In response to Mr. Alexander Dolitsky’s op-ed in the July 16 ADN regarding white privilege, I would like to point out that, despite the obstacles he had to overcome as an immigrant, he still benefited from the perks of white privilege in the U.S., because he had the right color of skin.
White privilege is definitely not, as he claims, “a racist accusation.” It is a reality. Our history with Black people goes back centuries, and attitudes toward former slaves are still ingrained in both the culture and the workings of our society. Maybe Mr. Dolitsky needs to get to know more Black people and ask about their day-to-day experiences, living in this nation. Did he ever feel the need to warn his kids about avoiding potentially lethal encounters with the police, like they did? Perhaps he needs to read up on the history of how differently blacks have been treated and the laws that were passed specifically to keep them down after Emanicipation.
Many who enjoy the benefits of white privilege do not realize the vast extent to which it benefits us, so now is the time for each of us to educate ourselves. I, for one, just finished reading “The Lynching,” which began with the brutal murder and hanging of a randomly chosen young black man by KKK members in 1981. Has Dr. Dolitsky ever worried that he or his children might be lynched because of their skin color? Of course not. But it has happened over and over and over in this nation, and the attitudes behind those lynchings are still with us.
We must not be so quick to dismiss or gloss over this issue. The quality of life for Black Americans depends on white people truly grasping the depths of white privilege and then working for true equality for all.
Wendy Withrow
Anchorage
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