By Claudia Rankine

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In the early days of the run-up to the 2016 election, I was just beginning to prepare a class on whiteness to teach at Yale University, where I had been newly hired. Over the years, I had come to realize that I often did not share historical knowledge with the persons to whom I was speaking. “What’s redlining?” someone would ask. “George Washington freed his slaves?” someone else would inquire. But as I listened to Donald Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric during the campaign that spring, the class took on a new dimension. Would my students understand the long history that informed a comment like one Trump made when he announced his presidential candidacy? “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best,” he said. “They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.” When I heard those words, I wanted my students to track immigration laws in the United States. Would they connect the treatment of the undocumented with the treatment of Irish, Italian and Asian people over the centuries?

In preparation, I needed to slowly unpack and understand how whiteness was created. How did the Naturalization Act of 1790, which restricted citizenship to “any alien, being a free white person,” develop over the years into our various immigration acts? What has it taken to cleave citizenship from “free white person”? What was the trajectory of the Ku Klux Klan after its formation at the end of the Civil War, and what was its relationship to the Black Codes, those laws subsequently passed in Southern states to restrict black people’s freedoms? Did the United States government bomb the black community in Tulsa, Okla., in 1921? How did Italians, Irish and Slavic peoples become white? Why do people believe abolitionists could not be racist?

I wanted my students to gain an awareness of a growing body of work by sociologists, theorists, historians and literary scholars in a field known as “whiteness studies,” the cornerstones of which include Toni Morrison’s “Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination,” David Roediger’s “The Wages of Whiteness,” Matthew Frye Jacobson’s “Whiteness of a Different Color: European Immigrants and the Alchemy of Race,” Richard Dyer’s “White” and more recently Nell Irvin Painter’s “The History of White People.” Roediger, a historian, had explained the development of the field, one that my class would engage with, saying, “The 1980s and early ’90s saw the publication of major works on white identity’s intricacies and costs by James Baldwin and Toni Morrison, alongside new works by white writers and activists asking similar questions historically. Given the seeming novelty of such white writing and the urgency of understanding white support for Ronald Reagan, ‘critical whiteness studies’ gained media attention and a small foothold in universities.” This area of study aimed to make visible a history of whiteness that through its association with “normalcy” and “universality” masked its omnipresent institutional power.

My class eventually became Constructions of Whiteness, and over the two years that I have taught it, many of my students (who have included just about every race, gender identity and sexual orientation) interviewed white people on campus or in their families about their understanding of American history and how it relates to whiteness. Some students simply wanted to know how others around them would define their own whiteness. Others were troubled by their own family members’ racism and wanted to understand how and why certain prejudices formed. Still others wanted to show the impact of white expectations on their lives.

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Perhaps this is why one day in New Haven, staring into the semicircle of oak trees in my backyard, I wondered what it would mean to ask random white men how they understood their privilege. I imagined myself — a middle-aged black woman — walking up to strangers and doing so. Would they react as the police captain in Plainfield, Ind., did when his female colleague told him during a diversity-training session that he benefited from “white male privilege”? He became angry and accused her of using a racialized slur against him. (She was placed on paid administrative leave, and a reprimand was placed permanently in her file.) Would I, too, be accused? Would I hear myself asking about white male privilege and then watch white man after white man walk away as if I were mute? Would they think I worked for Trevor Noah or Stephen Colbert and just forgot my camera crew? The running comment in our current political climate is that we all need to converse with people we don’t normally speak to, and though my husband is white, I found myself falling into easy banter with all kinds of strangers except white men. They rarely sought me out to shoot the breeze, and I did not seek them out. Maybe it was time to engage, even if my fantasies of these encounters seemed outlandish. I wanted to try.

Weeks later, it occurred to me that I tend to be surrounded by white men I don’t know when I’m traveling, caught in places that are essentially nowhere: in between, en route, up in the air. As I crisscrossed the United States, Europe and Africa giving talks about my work, I found myself considering these white men who passed hours with me in airport lounges, at gates, on planes. They seemed to me to make up the largest percentage of business travelers in the liminal spaces where we waited. That I was among them in airport lounges and in first-class cabins spoke in part to my own relative economic privilege, but the price of my ticket, of course, does not translate into social capital. I was always aware that my value in our culture’s eyes is determined by my skin color first and foremost. Maybe these other male travelers could answer my questions about white privilege. I felt certain that as a black woman, there had to be something I didn’t understand.

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Just recently, a friend who didn’t get a job he applied for told me that as a white male, he was absorbing the problems of the world. He meant he was being punished for the sins of his forefathers. He wanted me to know he understood it was his burden to bear. I wanted to tell him that he needed to take a long view of the history of the workplace, given the imbalances that generations of hiring practices before him had created. But would that really make my friend feel any better? Did he understand that today, 65 percent of elected officials are white men, though they make up only 31 percent of the American population? White men have held almost all the power in this country for 400 years.

[The grief that white Americans can’t share.]

I knew that my friend was trying to communicate his struggle to find a way to understand the complicated American structure that holds us both. I wanted to ask him if his expectation was a sign of his privilege but decided, given the loss of his job opportunity, that my role as a friend probably demanded other responses.

After a series of casual conversations with my white male travelers, would I come to understand white privilege any differently? They couldn’t know what it’s like to be me, though who I am is in part a response to who they are, and I didn’t really believe I understood them, even as they determined so much of what was possible in my life and in the lives of others. But because I have only lived as me, a person who regularly has to negotiate conscious and unconscious dismissal, erasure, disrespect and abuse, I fell into this wondering silently. Always, I hesitated.

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I hesitated when I stood in line for a flight across the country, and a white man stepped in front of me. He was with another white man. “Excuse me,” I said. “I am in this line.” He stepped behind me but not before saying to his flight mate, “You never know who they’re letting into first class these days.”

Was his statement a defensive move meant to cover his rudeness and embarrassment, or were we sharing a joke? Perhaps he, too, had heard the recent anecdote in which a black woman recalled a white woman’s stepping in front of her at her gate. When the black woman told her she was in line, the white woman responded that it was the line for first class. Was the man’s comment a sly reference? But he wasn’t laughing, not even a little, not even a smile. Deadpan.

Later, when I discussed this moment with my therapist, she told me that she thought the man’s statement was in response to his flight mate, not me. I didn’t matter to him, she said; that’s why he could step in front of me in the first place. His embarrassment, if it was embarrassment, had everything to do with how he was seen by the person who did matter: his white male companion. I was allowing myself to have too much presence in his imagination, she said. Should this be a comfort? Was my total invisibility preferable to a targeted insult?

During the flight, each time he removed or replaced something in his case overhead, he looked over at me. Each time, I looked up from my book to meet his gaze and smiled — I like to think I’m not humorless. I tried to imagine what my presence was doing to him. On some level, I thought, I must have dirtied up his narrative of white privilege securing white spaces. In my class, I had taught “Whiteness as Property,” an article published in The Harvard Law Review in 1993, in which the author, Cheryl Harris, argues that “the set of assumptions, privileges and benefits that accompany the status of being white have become a valuable asset that whites sought to protect.” These are the assumptions of privilege and exclusion that have led many white Americans to call the police on black people trying to enter their own homes or vehicles. Racial profiling becomes another sanctioned method of segregating space. Harris goes on to explain how much white people rely on these benefits, so much so that their expectations inform the interpretations of our laws. “Stand your ground” laws, for example, mean whites can claim that fear made them kill an unarmed black person. Or voter-registration laws in certain states can function as de facto Jim Crow laws. “American law,” Harris writes, “has recognized a property interest in whiteness.”

On the plane, I wanted to enact a new narrative that included the whiteness of the man who had stepped in front of me. I felt his whiteness should be a component of what we both understood about him, even as his whiteness would not be the entirety of who he is. His unconscious understanding of whiteness meant the space I inhabited should have been only his. The old script would have left his whiteness unacknowledged in my consideration of his slight. But a rude man and a rude white man have different presumptions. Just as when a white person confronted by an actual black human being needs to negotiate stereotypes of blackness so that he can arrive at the person standing before him, I hoped to give the man the same courtesy but in the reverse. Seeing his whiteness meant I understood my presence as an unexpected demotion for him. It was too bad if he felt that way. Still, I wondered, what is this “stuckness” inside racial hierarchies that refuses the neutrality of the skies? I hoped to find a way to have this conversation.

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The phrase “white privilege” was popularized in 1988 by Peggy McIntosh, a Wellesley College professor who wanted to define “invisible systems conferring dominance on my group.” McIntosh came to understand that she benefited from hierarchical assumptions and policies simply because she was white. I would have preferred if instead of “white privilege” she had used the term “white dominance,” because “privilege” suggested hierarchical dominance was desired by all. Nonetheless, the phrase has stuck. The title of her essay “White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences Through Work in Women’s Studies” was a mouthful. McIntosh listed 46 ways white privilege is enacted. “Number 19: I can speak in public to a powerful male group without putting my race on trial”; “Number 20: I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race”; “Number 27: I can go home from most meetings of organizations I belong to feeling somewhat tied in, rather than isolated, out-of-place, outnumbered, unheard, held at a distance or feared”; “Number 36: If my day, week or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it has racial overtones.” I’m not clear why McIntosh stopped at 46 except as a way of saying, “You get the picture.” My students were able to add their own examples easily.

