White Privilege Essay Example

evidence of my participation. Nevertheless, all three students implicated were suspended for two days and instructed to report to the principal's office. Fortunately, I emerged from the altercation unharmed and could proceed with the remainder of my day.

After leaving the principal's office in anger, one of the African American men destroyed all my belongings in my locker during the day by prying it open and pouring soda over my books and other items. I reported this to the principal who held three students responsible until someone confessed. However, as nobody admitted to it, they were suspended for a longer time period. The next week, all three students transferred to nearby schools.

Following the incident, I didn't maintain communication with them. Nevertheless, some of my male acquaintances discovered what happened and desired to take revenge and establish white supremacy in our high school where whites were not the majority. Growing up in Allendale, New Jersey - a tiny suburban community - has enabled me to acknowledge my benefit as a Caucasian individual. From primary school until eighth grade, the majority of my peers were Caucasian and originated from affluent backgrounds.

Living within my community, I adhered to established norms and engaged in leisure pursuits, means of transportation, attire, and social circles that aligned with our shared morals, values, and beliefs. Peggy McIntosh's white privilege matrix resonated with me as it reflected my experience of conforming to prevailing cultural patterns while ignoring non-dominant ones (295). However, it wasn't until high school that I considered expanding beyond my insular hometown existence.

While attending regional school in Allendale during high school, which drew students from Ho-Ho-Kus, Upper Saddle River, and half of

Saddle River, I had the opportunity to engage with peers who represented various racial and ethnic backgrounds. This was a novel experience for me as I came from a predominantly white schooling system. Rather than being taught about the disadvantages of being white or how racism operates, my education centered on how black individuals coped with its effects. There was little emphasis placed on defining racism; instead, we were informed that people had experienced problems due to their race or ethnicity in the past.

Peggy McIntosh discusses in her article how education affects the perception of black people by white individuals. She admits that she was never educated on racism as a system that disadvantages others and instead learned to ignore her own personal benefit from white privilege (291). Being white did not impact her schooling or experiences outside of it. The lack of African American and Latino students in high school was unsurprising to her, as she had never considered these issues before.

Residents of Upper Saddle River and Saddle River primarily made up the few Latinos and African Americans in my high school. Exposure to these groups of people was minimal until attending school alongside individuals from towns with diverse populations. The Latinos and African Americans in my school formed their own cliques. My perspective on stereotyping changed during this time. My white privilege allowed me to avoid punishment when I fought back in self defense against individuals who had instigated problems. They had a history of causing trouble and my lack of prior incidents allowed me to escape any consequences.

Despite being free of any wrongdoing, students who had previously been in trouble were viewed

as problematic because of their past. In contrast, I had no reason to be involved in the altercation. The fact that my school had a predominantly white population and faculty suggests that negative stereotypes about non-white individuals may have influenced the decision to accuse the three students. These stereotypes have contributed to the historical discrimination, segregation, and violence experienced by black people, specifically in Northern states. Such detrimental racial attitudes have worsened the poverty and marginalization faced by many black individuals, perpetuating racial bias (Takaki 107).

This passage elaborates on the notion that stereotypes persist and that negative racial depictions will always be prevalent in the daily experiences of black individuals. I maintain that the root cause of this phenomenon can be traced back to sundown towns. These towns, which emerged from approximately 1890 to 1968, were established by white Americans as exclusively white communities. A sundown town was any area that intentionally remained all-white for decades through organized means. Numerous towns forcibly displaced their black residents and even displayed sundown signs to prevent their return.

The African-American population was faced with discriminatory ordinances in various towns that barred them from being out after dark or owning/renting property. Evelyn Nakano Glenn explains that racial zones were created through these ordinances by white-controlled municipalities. When these laws were deemed unconstitutional, white neighborhoods formed associations and used "private" measures like violent acts, restrictive covenants, and economic boycotts. These restrictions took away the property rights of black citizens, which is a fundamental aspect of liberal citizenship. The evidence shows that African-Americans were forced to leave due to the unwelcoming environment.

Due to facing little support for their businesses and being

shunned by the community, they had no chance of success if they stayed. In my hometown of Allendale and nearby towns such as Ho-Ho-Kus and Upper Saddle River, sundown town policies resulted in a lack of diversity. As a result, white students held all the privilege while people of color were marginalized. If I had been a different race, I would have likely been associated with those marginalized communities.

