites to this day still refuse to discuss the situation and persistently deny the fact that it still exists even to this day. This could just be because whites themselves have never been through such an experience in their lives, and continue to cover it up with their own excuses and ignorance. I am white, however I do not agree with some of the racial situations that still exist in our society today.

I as a white American am faced with a lot of the same challenges as a black individual, however I do strongly believe that everyone in this country from birth has equal opportunity. This is only because public education is free to everyone in America. Do I think that people of color experience difficulties in finding jobs, or moving up the cultural, corporate, or economical ladder? No, in this case I do not. Why you might ask? Well let me tell you this, every single one of my bosses at work are black, and how did they get there?

They worked their way up the ladder. However, two of the managers I work for graduated from FAMU. So I do not agree with the statements that all blacks are faced with discrimination. However I do admit that some do experience discrimination, but I must say in those situations the person of color needs to keep their head high and prove that person wrong. Many people go far in life with self-motivation, without self-motivation not much can be accomplished, but use times when you are criticized or discriminated against to push you further.

Tell yourself that no that is not how it is and aim to prove that person wrong and do not stop until you get there. I do believe that this country still needs to change I would love to see everyone in this country do well and everyone should strive to succeed. There are many opinions of this situation out there, and I do not believe that in my lifetime that this situation will be resolved but we cannot focus on the past we must move forward and strive for excellence.