White Privilege

The media item that I chose for this entry was found in the Ethnic Newswatch resource through the on-line BGSU library system. The title of this newspaper article is “White Privilege” and the author is Robert Jensen. After completing the first week in this class I thought that the idea of privilege was significant so I decided to search for a media piece with this topic in mind. The search brought me to this article that was written in 1999 and published in a Nashville, Tennessee newspaper. Another reason why I selected this article is because I like what Jensen had to share about his own personal experiences with privilege and that made me look back at my life and think about any times I might have experienced it as well.

Jensen opens his article by speaking with a young student from the University of Texas about affirmative action. Jensen supports this and this kid does not. Jensen argues the idea that if we live in a world of unearned white privilege, then why does affirmative action exist to “levels the playing field”? In other words, if the whites show privilege to other whites only then why is there affirmative action. Obviously every law or rule made in this country is not strictly for the white race or this country would only be all whites. Who would want to live in a country where everything or everyone is against you?

Continuing on, Jensen associates white privilege with racism. He talks about his entire life and how he always has been surrounded by mostly white people and about how maybe he got away with some things because he was white. So he brings up a very interesting question. Would a black or Hispanic person been treated the same why if they were in my position? Well, if he was experiencing privilege because he was white then no. What this means is that these people who would have oppressed the black or Hispanic in a certain situation would have been being racist against the non-privileged race. He admits then that he has received many benefits for being white and comments that the white race should not be afraid to say that they have gained from white privilege. Overall, Jensen’s writings reminded me very much of the ideas that Johnson was trying to get across.

I personally believe that privilege is not something that all cultures and societies deal with. It seems like America and the white privilege is far worse that any other country or race out there. I just wonder what specifically about Americans makes us care so much about being different. What’s so bad about it? It could be that we carry the label as the best country in the world and we are so cocky and greedy that we are scared of others being successful. When I thought about my life and if I experienced white privilege nothing came to the top of my head. Then I realized that my life is much different then Jensen’s because I have lived around my non-white societies before. So if I did live farther south or in more white neighborhoods then I can see myself as having to face situations like that before.

Here is the website link to the article “White Privilege”.

http://0proquest.umi.com.maurice.bgsu.edu/pqdweb?index=2&did=495734521&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1183141084&clientId=3340