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My students and I also studied the work of the white documentary filmmaker Whitney Dow. In the last couple of years, Dow has been part of Columbia University’s Interdisciplinary Center for Innovative Theory and Empirics (Incite), which gathered data on more than 850 people who identify as white or partly white and the communities in which they live. He filmed more than a hundred of their oral histories. This work, like McIntosh’s, was another way of thinking about the ordinariness of white hierarchical thinking. I asked Dow what he learned in his conversations with white men. “They are struggling to construct a just narrative for themselves as new information comes in, and they are having to restructure and refashion their own narratives and coming up short,” he said. “I include myself in that,” he added after a moment. “We are seeing the deconstruction of the white-male archetype. The individual actor on the grand stage always had the support of a genocidal government, but this is not the narrative we grew up with. It’s a challenge to adjust.”

The interviews, collected in Incite’s initial report, “Facing Whiteness,” vary greatly in terms of knowledge of American history and experiences. One interviewee declares: “The first slave owner in America was a black man. How many people know that? The slaves that were brought to America were sold to the white man by blacks. So, I don’t feel that we owe them any special privileges other than that anybody else has, any other race.” While this interviewee denies any privilege, another has come to see how his whiteness enables his mobility in America: “I have to accept the reality that because I’m a man, I — whether I was aware of that or not at any specific time — probably had some sort of hand up in a situation.” He added, “The longer I’m in law enforcement and the more aware I am of the world around me, the more I realize that being of Anglo-Saxon descent, being a man and being in a region of America that is somewhat rural, and because it’s rural by default mostly white, means that I definitely get preference.” This interviewee, who while recognizing his privilege, and who according to Whitney Dow had been “pretty ostracized because of his progressiveness” in the workplace, still indicates — through his use of words like “probably” and phrases like “because it’s rural by default mostly white” — that he believes white privilege is in play in only certain circumstances. Full comprehension would include the understanding that white privilege comes with expectations of protection and preferences no matter where he lives in the country.

[How privilege became a provocation.]

How angry could I be at the white man on the plane, the one who glanced at me each time he stood up the way you look at a stone you had tripped on? I understood that the man’s behavior was also his socialization. My own socialization had, in many ways, prepared me for him. I was not overwhelmed by our encounter because my blackness is “consent not to be a single being.” This phrase, which finds its origins in the work of the West Indian writer Édouard Glissant but was reintroduced to me in the recent work of the poet and critical theorist Fred Moten, gestures toward the fact that I can refuse the white man’s stereotypes of blackness, even as he interacts with those stereotypes. What I wanted was to know what the white man saw or didn’t see when he walked in front of me at the gate.

It’s hard to exist and also accept my lack of existence. Frank Wilderson III, chair of African-American studies at the University of California, Irvine, borrows the sociological term “social death” to explain my there-but-not-there status in a historically anti-black society. The outrage — and if we are generous, the embarrassment — that occasioned the white passenger’s comment were a reaction to the unseen taking up space; space itself is one of the understood privileges of whiteness.

I was waiting in another line for access to another plane in another city as another group of white men approached. When they realized they would have to get behind a dozen or so people already in line, they simply formed their own line next to us. I said to the white man standing in front of me, “Now, that is the height of white male privilege.” He laughed and remained smiling all the way to his seat. He wished me a good flight. We had shared something. I don’t know if it was the same thing for each of us — the same recognition of racialized privilege — but I could live with that polite form of unintelligibility.

I found the suited men who refused to fall in line exhilarating and amusing (as well as obnoxious). Watching them was like watching a spontaneous play about white male privilege in one act. I appreciated the drama. One or two of them chuckled at their own audacity. The gate agent did an interesting sort of check-in by merging the newly formed line with the actual line. The people in my line, almost all white and male themselves, were in turn quizzical and accepting.

After I watched this scene play out, I filed it away to use as an example in my class. How would my students read this moment? Some would no doubt be enraged by the white female gate agent who let it happen. I would ask why it was easier to be angry with her than with the group of men. Because she doesn’t recognize or utilize her institutional power, someone would say. Based on past classes, I could assume the white male students would be quick to distance themselves from the men at the gate; white solidarity has no place in a class that sets out to make visible the default positions of whiteness.

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As the professor, I felt this was a narrative that could help me gauge the level of recognition of white privilege in the class, because other white people were also inconvenienced by the actions of this group of men. The students wouldn’t be distracted by society’s abuse of minorities because everyone seemed inconvenienced. Some students, though, would want to see the moment as gendered, not racialized. I would ask them if they could imagine a group of black men pulling off this action without the white men in my line responding or the gate agent questioning the men even if they were within their rights.

As I became more and more frustrated with myself for avoiding asking my question, I wondered if presumed segregation in business or first class should have been Number 47 on McIntosh’s list. Just do it, I told myself. Just ask a random white guy how he feels about his privilege.

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I myself am overdetermined by my race. Is that avoidable? Is that a problem? Had I made the problem or was I given the problem?

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Photo illustration by Najeebah Al-Ghadban

On my next flight, I came close. I was a black woman in the company of mostly white men, in seats that allowed for both proximity and separate spaces. The flight attendant brought drinks to everyone around me but repeatedly forgot my orange juice. Telling myself orange juice is sugar and she might be doing my post-cancer body a favor, I just nodded when she apologized for the second time. The third time she walked by without the juice, the white man sitting next to me said to her: “This is incredible. You have brought me two drinks in the time you have forgotten to bring her one.”

She returned immediately with the juice.

I thanked him. He said, “She isn’t suited to her job.” I didn’t respond: “She didn’t forget your drinks. She didn’t forget you. You are seated next to no one in this no place.” Instead, I said, “She just likes you more.” He perhaps thought I was speaking about him in particular and blushed. Did he understand I was joking about white male privilege? It didn’t seem so. The red crept up his neck into his cheeks, and he looked shy and pleased at the same time. He brought both hands up to his cheeks as if to hold in the heat of this embarrassing pleasure.

“Coming or going?” he asked, changing the subject.

“I’m returning from Johannesburg.”

“Really?” he said. “I was just in Cape Town.”

Hence your advocacy, I thought ungenerously. Why was that thought in my head? I myself am overdetermined by my race. Is that avoidable? Is that a problem? Had I made the problem or was I given the problem?

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As I looked at the man in Seat 2B, I wondered if my historical positioning was turning his humanity into evidence of white male dominance. Are white men overly determined by their skin color in my eyes? Are they being forced, as my friend suggested, to absorb the problems of the world?

On the long flight, I didn’t bring up white male privilege, jokes or otherwise, again. Instead we wandered around our recent memories of South Africa and discussed the resort where he stayed and the safari I took. I didn’t bring up Soweto or the Apartheid Museum that I visited in Johannesburg or the lynching memorial in Montgomery, Ala., which the Apartheid Museum reminded me of. I wanted my fellow traveler to begin a conversation about his privilege this time. For once. I wanted him to think about his whiteness, especially because he had just left South Africa, a country that suffered, as James Baldwin said, “from the same delusion the Americans suffer from — it too thought it was a white country.” But I imagined he felt the less said about race relations in the United States or South Africa, the more possible it was for us to be interlocutors. That was my fantasy, in any case.

Back home, when I mentioned these encounters to my white husband, he was amused. “They’re just defensive,” he said. “White fragility,” he added, with a laugh. This white man who has spent the past 25 years in the world alongside me believes he understands and recognizes his own privilege. Certainly he knows the right terminology to use, even when these agreed-upon terms prevent us from stumbling into moments of real recognition. These phrases — white fragility, white defensiveness, white appropriation — have a habit of standing in for the complicated mess of a true conversation. At that moment, he wanted to discuss our current president instead. “That,” he said, “is a clear case of indignation and rage in the face of privilege writ large. Real power. Real consequences.” He was not wrong, of course, but he joined all the “woke” white men who set their privilege outside themselves — as in, I know better than to be ignorant or defensive about my own privilege. Never mind that that capacity to set himself outside the pattern of white male dominance is the privilege. There’s no outrunning the kingdom, the power and the glory.

I finally got up my nerve to ask a stranger directly about white privilege as I was sitting next to him at the gate. He had initiated our conversation, because he was frustrated about yet another delay. We shared that frustration together. Eventually he asked what I did, and I told him that I write and teach. “Where do you teach?” he asked. “Yale,” I answered. He told me his son wanted to go there but hadn’t been accepted during the early-application process. “It’s tough when you can’t play the diversity card,” he added.

Was he thinking out loud? Were the words just slipping out before he could catch them? Was this the innocence of white privilege? Was he yanking my chain? Was he snapping the white-privilege flag in my face? Should I have asked him why he had the expectation that his son should be admitted early, without delay, without pause, without waiting? Should I have asked how he knew a person of color “took” his son’s seat and not another white son of one of these many white men sitting around us?

I was perhaps holding my breath. I decided to just breathe.

“The Asians are flooding the Ivy Leagues,” he added after a moment. Perhaps the clarification was intended to make it clear that he wasn’t speaking right now about black people and their forms of affirmative action. He had remembered something. He had recalled who was sitting next to him.

[50 years of affirmitive action: what went right and what it got wrong?]

