What Do You Mean "White Privilege"? 
I Worked For Everything I've Got!

It’s a common reaction. The phrase "white privilege" can be a trigger for many people, often because of misunderstanding and misuse of the term. For some it implies that any success that a white person has is due to some hidden privilege vs their own hard work. This is not what the term is intended to convey. 

Someone might describe a person's wealth, earned through inheritance or through a successful business, as white privilege. While race and economics can certainly intersect, such examples are often mislabeled as white privilege. To acknowledge white privilege is to simply acknowledge that people of color often experience a variety of obstacles that white people do not, solely because of the color of their skin.  Last June, after the protests in Minneapolis and other cities, Jimmy Kimmel provided a good description of white privilege and its impact. (click on the link below)  

So how does this “fix” anything? When we open our hearts to understanding others' experiences, we can work towards healing. If we see where white privilege exists, we can then begin to answer the questions: How do we provide those same privileges for people of color? How do we undo the implicit biases that erected these obstacles in the first place?

Want more? The link below provides some examples by Peggy McIntosh, who coined the term in 1988. As you will see, these examples have little to do with wealth and a lot do with how people encounter obstacles based on race.

Kimmel on White Privilege

MacIntosh on White Privilege.

SPIRIT OF JUSTICE MINISTRY