My White Friend Asked Me on Facebook to Explain White Privilege. I Decided to Be Honest

by Lori Lakin Hutcherson

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I read this all the way to the end, and found it extremely well-written and enlightening. Even if you don’t want to read the whole thing, you can get a lot of value from just the opening and closing few paragraphs.

I’ve always been troubled by the phrase “white privilege” for exactly the reasons stated in the opening of the piece by the author’s friend.  And her answer to him resonates with me.  To paraphrase her excellent formulation: white privilege isn’t a positive benefit that white people receive overtly, some kind of undeserved handout, or something white people need to feel guilty about.  Instead, it’s a lack of the kind of hostility, skepticism, and type-casting directed exclusively at people who are different by not being white.

Another illuminating point comes out as she enumerates a small sample of racist experiences she’s personally encountered.  She’s not saying that all white people are racist… nor even that very many of them are.  But it’s common enough that the rare instances of it are relentless, and that makes every interaction with white people tinged with a subtle fear of yet another nasty encounter.

It’s fantastic how far we have come at eliminating the most horrific forms of institutional and official racism (largely due to the heroic efforts of black men and women of generations past).  But, accounts like Ms. Hutcherson’s make it clear that it’s not completely gone by a long shot.  I think this is an essential read to understanding the character of the racism that yet remains in our society.

Finally, her advice to people who want to fight this remaining racism also resonates with me.  It’s not enough to merely not be racist to help with the fight.  Good on you if you aren’t, but it’s not enough to move things forward.  It requires that special effort to keep an eye out for the little digs, skeptical remarks, and subtle insults and to challenge them.  Sometimes they’re not meant as hostile remarks, and the offender only needs a polite reminder.  Sometimes it’s not so benign.  But, especially if you happen to be white and see another white person doing these things, be the one to have the courage to call bullshit.  That’s what helps and can make a difference.