What Is White Privilege? How to Acknowledge White Privilege

White privilege (or white skin privilege) refers to a wide array of advantages white people benefit from in comparison to and at the expense of people of color.

The term shot to prominence among academic circles after feminist and anti-racist scholar Peggy McIntosh published her essay “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” in the 1980s. After years in popular discourse, the phrase became especially prevalent again after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Books like How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi and White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo have helped capture the zeitgeist of the ensuing reckoning and movement for racial justice.

The concept of white privilege presupposes hierarchies of systemic racism throughout society. In the past, these were more blatant, as in the case of segregation or slavery. Since then, they’ve become more insidious and covert. For instance, white women often have greater access than Black women to effective hair care products. Similarly, police arrest Black (as well as Hispanic and Latino) men for drug-related offenses at a far higher rate than they do white men.

Racial inequality is, unfortunately, still prevalent throughout much of the world. Here are five examples of white privilege that are still remarkably common to this day:

1. 1. Access to resources: In terms of demographics, white people are far more likely to be in the middle class or a higher class than people of other races. This emanates from greater access to resources like better high schools, food security, safe neighborhoods, and so on—all emanating from the simple privilege of being white and economically stable. Compare this against the plight of Black, Hispanic, or indigenous people in the United States, who more often live in impoverished and unsafe conditions.
2. 2. Greater representation in media: Although there have been recent attempts to better market to all groups of people, the media has historically placed a premium on representing and advertising to white families. Nonwhite children grow up seeing far fewer faces like theirs all around them, leading to a sense of alienation and isolation. This sort of thing is prominent in all sorts of insidious ways. For example, most bandages come in the same tint as a white person’s skin color.
3. 3. Increased opportunities: Even after the implementation of programs like affirmative action, white men and women still have greater access than people of other races to opportunities. You’re more likely to see white people than people of color serve in positions of power—from government offices to corporate boardrooms and college campuses. As such, it’s apparent the quest for true racial justice and equity must continue.
4. 4. Lack of discrimination: White people face less marginalization than people of color. For instance, police officers are far more likely to arrest Black people for the same crimes committed by white people. Not to mention, white privilege and male privilege go hand in hand when it comes to the disproportionate burden of bias women of color specifically face.
5. 5. Freedom from racial profiling: A white man will likely go through their life without ever having someone racially profile them. Compare this to the life of a Black man, who might notice examples of racism or discrimination every single day of his life. White privilege exists largely because of the prevalence of racial profiling and stereotyping.

When you acknowledge white privilege, you make it more possible for everyone to effectively dismantle systems of oppression. Keep these tips in mind as you strive to seek racial justice:

1. 1. Advocate for more equal opportunities. Recognize the disparities people of different racial identities face. Find a way you can start working to address these inequities and advocate for more equal opportunities. Give up your unearned privilege for the benefit of someone who’s worked hard just to survive. So long as unjust social systems exist, white privilege will likely exist alongside them.
2. 2. Be an anti-racist. Take a firm stance on anti-racism by actively working to the benefit of non-white people. White supremacy thrives in the face of apathy and lack of concern for the oppressed. When you face these harmful social constructs and systems head-on, you do your part to create a far more equitable environment for everyone.
3. 3. Educate yourself. History tells a different story depending on the color of your skin. Compare the history of the United States as seen through the eyes of both white US Americans and US Americans of color. Similarly, learn about how historic waves of activism—like the Civil Rights and Black Lives Matter movements—helped pave the way to combat white privilege and increase equality.
4. 4. “Listen to the experiences of BIPOC”. Rather than engage in defensiveness about your white privilege, listen earnestly to the personal experiences of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color). Allow them to set the tone as you both talk about race. These cross-cultural and cross-racial conversations can be healing and productive for members of all racial groups.
5. 5. Recognize your own privilege. White privilege means white individuals have certain advantages in comparison to people of different races, not that their lives are always innately easy. Poor white people experience the burden of economic insecurity, gay white people might face discrimination due to their sexual orientation, and white women might feel like second-class citizens compared to white men. Rather than claim to be color blind, aim for an intersectional attitude that recognizes race still has a huge impact on the privileges people have or do not have.

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