If anything should be gleaned from today’s readings, it should be the line from the McIntosh article in which she states, “I did not see myself as a racist because I was taught to recognize racism only in individual acts of meanness by members of my group, never in the invisible systems conferring unsought racial dominance on my group from birth” (McIntosh, 3). I feel that Caucasians and minority groups both underestimate the powers of these hidden forces. I cannot recall a moment in my life in which I have directly observed vitriolic racism yet, especially as a white southerner, I have seen the unintentional effects of white privilege time and time again. The single greatest advantage of being white, at least as I have experienced it, comes from knowing that the police protect me and do not target me. Not only am I less likely to be targeted by officers but even if I am caught the white privilege in the judicial system ensures me a greater chance to be found innocent or given a less severe jail sentence. New York City has a stop and frisk policy that allows the police to frisk any pedestrians they find suspicious of a crime. The vast majority of those stopped are Latino or African-American with only a tiny percentage being white.  Even wealthy African-Americans have reason to fear the police. As demonstrated in Crash – The black man in the scene is a successful African-American film director. Knowing with confidence that I am much less likely to fall victim to such abuse is both comforting and concerning at the same time. 

In the last assigned material for today, Jennifer Lee calls into question the benefits of “positive” stereotypes. However some incompatibility exists between the Lee video and the other resources for today. I think that in part white privilege is merely the manifestation of positive stereotypes. To go down the list compiled by McIntosh a good deal of the privileges stem from whites being seen as law abiding, financially stable, intelligent people. Whites can move into most neighborhoods without concern for being accepted. I am not unfairly audited because I am already perceived to have paid my taxes. I am less likely to be ID’d when using a credit card. I can take walks at night without fears of being perceived as a criminal. Yes, college admission is more difficult for me as a white. However, considering the massive educational and social advantages I had growing up as a wealthy white male, having a slightly higher required SAT score for admission is probably fair.

The hegemonic structures of white, male, and wealth privilege will not disappear easily or overnight. I do not see these groups relinquishing their advantages and change will only come when the burdened groups step forward and push for true equality. Even laws that strive for racial equality, such as affirmative action, still reinforce racial differences. No easy path forward exists.