@IntermittentParps exactly, it’s not just about money, education, how you are raised etc. It’s the fact that somebody white does not have to think about how the colour of their skin affects their day to day life on top of all the other things they have going on. And yes you can say the same about men and women too.
Take two people- same age, same gender, from the same place, same amount of money in the family, went to same school etc. One is black and one is white. The one who is white does not have to worry every day about being treated differently due to the colour of their skin. That’s what we mean by white privilege. Not that white people can’t be poor, or looked down on or disadvantaged for any reason. They can, but it isn’t because they are white.
And even if a white person has ever felt targeted because they are white, the threat of this happening repeatedly is so small they don’t need to live in fear of it their whole lives. They don’t see their friends and family members of the same skin colour exposed to racism constantly throughout their lives.
A man and a woman both walk alone at night. Both have a risk of being attacked, or sexually assaulted. But the risk of this happening to the man, although it does happen, is so low that he isn’t afraid. He won’t think twice about walking home alone. He has that privilege because he is male. I know we are talking about race not gender but it’s another way to highlight what we mean when we say ‘privilege’.
I really hope what I’ve just said hasnt accidentally come out wrong or offensive to anyone as it’s a sensitive subject, and I am white so I really don’t want to put words in the mouths of POC. I’m just trying to show that as a white person I am aware of white privilege.