The true meaning of white privilege

In recent years, I strive to listen for intent and not impact. This has allowed me to suppress my immediate gut reaction or visceral response to an incorrectly used word or turn of phrase, and instead focus on what a person is really trying to say.

However, there have been and will be times when it is necessary to interject because a term or phrase is so wholly inaccurately used that it is obvious the person does not know the true meaning of the words.

According to Oxford English Dictionary, “white privilege” describes the inherent advantages white people have based on the sole characterization of their race. White privilege is not something someone earns or has bestowed upon them. It is innate to a person or persons because they physically present or are members of the white race.

I have found the best long form description of white privilege is Peggy McIntosh’s 1989 essay, entitled, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” It begins with McIntosh acknowledging that, “(She) was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on (her) group.”

The essay goes on to describe in no uncertain terms what exactly is “white privilege.” It is inaccurate to suggest or state that one’s individual work ethic diminishes or discredits that there is indeed an invisible “knapsack,” or system of privilege, that benefits white people daily. This system of privilege is clearly witnessed through racial wealth gap, the disproportionate incarceration rate of people of color, the fact that Black people are twice as likely to die from COVID-19, the racial disparities in pregnancy-related deaths, and the list goes on and on. The reality and evidence is clear: To be a person of color means grappling with inherent negative stereotypes, discrimination, and implicit biases created and enshrined in our collective identity and legal framework that stem from a long history of systemic and historical racism.

Misusing the term white privilege to discredit and reinforce white privilege only perpetuates an erroneous belief that we all do not live with the continued influence and impacts of systemic racism and racial injustice. Ignoring white privilege and its effects will only continue to exacerbate inequity and perpetuate the myth of American meritocracy. I am hopeful that folks misusing this term will read McIntosh’s essay and learn the true meaning of white privilege and if I may also suggest, I highly recommend reading “White Fragility” as well.

Löki Gale Tobin is a staffer for Alaska Senate Minority Leader Tom Begich, a member of the Pride Foundation board of directors and a community activist.

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