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Examples Of White Privilege And Structural Racism In America

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The Intersection of White Privilege and Structural Racism in American Society

Garrett Hamer
Sociology 3
Professor Akihiko Hirose
5/19/2023

Abstract
This paper will explore the concept of white privilege and its bindings to structural racism. White privilege refers to the societal advantages and benefits that white people receive due to their skin color, often unconsciously. Structural racism refers to the systematic ways in which racial inequality is embedded in institutions and policies. The paper will provide an example of how white privilege manifests not only, in the criminal justice system but in everyday life for all people in America. It will then discuss how this example relates to structural racism. Through this analysis, …show more content…

And not only are Black people the only ones seeing the effects of America's discrimination, but almost all races that land in America are seeing this racism when compared to white people. While many people acknowledge the existence of racism, there is often resistance to the concept of white privilege. White privilege refers to the advantages and benefits that white people receive due to their skin color, such as easier access to education, employment, housing, and healthcare among many other examples. These benefits are often unconsciously bestowed upon white people, which makes it difficult for them to acknowledge their existence. White privilege is not about individual experiences or choices, but rather about systemic advantages that have been built up over time and have yet to fall. This paper will explain the concept of white privilege and its binding to structural …show more content…

But in America, that is rarely the case. White privilege runs rampant in this part of the world even though we are all considered equals. White privilege is a concept that refers to the unearned advantages that individuals who are perceived as white receive in society due to their skin color. Peggy McIntosh, an anti-racist activist, introduced the concept of white privilege in her 1988 essay "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack." She says that white privilege is "an invisible weightless knapsack of assurances, tools, maps, guides, codebooks, passports, visas, clothes, compass, emergency gear, and blank checks." White privilege manifests in various forms in society, including but not limited to, easier access to education, housing, employment, and healthcare. It also includes the advantage of not experiencing racism and discrimination in the same ways as people of color, not having to worry about being targeted by the police, and not having to worry about being judged based on racial stereotypes. White privilege is not necessarily something that white individuals actively seek or intend to benefit from, but it is an intrinsic perk that they have over people of color in America. According to McIntosh, white privilege is often unseen to those who have it, and they may not even be aware of it until it is pointed out to

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