Then I did it. I asked. “I’ve been thinking about white male privilege, and I wonder if you think about yours or your son’s?” It almost seemed to be a non sequitur, but he rolled with it.

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“Not me,” he said. “I’ve worked hard for everything I have.”

What was it that Justice Brett Kavanaugh said at his Supreme Court confirmation hearing? “I got into Yale Law School. That’s the No. 1 law school in the country. I had no connections there. I got there by busting my tail in college.” He apparently believed this despite the fact that his grandfather went to Yale. I couldn’t tell by looking at this man I was sitting next to, but I wondered if he was an ethnic white rather than a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant. The historian Matthew Frye Jacobson, in “Whiteness of a Different Color,” describes “the 20th century’s reconsolidating of the 19th century’s ‘Celts, Slavs, Hebrews and Mediterraneans.’ ” By the 1940s, according to David Roediger, “given patterns of intermarriage across ethnicity and Cold War imperatives,” whites stopped dividing hierarchically within whiteness and begin identifying as socially constructed Caucasians.

I said to the man, “What if I said I wasn’t referring to generations of economic wealth, to Mayflower wealth and connections?” I asked him if he gets flagged when he passes through T.S.A. “Not usually,” he said. “I have Global Entry.”

“So do I,” I said, “but I still get stopped.” The “randomness” of racial profiling is a phenomenon I could talk about forever, but I stopped myself that day. “Are you able to move in and out of public spaces without being questioned as to why you are there?” I asked. “Do people rush forward asking how they can help you?” I knew the answer to my question, but I asked it anyway, because I wanted to slow down a dynamic he benefited from.

He said he saw my point. I wanted to say, “It’s not my point, it’s your reality,” but the declarative nature of the sentence felt sharp on my tongue. I wanted to keep talking with this man, and I knew my race and gender meant he was wary of me and my questions — questions that might lead to the word “racist” or “sexist.” If only skin color didn’t have such predictive power.

I didn’t want our different historical positioning derailing our already strained chat. I wanted to learn something that surprised me about this stranger, something I couldn’t have known beforehand. Then it hit me. There wasn’t enough time to develop trust, but everyone likes a listener. “Coming or going?” is the traveler’s neutral, nonprying question. So now I asked him. He was heading home.

The word “home” turned him back to his son. He said his son’s best friend was Asian and had been admitted to Yale on early action or early decision or early admissions. Neither of us knew the terminology. I wondered how he comforted his son. Had he used “the diversity card” as he had with me? I didn’t want to discuss college-admissions policy anymore. I wanted our conversation to go down any other road, but I had somehow become a representative of Yale, not a stranger sitting next to another stranger.

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I reminded myself that I was there only to listen. Just listen. The man was deeply earnest and obviously felt helpless about the uncertainty of his son’s future. But it couldn’t be too dismal if Yale was still an option. Don’t think, I reminded myself. Know what it is to parent. Know what it is to love. Know what it is to be white. Know what it is to expect what white people have always had. Know what it is to resent. Is that unfair? Resentment has no home here. Know what it is to be white. Is that ungenerous? I don’t know. Don’t think.

I didn’t ask this white man why he thought his son was any more entitled to a place at Yale than his son’s Asian friend. I didn’t want him to feel he needed to defend his son’s worth or his son’s intelligence to me. I wanted his son to thrive. I did. Were his son to arrive in my class, I would help him do his best. The more he achieved at Yale, the more pleased I would be for both of us. If his son told the class he got into Yale because many of his white teachers from kindergarten on exaggerated his intelligence, I would interrupt him, as I have done in the past, and say, “No, you got into Yale, and you have the capacity to understand that many factors contributed to your acceptance.”

College-admissions processes can’t be discussed in definitive ways; they’re full of gray areas, and those gray areas are often white-leaning, even as plenty of whites are denied entrance. We know that. I was suddenly reluctant to have a conversation about white-perceived spaces and entitlement or, God forbid, affirmative action, which would of course flood the space between us with black and brown people, me included. I said instead, “Wherever your son goes will work out, and in five years none of this will matter.” It was in this moment that I recognized my exhaustion. And then came the realization that we were, in fact, in the midst of a discussion about the perceived loss of white male privilege. Was I implicated in his loss? Did he think so?

Not long after this, I was on another flight and sitting next to a white man who felt as if he could already be a friend. Our conversation had the ease of kicking a ball around on a fall afternoon. Or it felt like stepping out the door in late spring when suddenly the temperature inside and out reads the same on your skin. Resistance falls away; your shoulders relax. I was, metaphorically, happily outdoors with this man, who was open and curious with a sense of humor. He spoke about his wife and son with palpable affection. And though he was with me on the plane, he was there with them as well. His father was an academic, his mother a great woman.

He asked who my favorite musician was, and I told him the Commodores because of one song, “Nightshift,” which is basically an elegy. He loved Bruce Springsteen, but “Nightshift” was also one of his favorite songs. We sang lyrics from “Nightshift” together: “I still can hear him say, ‘Aw, talk to me so you can see what’s going on.’ ” When he asked if I knew a certain song by Springsteen, I admitted I didn’t. I could only think of “American Skin (41 Shots)”: “No secret, my friend, you can get killed just for living in your American skin.” I knew those lyrics, but I didn’t start singing them. I made a mental note to check out the Springsteen song he loved.

Eventually, he told me he had been working on diversity inside his company. “We still have a long way to go,” he said. Then he repeated himself — “We still have a long way to go” — adding, “I don’t see color.” This is a statement for well-meaning white people whose privilege and blind desire catapult them into a time when little black children and little white children are judged not “by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” The phrase “I don’t see color” pulled an emergency brake in my brain. Would you be bringing up diversity if you didn’t see color? I wondered. Will you tell your wife you had a nice talk with a woman or a black woman? Help.

All I could think to say was, “Ain’t I a black woman?” I asked the question slowly, as if testing the air quality. Did he get the riff on Sojourner Truth? Or did he think the ungrammatical construction was a sign of blackness? Or did he think I was mocking white people’s understanding of black intelligence? “Aren’t you a white man?” I then asked. “Can’t you see that? Because if you can’t see race, you can’t see racism.” I repeated that sentence, which I read not long before in Robin DiAngelo’s “White Fragility.”

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“I get it,” he said. His tone was solemn. “What other inane things have I said?”

“Only that,” I responded.

I had refused to let the reality he was insisting on be my reality. And I was pleased that I hadn’t lubricated the moment, pleased I could say no to the silencing mechanisms of manners, pleased he didn’t need to open up a vein of complaint. I was pleased he was not passively bullying. I was pleased he could carry the disturbance of my reality. And just like that, we broke open our conversation — random, ordinary, exhausting and full of a shared longing to exist in less segregated spaces.

Claudia Rankine is a contributing writer for the magazine, a professor of poetry at Yale University and the author of a collection of essays titled “Just Us,” which will be published next year.

Source photographs: Getty Images.

A version of this article appears in print on , Page 38 of the Sunday Magazine with the headline: Brief Encounters with White Men. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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From Where I Sit

Gotham

Let me note that I am in no way comparing mine and my family’s experiences to slavery nor the prevalence of racism. But are you referring to the privilege that my grandfather enjoyed when his mother sold everything she had to pay a young woman to take her two year old to family in West Virginia? He would never see her again - she died of pneumonia in 1942. Or is it the privilege he enjoyed growing up in a coal company town where he was pulled from school in the sixth grade because he was big enough to work in a factory? He worked 12 hour days there until he was big enough to be moved to the mines. That privilege? Or the privilege at 16 that let him escape life underground by running away, stowing away on a coal train to lie about his age to join the Navy?

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Kelly O’Donnell commented July 22

K

Kelly O’Donnell

Astoria

I wish people would not get so defensive and jump to judgement when someone says "I don't see color." I never personally say this phrase because I know it's off limits. But the intention behind the phrase usually means "I try not to judge someone or make assumptions based on their race." Nobody is claiming they aren't aware of race. And nobody is claiming that they don't see you or that they don't care about you, that they know more about your experiences than you, or that they don't want to talk about racism. Those are huge assumptions to make. How about this: if a person tells you they don't see color, rather than immediately decide their sentiment is racist and problematic, ask them "What do you mean by that specifically? Can you explain it in more detail so that I can understand your point of view?"

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Christopher commented July 22

C

Christopher

Fort Collins, CO

As a white, privileged, gay male this was a rather fantastic thought provoking piece, one especially appealing to a college student such as myself. However, one thing I would like to address is the difference between white privilege and economic privilege. The two are entirely separate issues and I do wish that Ms. Rankine would have gone deeper into her own economic privilege that few will even come close to experiencing in their life time. I think that a discussion of differentiation between the two would go a long way in terms of getting the message across effectively. Once those are differentiated I think there might be a greater understanding of what white privilege really is among white men and could lead to some progress and to her point some real conversation.

