The simple question that many seem afraid to ask.
The notion of white privilege is something which causes a lot of heated arguing as well as debate. I find that the core of why this term is important is illustrated well in this two part question, which is something we all need to put to ourselves and think critically about:
What are the ways I have benefited from being white, and in what ways do I support and uphold a system that is structurally racist?
It should be as simple as that. Still, as is mentioned in this piece, a lot of light skinned people will balk and speak out to “protect themselves rather than engage with the substance of what is being said”. I even feel compelled to edit that very quote to take out term such as “whiteness”, to avoid dealing with people who are shocked at being called “white”, shocked “to be “raced” in the way that the “black man walking down the street”, or “the Asian girl with ribbons in her hair” is daily.”
We really do tend to ignore how heavily structural racism influences our lives and how we think and act. I found this short piece to be insightful into the some of the core of this complex issue.
Filosofi og Samtid 