White Supremacist Society Essay

1402 Words3 Pages

Many believe that we live in a post-racial America, using the presidency of Barack Obama as their basis. If so, then why has “the wage gaps in wealth, income, education, and health care widened over the last eight years” (Rothenberg 327)? In actuality, America is a white-supremacist society. White-supremacy refers to how Whites are inherently superior to non-Whites; minorities. This belief rationalizes why there are racial disparities in the distribution of wealth and why White people have the most influence in our society. Accordingly, in a white-supremacist society, White people will have privilege. Peggy McIntosh describes white privilege as “an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, …show more content…

It’s unsettling to think that White people are gaining from Black’s disadvantage. Interestingly, “the initial construction of Whiteness had been based on a material benefit for Whites: land, or the apparently realistic hope of land” (Rothenberg 35). The benefits are different now: it makes Whites confident, comfortable, and oblivious and other groups unconfident, uncomfortable, and feel alienated. A contemporary example is that a White people can go shopping alone and be sure that they will not be followed or harassed (McIntosh). The thought of white privilege traces back to the eighteenth century, so how is it still relevant? Well, the inequality is a result of deliberate planning done by White people of power. With the contributions from many individuals over decades, “some of them no doubt made by people of conscience who thought of themselves as anti-racist, but who maintained an institutional structure that creates conditions that support white-supremacy” (Jensen 19). Such racial inequality can be found in the structure and procedures of many institutions, this creates conditions that support white-supremacy. This can even be seen here, at TCNJ, through our Greek organizations. These organizations aren’t overtly racist, but with slightly observation one will notice that the majority of pledges are White. Minorities have reported not feeling welcome on campus because no one looks like them in these organizations. …show more content…

Still, I don’t see this as progress. The only way America will become post-racism is by getting rid of the systems that causes one group to profit for the pain of another. First, White people must acknowledge the existence of white privilege and be aware of its effects. Then, policies need to be adjusted so that no one group is getting better opportunities than another. Deinstitutionalizing racism makes it harder to be racist. Next, the media has to start broadcasting the truth. Don’t tell the news for profit, but to inform society. These are things that White people can do There are also way minorities can contributing, starting by educating themselves. Education gives individuals opportunities that would be impossible without it. These are just a few ideas I have for a better society. In conclusion, I believe that America has potential to, in the future, a fair and just society. People are beginning to get tired of the current system we have have and are trying to change it. More specifically, the protesters in Baltimore. There civil disobedience is what America needs, so they can realize the inequalities faced by Blacks and all

Open Document