32 Recommend

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MJ commented July 22

M

MJ

USA

I'm glad to see Claudia is spending her MacArthur Grant by blindsiding people with her race bating questions. The assumption of racism in these situations is abhorrent. The entire experiment is reminiscent of a Sacha Baron Cohen "Borat" skit. These situations are not indicative of, nor do they shed light on, "white privilege." They are, at best, psychological experiments on what people will say when cornered and confronted. Never is the investigator prepared to come up with any other answer than racism. I've had people act rudely towards me, cut me off in any number of queues, and otherwise behave in ways I did not understand. My conclusion is that people, ALL people, are generally self-absorbed, self-important, maybe insecure, lost in their own moments, or might just be having a really bad day. Not every act of rudeness, perceived slight, misunderstanding, line-cut, stare-down, highway cut-off, etc. is because you are black. It might be because you are a human being who lives and breathes in a society with other flawed humans.

127 Recommend

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Robin Victor commented July 22

R

Robin Victor

Tennessee

White female here. I accept my privilege by the virtue of being born into a white upper-middle-class family. I'm not questioning the concept of privilege. But I do think the author is threading a very fine needle in terms of what she found acceptable for her airline co-passengers to say . Seems that these people, who had no idea they were being interviewed, were being judged for not saying things exactly the way she wanted them phrased. That's a bit much. Let's try to bring people into the fold and not alienate them or shame them, especially if they are trying to do the right thing. Bring people in, don't drive them away.

54 Recommend

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1 REPLY

A Mazing commented July 22

A

A Mazing

NYC

No one’s driving anyone away. As if! The author is doing what we ask of essayists and poets: reporting on the world from their own sharp perspectives. We’re all the better for it.

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Rocky commented July 22

R

Rocky

Philadelphia

Perhaps it’s cynical of me, but whenever I read about black victimhood, my mind turns to this quote by Booker T. Washington: “There is another class of coloured people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs – partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs.”

53 Recommend

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Why? commented July 22

W

Why?

USA

The gay rights movement was incredibly successful in convincing the public to support marriage equality in a very short period of time. How did they do this? Did they talk about "straight privilege," "straight supremacy," "straight fragility," and of straight "microaggressions"? Did they confront random straight people on airplanes? Did they reduce straight people to nothing more than a sexual orientation -- a hostile "other"? Did they assert that all straight people were complicit in the repression of gay people? Nope. They won by emphasizing things like basic fairness; their argument was that gay folks just wanted access to foundational institutions, like marriage, that are a shared part of the American dream. They appealed to straight people not as victims seeking reparations but as family members, co-workers, neighbors, and fellow citizens who simply wanted to be treated the same as everyone else. Maybe the author could give some thought to that approach, and see if it makes more sense than identity-based grievance politics that lead nowhere except to alienation and conflict.

73 Recommend

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Ben commented July 22

B

Ben

New York

At last someone willing to go from airplane to airplane, giving fellow passengers the chance to say “What other inane things have I said?”

22 Recommend

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Stephen Merritt commented July 22

S

Stephen Merritt

Gainesville

Thank you, Ms. Rankine for this excellent article.

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Me commented July 22

M

Me

My home

I wonder how a black woman would react to a class on “blackness” or what it means to be a black woman taught by a white man. I am personally tired of judgments and assumptions based on my race (white) and gender (female). It will go on as long as we allow it to go on with classes like this which point fingers are others and make assumptions about intentions and motivations. So tired of this.

73 Recommend

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boston123 commented July 22

B

boston123

boston

The issue of course is that in any multi racial society , such pressures exist. Instead of worrying so much about privilege, I would have thought the professor would worry about getting her students to make something, or create businesses....and becoming wealthy in the process. I follow the Indian American diaspora in Silicon Valley, and its amazing how things have changed in last 20 - 25 years . I recall a time when most Indian Americans were classified as techies, or worker bees. Now with a bunch of them running some of the largest tech companies... think google, Adobe, Microsoft, workday.... and a large number in leadership positions, many don’t worry about flying first class, or being able to afford it,.. so why not just buckle up, make meaningful contributions and stop worrying about privilege ( of any kind)?

27 Recommend

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Lamont MacLemore commented July 22

L

Lamont MacLemore

NEPA

The author writes that "[t]hese are the assumptions of privilege and exclusion that have led many white Americans to call the police on black people trying to enter their own homes or vehicles." My personal experience is that white people don't need the authority of the police in order to question the unexpected presence of a black person in "their" space. Their personal authority as white people is sufficient. When I was a graduate student at M.I.T., one of my roommates presented a lecture at Harvard. After the lecture, I was sitting alone at a table, when a redundantly-white Harvard student, a total stranger, chose to join me. As she sat down, she smiled and asked, "What are _you_ doing here?" On another occasion, as I was waiting for a lecture to begin, at Michigan, a famous-in-the-field professor from Georgetown fought his way past the bodies of others to sit next to me. After introducing himself, he continued, with a friendly and pleasant smile, "Over the past few years, I've often noticed you at several of our(!) [learned] society's meetings and I've long been wondering, who are you and why are you here?" Though both of my interlocutors were nice as nice can be in their demeanor, nevertheless, I "felt a draft."

14 Recommend

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P. Hedgie commented July 22

P

P. Hedgie

formerly California

We need more articles like this! This election year is a opportunity for a real discussion. As a very old white person who grew up in Hawaii in the 1950's, the only white kid in her class for the first 3 years, I had a very different idea of race and ethnicity. What I did not know, what was never taught then or later, was the reality of being black in "mainland" America. Later, in California, I taught young children who together spoke 30 different languages. I had black colleagues whom, needing help, I sometimes asked incredibly ignorant questions. More seriously, when the Aryan Brotherhood threatened the black principal, he explained that the police would do nothing. Still, no one shared the kinds of stories we are hearing now. I remained pretty ignorant. Now living in Europe, I was unaware that the history of racism and "white privilege" has been discussed in colleges for quite some time. What we need, though, is more stories, not studies. Whites are the absolute minority on the planet, and always have been. Guns, germs, steel, colonialism, racism ... all gave whites the sense of superiority they believed came with their genes and would last forever. Now it is obvious it will not. An honest dialogue must go both ways. When people of color are angry, or simply assertive, I believe even the most "liberal" white is afraid. As a nation, as a global culture, we will can not get through this difficult transition well unless we can talk together about that, with empathy.

15 Recommend

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Ellie Kesselman commented July 22

Ellie Kesselman

Ellie Kesselman

Arizona

Yes, this is true: '“Stand your ground” laws, for example, mean whites can claim that fear made them kill an unarmed black person.' Stand your ground laws have protected many people, including black women with children, from home intruders. Some of these examples seem overwrought, particularly the one about the white men forming a second line instead of standing behind the already existing line of white passengers waiting to board the plane. It didn't pertain to whiteness, nor privilege, but rather, to rude people being rude to others of the same race and socioeconomic status and gender as themselves, and of poor airline customer service who allowed it to happen.

13 Recommend

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anonymous commented July 22

A

anonymous

C

All I can think of is "you see that guy over there?" "I can just tell he's judgmental." Isn't it exhausting going through life trying to read and then interpret someone's unspoken thoughts? I am white. Educate me before you judge me. I am not uncomfortable with this conversation.

27 Recommend

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3 REPLIES

Me commented July 22

M

Me

My home

@anonymous Could not agree more. My mother taught me a critical lesson - that people are mostly not thinking about you at all. I am a woman and as such, a minority when I am fortunate enough to travel first class (through upgrades or someone else paying). I am routinely ignored by flight attendant so and men of all colors push ahead. If this woman’s experience is anything other than narcissism it’s about being a female business traveler. Welcome to the club. It’s not about race.

24 Recommend

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anonymous commented July 22

A

anonymous

C

@Me Well, it might be about race. I have witnessed blatant racism and didn't come forward to confront the perpetrator. I will regret it forever. On the other hand, it might not be about race. Like you said, most of the time, people are thinking about themselves. But if it is, I WANT to have the conversation.

7 Recommend

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Me commented July 22

M

Me

My home

@anonymous The challenge is when everyday interactions have meaning ascribed to them that doesnt exist. People are rude, men push ahead, people move ahead in their day without regard to others - “even” in the first class line. This article doesn’t describe blatant racism - if it isn’t about race or gender then it’s about class which is a much bigger divider than race.

15 Recommend

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JS commented July 22

J

JS

Northport, NY

The selection of the term "White Privilege" to address the very real. It is a shame as the term will limit progress on the very issues it was intended to address. It causes a valid reflexive defensiveness in many whites. The lived experiences of a lot of whites would suggest anything but a "privileged" existence. The poor choice of terms is going to limit the acknowledgement and acceptance that will be necessary to address the issues. Because of the term, it makes the debate seem to be about the removal of "unearned special rights" from whites. Instead, the argument should be about raising those who are oppressed or limited and ensuring that all have an equal set of rights and are treated with fairness.

21 Recommend

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Susan Audrey commented July 22

S

Susan Audrey

Normal

Years ago, I realized that I definitely received "the benefit of the doubt". As the only white person in my junior high class, I was elected President of the class. This perplexed me. Why me? Why would the African-American students vote for me? As a young mother, I came to realize that I had no difficulty returning items to stores; I could talk myself out of a traffic ticket with little talking; people listened intently to me, even though I should have had no credibility. I constructed a saying that I still, sardonically, use at times, "I'm a blonde, middle-aged, middle class white woman. I can do it." It is totally disgusting that this is the case, but it is true. I'm now attempting to help my tall, handsome German husband see his white privilege. I am eternally grateful for persons of color who are still patient with white ignorance. Most whites are clueless of their privilege. That's no excuse. People of color have and are now suffering because of white privilege. End it.