If I belonged to a racial minority, such as black or Latino, I would feel inclined to join the small group of fellow minority students in my high school. Unfortunately, segregation based on where people live still exists in America. This creates a recurring problem for black families who want to move into predominantly white neighborhoods. Douglas Massey verifies that when bias and discrimination prevent integration efforts, residential segregation becomes more evident and persists for longer periods of time.

(225) states that settling New Minorities in enclaves limits their ability to move freely, resulting in increased ethnic concentrations. As a result, group members have to relocate to adjacent areas which causes the expansion of the enclave. In my neighborhood located in New Jersey where most people are white, African-American families may be hesitant to move due to the unavailability of hair products and salons for braiding hair which makes them stand out. Due to the small size of my town, changing its operation requires significant efforts. Being white gave me an advantage when I had a physical altercation with a non-white girl who was suspended for two days along with her friends while I faced no punishment at all. This incident made me realize how race affects interactions

with non-white individuals as I had never experienced such issues before.

While attending a predominantly white school, I witnessed the existence of white privilege and lack of diversity. The situation could have been less problematic if there was more inclusion from various backgrounds. However, minority students were facing an environment where they were greatly outnumbered and felt compelled to showcase their leadership abilities. Regrettably, three students decided to depart the institution because they had experienced discriminatory conduct and unequal treatment compared to their peers. Being part of a small minority group may have exacerbated this feeling of disadvantage.

Attending nearby schools allowed the students to encounter diverse groups beyond their own district, creating a feeling of belonging. In a school that is predominantly white, some may feel intimidated and face discrimination from privileged white students. This occurrence brings attention to citizenship and the capacity to participate fully as an equal member of American society. Despite sustaining only a bloody nose, the narrator's ability to partake in society has not been impeded.

Although not impacting all students, the minority population at my high school has experienced negative effects and feelings of exclusion. In the wise words of Evelyn Glenn, citizenship involves being a fully-fledged member of one's residing community and carrying out reciprocal duties towards it (37). Despite their citizenship, these African-American students do not reside within a community of their own ethnicity.

Experiencing white privilege and feeling outnumbered and unheard in one's community can have lasting effects. The author, who attended a predominantly white high school and now attends Quinnipiac University, which is more diverse but still lacking in diversity, personally struggled with adapting to different races and

ethnicities. Growing up in an all-white community has made it challenging for the author to interact comfortably with people from diverse backgrounds. Nonetheless, the author acknowledges the significance of such interactions both in real life situations and when pursuing employment opportunities. These encounters may even result in new friendships rather than just professional connections.

Personality, not accent or skin color, is what defines an individual. My belief in this statement was reinforced after a personal experience that required self-defense. If I had been suspended for my actions, it could have negatively impacted my chances of being accepted to prestigious schools like Quinnipiac, which frequently ask about past disciplinary issues and absences. College admissions boards often reject applicants with a history of misconduct, which can be damaging to one's prospects.

Less prestigious community colleges may have a higher willingness to admit students with a problematic background compared to elite private schools such as Quinnipiac University. The existence of prejudices and segregation still persists in contemporary times. Having awareness of the histories of diverse ethnicities and races is vital for every individual as an American citizen, given that past occurrences shape current events. It is probable that everyone has encountered some sort of discrimination, whether it affects oneself or loved ones. Nevertheless, understanding one's own privileges and valuing the significance of being an American are equally important.

Barrett and Roediger's (2005) work "How White People Became White" is cited in this text.

The second edition of "White Privilege: Essential Reading on the Other Side of Racism" edited by Paula S. Rothenberg is available for purchase from Worth Publishers in New York. The page range of the book is between 35 and

40.The citation for the book "Unequal Freedom: How Race and Gender Shaped American Citizenship and Labor" by Glenn, Evelyn, and Nakano is located on pages 18-55, and includes the chapter "Citizenship: Universalism and Exclusion." The publication location is Cambridge, Massachusetts and the publisher is Harvard University.

Charles A. Gallagher's book "Rethinking the Color Line" features Douglas S. Massey's article "How Space Gets Raced."

McIntosh, Peggy. 3rd Ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2007. pp. 225.

The source of the following text is a book chapter entitled "White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences through Work in Women's Studies", which was published in 1997 and can be found on pages 290-299 of the book "Critical White Studies: Looking Behind the Mirror", edited by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, and published by Temple University Press in Philadelphia. The text is enclosed in paragraph tags.The book "A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America" by Ronald T. Takaki was published in 1994 and its source is located on page 108, as indicated by the surrounding the text.