I'm about to shock and awe. I'm about to present an incredibly unpopular opinion this day and age...
Expressing "I accept and understand my white privilege" is just as racist as directly saying "I accept and understand I am better than other races".
You are openly "accepting" that you are better than another people based on the color of your skin compared to theirs. Just because you are functionally saying "sorry" before you say it, doesn't make it less racist.
I accept that some people have a better station in life; but race has nothing to do with it. Socio-economic conditions certainly play a part; but, this is raceless.
If you're willing to discuss cultural difference, and how those can have a negative impact on socio-economic conditions at large, I'd be willing to talk.
Update: I've decided, based on a couple of conversations I've had mostly through social media, to provide an update to this. It's the result of certain questions being asked because some information was left to assumption. Below I will outline the reasoning behind my position:
Premise 1: Racism exists in many forms.
Premise 2: Some forms of racism are passive.
Premise 3: White privilege exists.
Premise 4: White privilege is an inherent quality born into white people that supplies them advantage over other races. These advantages may include, but are not limited to:
- Less fear of law enforcement confrontation
- Less judgment or prejudice
- Less difficulty in advancing ones station in life due to greater opportunities being provided
Premise 5: This advantage creates a clear and distinct disadvantage for other races.
Premise 6: An advantage is a superiority.
Premise 7: This translates to the disposition that white people are superior.
Premise 8: The definition of racism is "1: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial difference produce an inherent superiority of a particular race" - Merriam-Webster
Conclusion: White privilege is the understanding that there is "an inherent superiority of a particular race" and is therefore a racist ideal.
Sources: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racism; https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/superiority
Mike H