25 Recommend

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Ben commented July 22

B

Ben

New York

“Can I ask you a question?” “Sorry, I’m running late.” “You people always think we’re gonna ask you for money.” “OK, what’s your question?” “I came downtown on the subway for a job interview this morning, and somebody stole my wallet…” Professor Rankine cannot suppose the people she interviews don't recognize an erudite version of this script. For many people (for some reason) it is intrinsically less fun than being asked "what about those Yankees?" It is disingenuous to claim that her research could not be perceived by reasonable persons as having a policing component. I'm not saying she's not right. I'm just saying she doesn't get around.

19 Recommend

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Daniel commented July 22

D

Daniel

Los Angeles

Ugh. This tribalism mentality needs to stop. Failure to recognize decades of sexual harassment and misogyny is met by #metoo and the abatement of due process for men accused by women. Centuries of racism is met by 'white privilege' as a blanket term despite the fact that majority of poor children in this country happen to be white children (by the numbers). http://www.nccp.org/media/releases/release_34.html Fighting fire with fire seems to be a losing strategy here. Language needs to be carefully dished out when speaking about these matters. You will alienate and generate resentment in everyday white folks who are struggling day by day yet are told they are 'privileged'. Also, white what? European white? Jewish? Whites from Argentina? Refuges from Bulgaria? Defectors from the Eastern Bloc in the 80's? Suggestion: something like, 'on average, in America, people of WASP ancestry are more likely to...' works A LOT better in describing what is going on here. Blanket terms like 'white privilege' is a dissolution of individual identity and a devolution to tribalism. The inequalities that plague this country are an interaction of socioeconomic, gender, biological, racial factors that all claim some variance and interaction in the differences between people. It's not all a race thing. This tribalism and identify politics is how we got Trump in office, and the continued sentiment on the left (and right) is how we will get Donald Trump 2.0.

22 Recommend

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jck commented July 22

J

jck

nj

Is it appropriate for a black professor to teach a course on "Whiteness"? Is it appropriate for a white professor to teach a course on "Blackness"? Is it appropriate for either a black or a white professor to teach courses in both "Whiteness" and "Blackness"? Should a highly educated and intelligent professor dedicate their career to addressing these questions or perhaps doing something else more productive?

34 Recommend

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smithe commented July 22

S

smithe

Los Angeles, CA

Hey, Although the color of the skin may be white, white people are subjected to many discriminations based on their nationality and their religion. The mexican rights groups seem to think that all white people are anglos. THIS IS SO UNTRUE! Along with thinking all hispanics have the same issues. An immigrant from puerto rico ( who is a US citizen) does not have the same issues as a Cuban, who doesn't have the same issues as an illegal immigrant from central america (some of who speak English as their native language), who doesn't have the same issues as a mexican (some of whom look white ) Stop grouping all whites together and assuming they are all WASPs . They are not!

12 Recommend

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Ben commented July 22

B

Ben

New York

To “interrogate” a question effectively, should one first tie the question to its chair? Students used to study a topic. Now they “engage with” it. Maybe the difference is real. Students learn from Teachers. Engagers get equal time. (Should they get equal pay?) People spend a lot of money on packaging for a reason.

6 Recommend

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Tony commented July 22

T

Tony

London

Excellent article. Yet interesting that the author shows little awareness of how teaching at Yale and having the time off from teaching to fly around the world in first class is definitely a sign of belonging to the privileged academic elite.

30 Recommend

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August West commented July 22

A

August West

Midwest

This illustrates, perfectly, an essential truth in America: It is impossible to have an intelligent discussion about race. That the author is, understandably, afraid to engage folks underscores this point. But, instead of stopping with that one essential truth, she goes on to assign thoughts and motivations to strangers she's never spoken with and so cannot know who they really are or what they really think. A stranger tells her that the diversity issue makes it tougher on his kid to get into Yale. Well, he's right about that--minorities do get bonus points on admissions. He also brought up Asian applicants. It was a PERFECT opportunity for the author to engage. He invited it. Surely, he knew she was black. Yet, nothing. A friend didn't get a job and blamed it on quotas favoring minorities. He's not wrong: Minorities can and do get bonus points sometimes. Yet, the author won't acknowledge what happened to her friend and how that might, understandably, make him feel about race. She won't even, apparently, talk to him on any meaningful level about it. Instead, she writes about him without talking to him. America has a horrible record when it comes to race. Yes, race is an invented term in this country. Beyond that, what? When an Ivy League professor who teaches a course on race can't talk about race with anyone outside the confines of academia, we have an issue. The issue goes both ways. And until we acknowledge that, Trump wins, because people who should agree keep fighting.

39 Recommend

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Michael Way commented July 22

Michael Way

Michael Way

Richmond

A brilliantly written but heartbreaking piece. As a black male, I found myself struck by two points of dominance that seem to have escaped even the author's written attention: 1) her persistent anxiety about making white strangers uncomfortable by saying the first, most natural thoughts/questions that popped in her head, and 2) the exhaustive nature of this piece, a highly introspective exploration of the other side of the racial power structure that will never be reciprocated by the other side, unwittingly reinforces the very racial hegemony she means to challenge with this probing essay. I dream of the day when all of us can speak our minds to each other civilly and expect civil responses without fear of socio-economic blowback or toxically defensive microaggressions. And I dream of the day when either white people spend as much literary energy wondering what's going on inside our heads as we spend wondering inside theirs, or when no one needs to write think pieces of this nature ever again, because no one has to wonder what's inside each other's heads, because we all recognize and tailor our behavior based on the presumed equal standing of our common humanity. I dream of a day when black authors and thinkers can spend their time writing about something other than white people, when their days can be spent thinking and writing about any number of things, with the same carefree sense of boundless exploration as white authors and thinkers. That's my dream. Let's go get it.

22 Recommend

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Michael Neal commented July 22

M

Michael Neal

Richmond, Virginia

Many years ago, the brilliant poet-professor Gerald Barrax taught a Black American literature course at North Carolina State University, where he introduced me to Ralph Ellison’s "Invisible Man." According to the novel’s narrator, "until some gang succeeds in putting the world in a strait jacket, its definition is possibility." Now, “some gang” governs this nation. Although the narrator’s proclamation haunts me now more than at any time in my life, I once again will vote for possibility.

7 Recommend

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martha stone commented July 22

M

martha stone

houston

The point is being missed. This person who teaches poetry at Yale and lives in such a rarified atmosphere, literally, that she only flies first class, is whining about what? Perhaps she is whining about the the busy hedge-fund guys putting together a deal? Perhaps she was not dressed appropriately for first-class or did not put her pearl oyster/oyster pearl on that morning and was thus not identifiable as the 1-2% class that she exists in. At that level of assets one needs an asset manager and the color of one’s skin is is not a factor in anything.

16 Recommend

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Ben commented July 22

B

Ben

New York

As usual it is courageous of the Times to publish an article such as this. A personal detail provided by the author hints at a topic which I believe is a key to a very large part of identity animosity here and abroad, now and in the past. That topic would be considered inappropriate for Times readers. Incidents like the one in the airport may lead Professor Rankine to imagine she is of too little consequence to her subjects to inhibit their responses. Intimidation in certain settings is a recently-created privilege she does not realize she possesses. While I am skeptical of the efficacy of techniques such as polygraphy and hypnosis, the use of such a technique, IF effective, would take her places she is not likely to go in a casual chat in First Class. But then, Pandora she may not wish to be.

1 Recommend

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JMB commented July 22

J

JMB

Earth

Over 2K comments and counting. The Times should analyse what topics garner the most comments. I thought of this when my Nextdoor neighborhood (formerly all white working-class, but gentrifying) site went nuts after two black teenagers pulled some pretty serious stunts: threatening a white woman in a local cemetery/dog-walking site; harassing white people around their cars, etc. I wondered what their reaction would have been if the boys had been white?

4 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Me commented July 22

M

Me

My home

@JMB Probably about the same - harassment is scary whoever does it and race should not excuse anyone from consequences.

12 Recommend

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Concerned! commented July 22

C

Concerned!

Costa Mesa

I would have never thought that flying first class was a sound basis for racial animus! Fortunately I have been schooled. Apparently, if a person is white, especially male white, no degree of prejudice or assumed knowledge about this is unacceptable. If I wave my white privilege and fly in the cheap seats, am I more worthy in the eyes of say a Yale professor?

13 Recommend

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Asher commented July 22

Asher

Asher

Brooklyn

The author of this story should know that the vast majority of white folks do not fly First Class. I have been white all my life and I have never flown first class. I think she paints with too wide a brush.

25 Recommend

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JEB commented July 22

J

JEB

Austin TX

“Number 20: I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.” Privileged Joe Biden: "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy."

9 Recommend

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Og Ogilvie commented July 22

O

Og Ogilvie

68046

I think life is too short to worry about race and racism, LGBQ, feminism, and all the other isms. As my Granddad would say pulling money out of his pocket, "is this money as green as anyone else's?" In America, the money is green regardless of the person holding it.

