White Male Privilege: Will It Ever End?

In Peggy McIntosh's, White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences through Work in Women's Studies, she discusses the issues surrounding racial stereotypes and how they interfere with all aspects of life. She first focuses on how white privileges aid some and hinder others. She explains how this racism is dealt with between cultures, and the levels of denial that are in play. In some cultures it is widely talked about with angry voices, whereas others know it's going on, and pretend it does not exist. Next, because she has difficulty studying racial profiling in her own life, she finds this problem parallels male privilege in the workplace. McIntosh then goes on to list forty-six different ways white privilege plays a role in her life at work.

First, McIntosh goes on a rant about men ignoring their privileges. Those that do acknowledge it believe that it won't come to an end. McIntosh writes, 

"Virtually all men deny that male overreward alone can explain men's centrality in all the inner sanctums of our most powerful institutions. Moreover, those few who will acknowledge that male privilege systems have overempowered them usually end up doubting that we could dismantle these privilege systems. they may say they will work to improve women's status...but they can't or won't support the idea of lessening men's."

My first reaction to this statement was denial, and that there have to be some men who agree that sometimes, male privilege is exactly the reason why certain men are in power, and not because they are qualified. When I revisited the thought, however, I fell in accordance with McIntosh. What man would be willing to say that another man of power is only holding that power because he is male? At the same time, isn't a fair accusation. There is no way for us to know if a man of power would still be in his position if there was no male privilege. He could be perfectly qualified for his job. McIntosh goes on to explain how most of men's oppressive is unconscious. The notion that women are less than men has been engrained into the minds of men everywhere. Even in daily conversation between my male friends and I, there are hints made about how they think women are less capable of doing certain things as they are.

McIntosh notes the parallel between male privilege, and white privilege, and how, similar to men's unconscious oppressiveness, white people can be oppressive too. She comments:

"whites are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, and average and also ideal, so that when we work to benefit others, this is seen as work that will allow 'them' to be more like 'us'"

Being a white person myself, I can agree with this. It is an uncomfortable topic, but one that needs to be discussed. When I think of an average lifestyle, I think of the one I am living now, except for the fact I go to a very expensive, private school. I grew up in a white collar neighborhood, attended public schools and have a mother, a father, and two pets. I view my life as an average one, where I get to enjoy a few luxuries and can live comfortably. When I think about people in poverty, I want to help them to be able to live a life like mine, but this isn't right. What I fail to recognize is how privileged my life is. I'm white, so I don't have to deal with racial profiling at work, or by the police or by my teachers at school. Because I am a white girl, with parents who make a comfortable amount of money, my teachers have automatically assumed that I am a good student. Police officers don't give me a second look if I drive by in my car late at night. My employers think that I am a person worthy of their trust, simply because of my skin color. I agree that this is privilege, and that it benefits me, but I wish it didn't have to exist this way.

Lucky for me, my eyes have already been opened to this issue of white privilege. I have become very close with a male friend on campus who explained to me his difficulties with racial profiling. I even have experienced it myself. We were driving late at night, not speeding or disobeying any laws, when he was pulled over. The officer asked him to get out of the car, and followed by asking him a series of questions. Then, he told my friend to get back in the car, as we waited, a very long time, for him to write a ticket. It turns out that they pulled him over because one of the lights illuminating the license plate had gone out. I can't help but think that he was pulled over because of his skin color. While I wish white and male privileges to come to an end, I am not sure they ever will. Whites and males have been privileged since the beginning of time, and has been engraved into our society. Hopefully, years from now this way of thinking will come to an end, but I believe it will take a very long time.