White Privilege, Discrimination And Exclusion

Privilege is a term associated with the process of granting certain rights and benefits to a specified group of people and/or an individual. An individual being shown preference in a certain situation may or may not receive similar treatment, when confronting other circumstances. For this matter, it is incredibly significant for one to remain mindful of the ways in which privilege and discrimination function within similar scales of inclusion and exclusion. This essay serves as an examination of the particular treatment received by white individuals, compared to that of non-white beings.

White privilege is the unmerited treatment that favours white individuals. Though its presence can generally go unforeseen, white privilege is regularly practiced,

Although the amount of discrimination present has immensely decreased over the years, it has not ensured the completion of its riddance. The case of 19 year old, Nikolas Cruz reinforces the previous statement. After having brutally shot 17 people to their deaths, Cruz was simply portrayed as “troubled”, by the media. Asides from having labeled this dangerous individual as something that is not, the media proceeded to defend his character by stating that his mental instability was the only thing at fault for his actions. Contrastingly, if the suspect belonged to another ethnic group, the media would certainly not defend and preserve the individual’s image. As a matter of fact, there have been countless amount of situations in which the media degradingly characterized several accused individuals. Surely enough, these suspects were people of colour. Despite having committed minor crimes such as stealing a pack of gum, or selling cigarettes at a discounted price, these people were exposed to the world as harmful individuals. Yet in the cases of Nikolas Cruz or Brock Turner, none were displayed as a “rapist” or “murderer”. On the contrary, mentions of these mens’ previous accomplishments and/or troubles were set to conceal their dehumanizing actions. These discriminatory approaches promote and encourage white privilege. The media demonstrates and honours the accomplishments of

For decades, the white have been offered tremendous amounts of privilege, exclusively based on the tone of their skin. Past occurrences involving non-white racial intolerance, undoubtedly led to racial separation. This issue, which still stands to this day, greatly contributed to the way in which we view the white. Despite being at fault for their wrongdoings, white people tend to be protected by society and the media. Due to the standards adopted by society, many individuals feel the need to disguise and conceal the violations conferred by white people. The media, for instance, always victimizes and/or disregards the injurious actions taken by the white, yet they instantly exposes and accuses people of colour, because of their backgrounds, ethnicities and environmental surroundings. In terms of wealth, success and influence, the white have and still continue to be regarded as superior. The concept of wealth, determination, and striving to succeed, often connects itself to white individuals, which further contributes to the development of privilege. Though a portion of white people can be considered disadvantageous, the race as a whole, classifies itself at the top of the