8 Recommend

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Frankly Frank commented July 22

F

Frankly Frank

North Carolina

The mention of a therapist and the therapuetic "conjecture" provided hinders the credibility of this article. I guess this article is an opinion item based on plenty of subjectivity and personal resentment. Obviously, it is not scientific in nature, which lends itself to provocative responses which probably aren't helpful to the discussion. Yet, it is a "feature" article. Not sure what the purpose is. And it's going to take a whole lot more than therapy and casual surveys to get through these issues.

10 Recommend

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Concerned! commented July 22

C

Concerned!

Costa Mesa

The author defines everything in terms of race. She has crafted a world view consisting of a deeply held prejudice against whites, the belief that no white can overcome their “privilege,” and that she need not make much of an effort to hide her contempt and hate for whites. It’s okay though because this Yale professor is the victim. I would be curious to see her reaction to a white male’s analysis of “blackness.” To summarize, she find whites, especially male businessmen who are white, to be racially shiftless and lazy.

25 Recommend

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Rick commented July 22

R

Rick

Jersey City

Sorry I could not read through this whole piece. Forgive me but terms such as whiteness are offensive to me. Black, white, or yellow people are all equal in my eyes and I dont see color. Maybe that therapist has their hands full.

15 Recommend

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Mike commented July 22

M

Mike

Houston, Texas

Here's a proposal. Let's all try to stop talking about race. Race isn't a valid scientific term. Let's call skin colors what they are... "evolutionary adaptations to local geographic conditions". Such a long description may encourage us, as sentient beings, to think twice before we say or do something hurtful and stupid to each other.

7 Recommend

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Giovanni Ciriani commented July 22

Giovanni Ciriani

Giovanni Ciriani

West Hartford, CT

I found it interesting that at the time of my writing there are 2128 comments, and the top Readers Pick was recommended 1509 times. Usually the the top comment gets recommended between 1.5 and 2 times the number of comments. This means the topic ho white privilege has a wider range of opinions.

2 Recommend

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Concerned! commented July 22

C

Concerned!

Costa Mesa

If I, as a white male, stood in line at an airport and causally judged the black passengers, made assumptions about them, and let their manners or lack of manners define their existence, I would be called racist.

25 Recommend

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Ben commented July 22

B

Ben

New York

1) “Would they connect the treatment of the undocumented with the treatment of Irish, Italian and Asian people over the centuries?” 2) “How did Italians, Irish and Slavic peoples become white?” Why swap Slavic for Asian? I’m looking for the less obvious answer. Much of the planet is on the road to becoming Stuyvesant High. The road is new. Fasten the belt.

2 Recommend

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candaceb108 commented July 22

C

candaceb108

Greenwich, CT

Brava, brava. Wonderful essay Ms. Rankine. I am a 69 year old, Anglo-Saxon white woman. The gratitude I feel toward people of color who are, and have always been in the vanguard of deconstructing 'white culture' has helped me enormously to deconstruct the shadow culture of masculinity. We have a history of accepting as normative 'dominance' barriers. For example, 50 years ago women were not allowed to have a charge card, loan, mortgage or even sign a lease in their names. Why, all the propaganda about not being reliable, etc. when the real purpose of this dominance is to limit competition, restrict entrance to the boys club where money give you the power to sway a decision away from what is 'right', 'ethical' or even logical to one that benefits the dominant. Like Reagan's 'welfare moms', so much of what we have been led to believe, fed as children is nothing but propaganda. The striking statistic 65% of those in public office are white men although they are only 31% of the population. This has to change. We are all being stifled in a musty old hat box in our grandmother's attic. We can all do much, much better, and we should do so with delight and gratitude.

8 Recommend

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Sue Burn commented July 22

S

Sue Burn

Dutchess County

I presumed that many would be upset about this article. Rarely, I suspect because it is not more nuanced, but rather because it attacks our “whiteness” as somehow being the reason for any success we have had. How nuanced? Within our privilege there is gender privilege, economic privilege, appearance privilege, educational privilege and a host of others. Some of these operate across but also within racial lines — which only exacerbates the problem. Many of us have had to overcome at least one of these, and that perhaps blinds us to the fact that we have been the recipient of some “privilege” that we overlook. I suspect reaction would be less negative if we referred to “black disadvantage” or some such euphemism — but that too would blind us to the fact that there are macro and micro advantages with which many of us have been blessed. This is not a question of pulling down people with advantages. People will not willingly step aside to rectify the sins of the past and present. Questioning our sense of entitlement (some of which is simply rooted in self-centeredness, some in ignorance and some in outright prejudice) is a first step. Affirmative action helps, but has not been the answer. Rethinking our assumptions and our reactions to others isn’t easily changed. Having some sense of empathy for what who are not like us must face is a start, but not an end. Speak up for certain. Act with more understanding. But recognize the solution is beyond all that.

11 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Sasquatch commented July 22

S

Sasquatch

Seattle

@Sue Burn We were engineered apart about a century ago, especially in the city, i.e. federally-promoted and supported redlining. Since then, it's our lack of proximity to one another where we live that has allowed the tired and centuries-old narrative to live on. Like she suggests in the final paragraph, the answer lie in our willingness to engineer ourselves back together.

3 Recommend

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PD commented July 22

P

PD

Georgia

The privilege re-frame of discrimination is invaluable. It shifts the focus in a way that makes discrimination harder to deny, and helps unveil the depth of the problem. But the discussion needs critical focus. One of the questions is - how do we weigh the impact of privilege when we identify individuals? In much of the discourse, white privilege appears as an accusation. It is leveled at all white people - all are privileged and their entire identity is a function of white privilege. In explaining race we give it power - but we can give it too much power. As Professor Rankine mentions - this is over-determinism. Painted with too broad a brush, the picture of white privilege strips the white person of identity and ignores their lived experience. Thus the white retort: "I earned what I have; I struggled tremendously and overcame barriers to live where I live, do what I do, walk how I walk, sing how I sing, sculpt what I sculpt, breath the air and drink the water. Doors were shut to me. I found other doors." While we strive to bring race into the discussion, we should not disappear all of life's other forces and experiences. Without a contextual assessment of privilege, we are repeating the logic of "any discernible trace." Applied once to the definition of race, we risk applying it to the definition of privilege. We need a third wave analysis of white privilege.

6 Recommend

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coco commented July 22

C

coco

Goleta,CA

I guess I'm lucky that I lived in a radical Lesbian/Feminist community in the seventies where endless discussions of privilege were the daily diet. How one can live in a world where someone is displaced when another is placed and not see it is simply lazy. Or as a psychiatrist I once knew said, there is no such thing as lazy; you either want to do it or you don't. I want to do it. It's because I want to know you without superficial judgement and I want you to know me in the same way. To do this we have to be good listeners and question our judgements. This is not too much to ask, but I think for those who have never had to think this way it may be stressful. It's hard to give up the defensiveness, but there is a huge reward to be found in self honesty. That would be humility and compassion.

1 Recommend

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lifecyle commented July 21

L

lifecyle

Washington

Personally, I try to refrain from stereotyping others, regardless of color, status, age, ethnic origin, or sex. Though I enjoy the world of ideas, I recognize that academic social theories are just abstract generalizations, regardless of supposed "objective" observation, and even statistical analysis. There are multiple layers of reality within every human being; we embody paradox, and we change from moment to moment. I hope Claudia is aware of "the nature of thought" and the fact that every judgement and interpretation she makes is, at best, a partial truth. I hope she understands that her interpretation of others' words and actions is subjective and may involve preconceived notions and projections. Random interactions in airport lines is not a sound basis for social analysis.

14 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Lamont MacLemore commented July 22

L

Lamont MacLemore

NEPA

@lifecyle: "Random interactions in airport lines is [sic] not a sound basis for social analysis." Why are they not? Are you saying that personal experience is no basis for social analysis? What does constitute a sound basis for social analysis, then? Planned interactions in airport lines?

3 Recommend

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Thea commented July 21

Thea

Thea

New York

White men have been shocked for quite a while that any woman, especially a short woman, is in the first class line in the gatehouse. It's not about skin color, it's about gender. The first class line is the one place in my life's routines where men consistently try to step over me and have attempted to muscle me out of the way. Nowadays, they don't succeed. I'm onto it. And they're usually in male pairs which reeks of demonstrating dominance to their travel mate.

7 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

Me commented July 22

M

Me

My home

@Thea Totally true. I travel business or first class often - and am almost always ignored by flight attendants gushing over male passengers, whatever their race. At 5’3 and the age of 63 I am invisible. I feel sorry for Ms Rankine - how painful to go through life seeing everything thorough the filter of ease - and to carry such a big chip on her shoulder everywhere she goes - including the business lounge at the airport.

6 Recommend

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Me commented July 22

M

Me

My home

@Me I meant - a filter of race, not ease - but there is that, too.

2 Recommend

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Robert Poulson commented July 21

R

Robert Poulson

Paris France

is there really much difference between the privllege of successful men of any race.? Isn't it an earned privilege?

