The Nation on White Privilege

[AnnieA1998]

http://www.redroom.com/blog/tim-wise...hite-privilege

[maryellen]

Wow, lots to digest here. Lots of great points to think about. Thanks for posting it. (That's not to say I agree with it 100%, just that it's definitely worthy of more thought.)

[Gangrel]

Wow. Racism is bad, but it goes both ways.

[AnnieA1998]

I have no idea what you mean by that statement?????

[mbw]

Wow. Racism is bad, but it goes both ways.

I totally agree

[maryellen]

Wow. Racism is bad, but it goes both ways.

OK, I'll bite. If it goes both ways, please tell me what the "Brown Privilege" is. (I use brown, rather than black, to include not only black people but also Asians, Latinos, etc.)

[AnnieA1998]

Since you seem to agree and understand what it means (Racism going both ways). Maybe you could explain it?

[Gangrel]

OK, I'll bite. If it goes both ways, please tell me what the "Brown Privilege" is. (I use brown, rather than black, to include not only black people but also Asians, Latinos, etc.)

Sorry to disappoint, but I won't get into a race debate with anyone. McCain's supporters have already been categorized as racists on another thread and anything said further would probably be misconstrued by the left-leaning members of the board. I've never heard the term "brown privilege", but apparently some people here think that only whites can be racist, which in turn is a racist belief.

[3cat]

Oh please PLEASE explain this.

[3cat]

We know that people of all colors and nationalities can be racist, but when it comes down to it, the racism that affects the most, that which has been institutionalized in ways, is that from those in power, those who control. In this country, that is white people. You must know that.

There is no comparison. And I'm not even getting into the Repub/Dem issue here.

[maryellen]

Sorry to disappoint, but I won't get into a race debate with anyone. McCain's supporters have already been categorized as racists on another thread and anything said further would probably be misconstrued by the left-leaning members of the board. I've never heard the term "brown privilege", but apparently some people here think that only whites can be racist, which in turn is a racist belief.

I've never accused anyone on this board of being a racist. I made up brown privilege specifically to avoid the "can minorities be racist" discussion, which is besides the point. You were saying it goes both ways, and if that's true then if there is a white privilege there must be a brown one. I would just like to know what the brown one looks like.

[Gangrel]

I've never accused anyone on this board of being a racist. I made up brown privilege specifically to avoid the "can minorities be racist" discussion, which is besides the point. You were saying it goes both ways, and if that's true then if there is a white privilege there must be a brown one. I would just like to know what the brown one looks like.

Did I say you accused anyone?? No I didn't but there are some on this board that have said it. Also, maybe you should reread what I said. What I was referring to is that racism going both ways.

[AnnieA1998]

Actually, you brought up racism. White privilege and racism are two different concepts. Just because there is white privilege doesn't make all white people racist. But an elitist and blind attitude toward the concept of white privilege can certainly lead to racism.

[AnnieA1998]

And this discussion was not about racism but about the concept of White Privilege - it is really is a different concept.

[mbw]

OK, I'll bite. If it goes both ways, please tell me what the "Brown Privilege" is. (I use brown, rather than black, to include not only black people but also Asians, Latinos, etc.)

ok. I'll bite back long enough to pick apart some of the above

and blacks don't pander to the black voters? Women didn't run to support Hillary because she was female? Gay candidates don't line up the gay vote?

Good grief, he wrote it on a my space page. And he's a teen. I would hardly define anyone by what they put on my space. I'm sure I can find some equally trashy stuff put out by latinos, asians, hispanics etc.

White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.

Because it's true that AA opened doors for people that probably wouldn't have qualified for college and they got in for reasons other than academics (ethnicity, athletic ability). Take the girl on my bus in high school that got a FULL scholarship to a black unniversity with average grades and a 540 on her SAT's. She was hardly the college type - her hs eng & math classes were not even on grade level. Or the hs track coach that went through Duke on a football scholarship that couldn't read a non-digital stopwatch.

There are people who had better grades/sat's/overall achievment that didn't get in to a program and their spot was given to someone just to fill a quota. BO went to college during a time that AA was used more than it is today. Is it that much of a stretch to think this might not have helped him get in Harvard?

In a perfect world, maybe people should apply with the SS #'s so there is no preference given at all.

BTW - Biden got in trouble in law school and was almost kicked out for plagiarism - 5 pages at that(Can you say dumb!). He graduated close to the bottom of his class. Hardly think that qualifies him as the scholarly type.

what did he do as a senator? what bills did he promote? He's had time to write 2 books, and travel immensely as well as campaign but not one piece of legislation?

You can be extremely "book smart" but dumb as heck when it involves real life. And you can be extremely smart and not have a college degree - Bill Gates seemed to do well without one.

and you don't think this hasn't been done before? Bill Clinton fired the White House travel staff and that was ok? I guess there's never been an issue with reverse discrimination before either where people lost their job because they were white, even though they were more qualified than the other ethnic candidate.

Black people aren't the only people who have been mistreated in the history of the world. It happened, it was wrong but it can't be changed.

How does having a United Negro College Fund, black universities, A Hispanic Miss America, etc. right this? It doesn't. But it's ok to have the UNCF - but there would be heck to pay if we had a white college fund. I wasn't even aware it was Latino history week until I heard it announced on a baseball game- and we certainly haven't celebrated it at school like we do black history month.

BO says he's proud of his black heritage and that's ok(even though his mother was white). But if I were to stand up and say I'm proud of my white heritage I'd be considered racist. See - it works both ways.

I could sit here and spend hours disputing this but the bottom line is discrimination works both ways. There will always be men who discriminate against women, women who discriminate against men, straight people discriminating against gay people, christians who discriminate against jews, jews who discriminate against arabs and so on and so forth.

Actually, you brought up racism. White privilege and racism are two different concepts. Just because there is white privilege doesn't make all white people racist. But an elitist and blind attitude toward the concept of white privilege can certainly lead to racism.

Well from what you quoted in here I believe white privilege and racism are the same. You are saying it's only ok because the person was white(therefore a privilige) and if the situation was reversed it would be wrong.