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 White Privilege 
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I noticed that we are getting ready to talk about race in the next few weeks in class. I was reading an article for my Learner Diversity class, so I'll ask you this question:

What do you think White Privilege means? Do we have this in our current society? If so, what examples can you give that you have seen that go along with White Privilege?

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Kim Hertzler


Sun Feb 06, 2005 12:21 pm
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When I think of White privilege in the school system I think of it in a few different ways and have mixed emotions about it. I look it first and foremost in terms of most teachers are white femals and I believe that this gives whites somewhat of an advantage over other cultures because the white teacher is going to better understand and see eye to eye on many diverse topics. I also think that social class does have it better when it comes to schooling and most of the middle to upper class is white. On the other side when can we stop talking about the disadvantages of being in the minority and just move on. I look at it like when I was in elementary school I had blacks and whites in my class and nothing was ever said about minority anything and each child in my class was treated equally and it didnt even stand out to students that there was this difference. I believe that if we stop making such a debate over things like advantage due to race then these new generations of students are not even going to realize that they even exist.

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Blair Higgins


Tue Feb 08, 2005 2:35 pm
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I too, have touched briefly on this topic of White Privilege. White privilege is when whites have an advantage over all other groups. Society has based sterotypes on everyone and everythng that is not white or the norm. It is also being taught that racism is something that puts others at a disadvantage while whites are not taught to see the advantages that their color brings to them. I believe that this is prevelent in our society to an extent. There are many examples and instances where whites are at an advantage over people of color. Peggy McIntosh refers to white privilege as, "an invisible package of unlearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was meant to remain oblivious. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools and blank checks."

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Ryan Hicks


Tue Feb 08, 2005 3:05 pm
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Okay, here's the deal. I originally wrote a two page response to this question and to some of the posts. But, I realized that what I wrote was me lashing out at everyone who hasn't experienced this. The reason many of you haven't experienced White Privilege because, you’re white. I 'm sorry, but the majority of the class is white. The only whites who come close to experiencing this are the poor whites. But even then, it’s not the same. I'll just end this by saying that White privilege is real and it is being practiced in our society. Take it from someone who has seen it first hand.

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Heath Robertson


Tue Feb 08, 2005 8:57 pm
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Heath:

I'd love to see that two page response... Maybe it's too much to ask you to do that, though. One manifestation of white privilege is thinking minority groups should "get over it." :)

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Gayle Turner


Wed Feb 09, 2005 3:49 pm
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Gayle:
I completely agree with the point that you made. A number of white people do feel that minorities should "get over it". I know that around my home town that you would find many people that feel this way. I think that if everyone who is white had to change the color of their skin for one day, they would see that racism is real and that white privilege does exist. Like I said in class it has only been forty years since the Civil Rights Act of the Johnson administration was signed. Forty years will not undo the America's history of slavery, Jim Crow laws, and racism.
Another important point is that all minorities, not just African Americans, are discriminated against. I really wish that their was a way to end this hatred.

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Brittany Burton


Thu Feb 10, 2005 8:29 pm
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