4 Recommend

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Chet C commented July 21

Chet C

Chet C

Pensacola, FL

I read this article at times feeling nervous, guilty, angry, and finally a bit hopeless and confused. Race seems to be treated as an issue that, after extensive academic research and discourse, will ultimately discover the basic flaw in the “white” psyche. Fate flipped a coin: “I” got the heads: the “other” got the tail. We try to see agency in everything, even in the coin flip. What color is fate? Maybe God is the supreme social scientist with a casual curiosity about how a world where the species at the top of the food chain is exactly the dame in every detail except: • Skin color (dark to light with relatively slight variation), • Almost irrelevant physical features • And sex. Of course “He (She?)” starts with a basic lumping of features into specific geographical areas of the planet. Then “He” waits to see how long it will to take the “top of the food chain” to destroy itself. Are we really trying to say that if any other skin color had risen to the top, they would have treated everyone else differently? Well, we are about to find out. Soon, in America, whites will be the minority. Then what? Compassion or revenge? In a world of diverse population blessed with limited, unevenly distributed resources, how could this experiment have evolved any differently? We try to explain it all by looking backwards through the lens of current knowledge and technology. Good luck with that. In the final analysis, how can it be anything but “bad” luck?

4 Recommend

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Carol commented July 21

C

Carol

NH

I loved this. Thank you for making us think and explore ourselves. I especially loved this part Eventually, he told me he had been working on diversity inside his company. “We still have a long way to go,” he said. Then he repeated himself — “We still have a long way to go” — adding, “I don’t see color.” This is a statement for well-meaning white people whose privilege and blind desire catapult them into a time when little black children and little white children are judged not “by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” The phrase “I don’t see color” pulled an emergency brake in my brain. Would you be bringing up diversity if you didn’t see color? I wondered. Will you tell your wife you had a nice talk with a woman or a black woman? Help. All I could think to say was, “Ain’t I a black woman?” I asked the question slowly, as if testing the air quality. Did he get the riff on Sojourner Truth? Or did he think the ungrammatical construction was a sign of blackness? Or did he think I was mocking white people’s understanding of black intelligence? “Aren’t you a white man?” I then asked. “Can’t you see that? Because if you can’t see race, you can’t see racism.” I repeated that sentence, which I read not long before in Robin DiAngelo’s “White Fragility.” C

5 Recommend

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Curtis B commented July 21

C

Curtis B

Michigan

Reginald Denny had quite a privilege. As a member of the worlds minority, he happily accepted his fate.

3 Recommend

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lloyd commented July 21

L

lloyd

miami shores

Not sure who creates the summaries below the headlines. One does not "... [but] interrogat[ing] that question." Ask a question. Do many things with a question. Interrogation IS a form of question. Interrogating. Nowhere in the article.

2 Recommend

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d commented July 21

D

d

NYC

sounds like the author is saying. " don't get me wrong, some of best friends are white"

16 Recommend

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There commented July 21

T

There

Here

I don't feel ashamed of being white or well-off financially.....nice try, but I've worked hard to get where I am. No one gives Homes, BMW's and year end bonuses to people just because they're white.

13 Recommend

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West coast commented July 21

W

West coast

USA

This piece strikes me as the NYT's effort to throw the election to Trump using relentless identity politics. It's like watching the relentless articles about Hillary Clinton's emails in the lead up to the last election, the one that brought this country to the brink of utter disaster. You are playing with fire.

16 Recommend

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moonmom commented July 21

M

moonmom

Santa Fe

While this article is interesting, it make me sad that the author, no matter her educated credentials, is contributing to the massive division in social perception brought on by identity politics and branding in this society. Why are we objectifying people by race, class, income, geography, culture? I am so tired of it. Gorwing up in the sixities, a blond Jewish upper middle class female, I have learned to identify not with racist privilege, but to seek out all "kinds" of people encountering the mystery and blessings of good, kind, honest,compassionate people, no matter what their background. Time to start looking for our common humanity. Lighten up lady.

14 Recommend

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Billy Bobby commented July 21

B

Billy Bobby

NY

The professor was not whining, she was pointing out, unfortunately, while traveling in first class which, for me, tainted the lesson, that it’s subtle and pervasive. It doesn’t mean we, as whites, don’t have to crank it out and work hard to succeed. It doesn’t mean if we don’t work hard, we get any kind of benefits, it just means there is a bias that benefits whites, which is so obvious, it’s laughable we need to have it pointed out. It makes our lives, less hard, not easy. Yes white gays have it hard, but I would assume, black gays may have an extra burden. My problem with the NYT and even this article, it why Trump even gets a vote: we are so focused on a sliver of society: the rich. The professor focuses on elite whites as does the NYT. I couldn’t care less about the elite whites in this country.

4 Recommend

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dean commented July 21

D

dean

cleveland oh

I'm a "white" (southern Italian descent) 65 year old male who was nowhere near smart enough to get into Yale, but just got some excellent education at that level in reading this piece. Had the good luck to be exposed to blacks on a regular basis from an early age, including in innercity neighborhoods, and I try to take a "use your imagination" approach to what individual black Americans feel based on everyday encounters and a long racist history that is now explicitly rearing its head in full, grotesque bloom. This piece helped me realize: I have no idea, but I have a better idea now. I see color, even if I try to look at people individually; whether I wish to identify as such or not, I'm white enough to be white and all that is bestowed and avoided because of that fact.

5 Recommend

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ILIVETHERE commented July 21

I

ILIVETHERE

Washington

It is sometimes difficult to be Black in the USA. Because of the history of racism and the continuation of racism by some persons, a Black person always wonders if it was racism that kept him from getting that job, or being recognized, or getting into that school, or getting a better grade. or getting a promotion and so on. [Interestingly, with affirmative action, White people now have that same question when they don't succeed.] That questioning can lead to resentment and chip-on-the-shoulder behavior or it can lead to a determination to do so well that no one will be able to pretend that a lack of recognition is anything other than racism. The first response is self-defeating. Such people do eventually get jobs, recognition, promotion and so on -- mostly because they are Black and somebody wants to soothe their White guilt or meet some mandated quota of minorities. But just as white privilege doesn't lead to good outcomes, neither does black privilege. The second response is rewarding to the individual. He/she strives all the harder. This is what the son of the White man who wanted his son to go to Yale should do. It may be that he won't get into Yale, while he would if he were Black, but if he is talented enough, he will do fine at some other, less-prestigious (and perhaps less politically correct) institution.

3 Recommend

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Alan commented July 21

A

Alan

Houston, TX

"Seeing his whiteness meant I understood my presence as an unexpected demotion for him. It was too bad if he felt that way. " This shouldn't be, and I am sorry that it is your reality.

2 Recommend

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1 REPLY

jaco commented July 22

J

jaco

Nevada

@Alan She seems very good at reading minds.

9 Recommend

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Cynthia commented July 21

Cynthia

Cynthia

Toronto

One guy the author interviewed said his son's friend, who is of Asian heritage, was admitted to Yale but not the son. I thought Asians couldn't play the so-called "diversity card," and it was actually even MORE difficult to get into elite schools.

3 Recommend

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NY Times Fan commented July 21

N

NY Times Fan

Saratoga Springs, NY

It's not just a matter of skin color, altough of course that's a huge part of it. Other factors on which bigots can and do discriminate include: being a Jew, a Muslim or an atheist (non-Christian), being a liberal, being unmarried while of a certain age, being LGBTQ, having certain medical problems. For bigots almost any identifiable characteristic that allows them to feel superior, to have privilege, and to put someone else down will do. Trump's racism is totally disgusting. And it doesn't really matter if the racism is in his heart (which I believe the mountain of evidence shows that it is) or he's just using it for political advantage. The fact that so many Americans enthusiastically support his explicit racism, his worst character flaw, is far more frightening. Though Trump has many deep character flaws, his racism (bigotry) is his most dangerous flaw. Because he uses it the consolidate power and to oppress minorities of every stripe. Even after Trump is gone, the millions of racist and bigoted Americans who supported him will still be making America a racist nation. A nation filled with people motivated by hate.

5 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Concerned! commented July 22

C

Concerned!

Costa Mesa

Kind of like the racism of a black women who pre-judges fellow first class passengers who are white while waiting to board an airplane.

5 Recommend

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manoflamancha commented July 21

M

manoflamancha

San Antonio

“A house divided against itself, cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other. Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall become lawful in all the States, old as well as new — North as well as South”...Abraham Lincoln. No matter the issue, what is different in the year 2019 between all Americans and between the 7.7 billion humans on earth???

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Charleston Yank commented July 21

Charleston Yank

Charleston Yank

Charleston, SC

One factor that seeps into the authors experiences without her at least recognizing it is: White men waiting for planes tend to be more wealthy, higher up in the corporate food chain and type As that makes them feel more entitled than the average white guy in the street. How they got there is also a white guy privilege but they do feel entitled. I spent a lot of my business career also waiting for planes. I hated to fly with some of my business mates especially the CEOs as they would alway barg to the front of any line no matter what. White privilege or CEO privilege cannot not be separated.

