White privilege... really? In schools??!

[stellenbosch]

To quote Bastille, 'the world's gone mad' ...

I can only imagine how much worse my life would have been if my parents had raised me to believe that there was a bogeyman that seemed to stifle my development and progress at every turn, rather than the value of hard work and self resilience

But there is a bogeyman. And no matter how much hard work you do and your self resilience, society will put barriers in your way.

It's important that these barriers are talked about and steps introduced to remove these barriers.

@SleepFreeZone

Exactly it's based on legislation where companies are encouraged to have a more diverse workforce.

I don't know why some people think it's so shocking that it is happening. The reality is someone calls you, asks if you're diverse and if you're not you don't get an interview. That is pure fact.

I am aware of course of prejudice against non white people, but blaming white people who have had no part in historical racism, and pushing forward non white people to readdress an historical injustice is only going to cause more problems.

Given that white privilege and rascism still exists in most places where white people live alongside other races it’s pretty hard to confine the blame to history. As a white person I’m sure I’m totally oblivious to most of the subtleties of it. I think most white people are beacause it’s not our everyday reality. How else can we redress the balance in what is still a deeply racist society?

I love BertrandRussel’s posts in this thread. The game analogy is fantastic and was actually implemented in the “fractured butt hole” game that the South Park creators made last year. If you want to play the game at a harder difficulty setting, you make yourself black, female, gay etc.

Privilege is a thing. “John Smith from Southend” is far more likely to get a job than “Mohammed Mustafi from Iran”. Even if their qualifications and experience are the same.

White privilege my ass. There are people who are privileged and people who are not. The notion that my life is some how better, or my struggles are somehow less because I'm white

@claryfary What do you think of the idea of male privilege?

@kalapattar I'm all ears please explain the barriers that society put in my way specifically due to my race ?

Lifestooshort- there’s a lot going on in your post. But I can’t get past someone ringing you up and asking if you are diverse. Really? Using that form of words?

And holding open days for groups under represented in your industry is obviously a good thing. Making appointments prior to advertising is not, is illegal and you should whistle blow.

clayfray you’ve misunderstood what is meant by white privilege. It doesn’t mean all white people are super rich with great life’s. It means that all things being equal you have more chances as a white person than a POC. For example if a white person and black person with similar qualifications and experience are interviewed the whole person will be chosen more than the black person because of unconscious bias. White privilege is seen at a population rather than an individual level.

Oh please. White privilege exists and it's great it's being discussed at school. And to people who say we should be colour blind, etc. that's very easy to say if you're white and I know it's coming from a good place but it further marginalises people of colour, belittles their experience and suppresses their narratives and culture. We should embrace our differences, equality is the goal not colour blindness.

kala but you e got to admit it’s a really handy get out clause too. Oh I couldn’t do X because I’m a woman, i went to the wrong school, the wrong uni, my parents divorced, im black, I’m white, I’m Asian, I’m Christian, I’m Muslim, I’m trans, I’m gay, I live in the wrong area, I’m not clever enough, not tall enough ..... There’s always a reason and I accept some of those reasons are absolutely valid but let’s not instill them in the bloody kids for god sake. Let’s show them positive role models, tell them they can achieve anything, make them just see another human and not a colour or a set of chromosomes.

It’s just all so fucking depressing and shit and to me that campaign doesn’t inspire anyone to do anything positive. Just more guilt for the supposedly privileged and more reasons to hate for the supposedly disenfranchised.

I love this video which show privilege in action. It's a bit old now but still makes the point It shows who makes the decisions, the old boys club and how people judge others who are not them.

Let’s show them positive role models, tell them they can achieve anything, make them just see another human and not a colour or a set of chromosomes

It's hard to show role models when there are so many barriers - look at TV, films, the media, industry - and who is represented.

And then people complain about positive discrimination to get role models.

In this hypothetical race, what about if one of the kids at the back grows up to very handsome for example?

Good looking people earn more, are more successful, have more friends and are generally happier in life.

Why don't we do something to address beauty privilege?

You might have guessed that's a rhetorical question. The point is to demonstrate there are whole host of real, tangible factors that advantage some and harm others. It's not as simple as just race, or sex, or sexuality. Beauty is just one.

Focussing on one axis only is inherently harmful.

Kala this is a clip from yesminister from what I'm presuming is the 1980s or 1970s ? This doesn't represent in any form the barriers put in front of me in the 21st UK, it's a clip from a comedy show. Again I ask what barriers have been put in front of me due to race from society ? And please don't post a clip of love thy neighbour to show me racism exists.

Duck

Unless of course we are in Iran, in which case Mohammed has an enormous advantage.

Majority privilege in action.

@BertrandRussell

Exactly I'm not saying I disagree with encouraging underrepresented groups in industries. I don't necessarily have a problem with it, even though on a couple of occasions I strongly feel I would have got jobs I didn't get if I did identity as diverse. I'm sensible enough to realise for those couple of jobs I didn't get there are many more opportunities I benefitted from for other reasons.

But I'm not lying when I say a recruitment manager called me, and asked word for word: "do you identify as diverse?" This isn't illegal as far as I'm aware, so whistle blowing would be of no consequence.

Unsavoury though this is there is an underlying attitude from some people who assume diverse people in senior roles may have got their position through unfair privilege based on this system. This is why I don't think this open drive to recruit diverse people is working properly because it's unfairly casting doubt on some people's ability. I know this is simplistic but it really needs to be a fair system and not try to over compensate because that's causing problems in itself.

Saying that white privilege exists is not saying that white people do not have shitty lives. It is saying that there is an extra element of shittyness that a black person living a shitty live has that a white person living a shitty life doesn’t. For example, they can have exactly the same level of crap housing - but a black person might come out to find “go home black bitch” painted on her door.

You might have guessed that's a rhetorical question. The point is to demonstrate there are whole host of real, tangible factors that advantage some and harm others. It's not as simple as just race, or sex, or sexuality. Beauty is just one

When you get to it - I bet people could generate a whole load of things that help or hinder people.

Some are things people have control over. Some are things people have no control over.

I am sure there is one group that have loads and loads of advantages - and the fact that they have some disadvantages make little difference.

I wonder who that group could be?

I’m actually feeling like banging my head against the wall because I don’t understand how people actually believe that this isn’t a thing. OF course it’s a thing?

How can you not see that even in this day and age being white gives you advantages and LESS disadvantages.

People still believe that a black person driving a bmw/Mercedes/Audi has stolen it or isn’t a drug dealer. Because GOD FORBID a black person is successful because of the work they’ve put in. I’ve never heard someone say that about a white person? Ever?

Again I ask what barriers have been put in front of me due to race from society

What race are you?

Aaaah but beauty privilege is also inheritantly racism isn’t it? The black role models are very pale, the right shade of black. Even Beyoncé’s father said she wouldn’t have become an icon if she’d have been darker skinned.

“In this hypothetical race, what about if one of the kids at the back grows up to very handsome for example?”

They will still be at a disadvantage compared to a kid in the front who grew up yo be very handsome.

White privilege... really? In schools??!

Yes. It exists. Even in schools. Even in the UK.

It should be taught explicitly, not just explained on posters, although that's a start.

My DDs have Asperger's and anxiety which significantly impacts on their lives. They also benefit from white privilege.

Bertrand
Tarring people with the same brush, negatively, putting people down, everyone in that race group is damning and this will never help change

Kala your still talking about ghosts here, what are the tangible barriers that are put in front of non white people unfairly ?