5 Recommend

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Eve Becker commented July 21

E

Eve Becker

New York City

Dear Ms. Rankine, An essential piece, published in a periodical read by some of the same White guys who skip you in the airport line. And some of the same White friends of mine, authentically trying to look within, who still speak of being “color blind.” But I wonder if you, like facilitators in every diversity workshop I've participated in, over the last decade, and the authors of many scholarly articles I've read on Whiteness studies, intentionally swapped out Jews for Italians, Irish and Slavs, when discussing White Ethnics and our hurdle to understanding our White Privilege. I couldn't compress my comment enough for a letter to the editor, so I wrote a blog post: https://www.leafandpen.com/blog/white-ethnics-white-privilege-and-the-jewish-problem-et-tu-claudia-rankine?fbclid=IwAR2hhJo1eTjNbkpZQAVekzSqVWomqg9J03g1d7_MQwyDH9-XhsJrmmMrljs.

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Hopeful commented July 21

H

Hopeful

Florida

Unexpectedly I come to the conclusion that love might be the most potent antidote the white male privilege. #1 a young man, a son of a good friend, shaved his head and spoke in increasingly racist language. He signed up on a dating site and met an African American girl -- something made him keep his first date and his second and on an on. He introduced her to his family and said hey were getting married. His friends -- not so important to him now. #2 a white man rails against feminism but when his daughter falters in the work place he starts coaching her . He resents that sons are more entitled. Now he stands up for women.

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Ricardoh commented July 21

Ricardoh

Ricardoh

Walnut Creek Ca

Funny thing is the only people who have ever tried to get ahead of me and or asked to get ahead of me in line has been Black women. White privilege is to work hard and try to get somewhere comfortable. Provide for your family. Honor your country and the many who have died to keep you free.

8 Recommend

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Cetona commented July 21

C

Cetona

Italia

The process of "reconsolidation," within which various subtypes of whites became simply Caucasian and thereby more monolithically capably of othering the non-white, was not really fully complete by the 1940s. A generation later, at least in the south, for example, "Hebrew whites" were excluded from country clubs and private schools, effectively side-streaming them in many important ways. The crucial moment for children in these side-streamed families was puberty. Having early on played on jungle-gyms together (public school and neighborhoods), it was easy enough for these kids to suddenly find themselves sequestered and instantly-othered through the ruthless means of fraternities, sororities, and clubs--starting in high school and continuing through college. Having been the first Jew to "integrate" one of the private schools, I observed this first-hand. But the author is correct in stating that the "reconsolidation" process was, in fact, under way if not by the '40s then by the '60s and '70s. How do we know this with any certainty? Well, here's an unintended consequence that sort of proves it: the whites-only prejudice observable against people of color we see in folks who were themselves once othered. I see this today among Jews, Polish Catholics, and Mediterranean Catholics, not to mention the amazing right-wing nature of much of the Israel lobby. QED.

3 Recommend

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Heather commented July 21

H

Heather

Gainesville Fl

I am a white woman and I struggle daily with racism. I hate it. Since the lynching of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old child, in 2012, I have not slept well and have been underlyingly depressed about the state of our nation. I call my racist senators (Rubio and Scott) to complain that they are not standing up to the racist president, I donate to black lives matters, and I engage in conversations about racism, but I still, at the end of the day, I benefit from white privilege and am, thus, benefitting from a system (racism) that I abhore. It would be easy to take the attitude of complacency, like the Purple Patriot commenter below: "In the end, the past cannot be changed and the people responsible for egregious past sins are long gone. Perfect justice is impossible and guilt for sins committed by other people is useless. So we can only go forward, alert to past injustices and individually committed to doing better." But this attitude ignores the reality that the KKK and its affiliates infiltrate our society and the political structures that form the laws of future generations (such as the supreme court's recent ruling for states' rights re: gerrymandering). So, what is white privilege? The ability to ignore what people are shouting about, to pass it off as something we have no responsibility toward, to pretend we don't see color, and then complain that black people are making racism an issue. It's disgusting.

5 Recommend

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PD Curasi commented July 21

P

PD Curasi

Nashville, TN

Every person lives in the midst of some cultural obstacles, everyone. There is just a different name for each. Some choose to value their discrimination more than someone else's...'Yeah, but you don't know what it's like to be me...' We do not choose the cards we are dealt, only how we play them. Evolving cultures are too complex to evaluate in simple terms. You either dwell in thoughts of hindrance which lessens evolution, or you become a product of your individual talents and move evolution forward.

4 Recommend

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Jane commented July 21

J

Jane

Boston

I’m still waiting to get the white privilege card that automatically gets me into Yale, automatically gets me millions of dollars, and automatically gets me into first class. That’s why people get annoyed when she asks questions like this. I mean, everyone’s got problems. Get in line. Very few are handed anything. All those “white guys” in first class she is looking down on, most are probably sales guys, racking up miles that gets them first class, but keeps them away from home and miserable from all the travel they have to do. Whenever anyone has put me down, or prejudged me, my solution is simple: Be polite. Be positive. Focus on the work. Do an amazing job. And that fixes everything. No matter who you are.

19 Recommend

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bshea commented July 21

B

bshea

Conn

We have become fixated in this country on solving one problem by creating another. Most recently, "MeToo" addresses the concerns of sexual harassment but employs the elimination of "Due Process". Addressing the real issue of racism in this country by creating a reverse logic that says white accomplishment is only because of white privilege continues that trend. It is not privilege that assists the ability to accomplish but rather the absence of persecution that allows natural ability to thrive. Let's address the current racism/persecution/ issue without creating persecution in another direction. Bringing all down through persecution is hardly the way to advance a progressive society. It is more difficult but also morally correct.

4 Recommend

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Daphne commented July 21

D

Daphne

Petaluma, CA

I read the article twice. As an experiment yesterday, I asked several white men for their opinions about whether the writer's experience was race related. Almost all began telling me about the rude behavior they had experienced in airports or when boarding flights. Three told me about white men cutting in line in front of them on flights and that the person checking tickets asked them to step aside until army personnel and families with small children had boarded. I'm white and I experience rude behavior constantly. Often, I'm interrupted before I can complete a sentence and must choose whether to continue in a louder voice, or just let the privileged white man talk. Drivers ignore pedestrians in crosswalks. I'm not sure what the writer encountered was because she was colored or because she was a woman. It all comes down to a sad fact, that we have become a rude, competitive nation, and polite behavior is disappearing. I place the blame squarely on overpopulation. There are too many of us fighting for the same position.

8 Recommend

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Billy Bobby commented July 21

B

Billy Bobby

NY

As a 55 year old WASp from lower middle class that ended up at an Ivy all I can say is that i’m Aware of it and I try to live my life not perpetuating it. I married out of my race but not because I wanted to, it was the girl, not the color, I believe I’m a descent fellow and vote accordingly. I don’t go to rally’s or March and have never been an activist as I spend my time working and with my family. The fact is that I’m guilty of being a white male and I’m not guilty of being a white male. Also, everyone knows people that fly first class, even if money is not an issue as it’s still a gross waste of money, are not appropriate representatives of any class of people other than wanna be aristocrats.

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Judith Putterman commented July 21

J

Judith Putterman

NYC

Are they seeing black or are they seeing woman? When I was young and traveling on business, men didn’t see me, and in meetings they certainly didn’t hear me. Let me talk to the boss, they’d say. I’m the boss. Silence. When I was in my fifties, they dismissed me because how could I possibly be anyone of importance in a traditionally male sphere? Women in the workplace have to fight a constant battle, no matter their color.

3 Recommend

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LPark commented July 21

L

LPark

Chicago

Whether white males are aware of the underpinnings of their status either consciously or not, my bet is that somewhere in that process they are afraid of losing their position to an “other”, whether it is in line in an airport or in a college application.

3 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Me commented July 22

M

Me

My home

@LPark Or in the case of this article - losing their place in line. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Sometimes people are just rude and it isn’t about race.

5 Recommend

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Verne commented July 21

V

Verne

Cleveland, Ohio

65 year old white guy here. My recent experience with white male privilege came in the form of a traffic accident where another driver (white) turned in front of my Lexus (helping to underline my privilege) and totaling my car. She was completely at fault, no one disputed this at the scene. I was driving after drinking, had a small cooler in my car taking booze back home and also had more than a little weed in the car. Not once did I fear the police were going to look in my car or question my sobriety as I wasn't overtly drunk and clearly not at fault. I felt safe in knowing that in driving a luxury vehicle and a mature white male travelling with his wife would not be deemed a threat of any kind. When they were ready to tow my car and offered us a ride home, they said to get whatever from the car we wanted to take with us. I grabbed the cooler, put my weed into it, set it on the ground outside the car, where the police were standing around, along with other items we didn't want to leave behind and waited until they directed us to a fire department car for our short ride home-with my booze and weed in the cooler on my lap. I was very aware that my race and car caused them to look past me and focus on the person who caused the accident. I wasn't surprised, but was well aware if I were of color and in less of a vehicle, there would likely have been more scrutiny.

2 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Me commented July 22

M

Me

My home

@Verne Glad you aren’t driving in my city.

3 Recommend

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Jake H. commented July 21

J

Jake H.

Chicago

I confess that I bristle at the concept of "white privilege." "Privilege" in this context suggests an undeserved benefit, like inherited wealth. But the problem, it strikes me, is not that white people en masse experience an undeserved benefit. The problem, rather, is that people of color experience an undeserved harm. The rhetoric of "white privilege" suggests that the solution is to take something away from white people, their privilege. (Perhaps that is why so many white people get defensive when asked to confront their privilege.) But the real solution, it seems to me, is not to knock down the privilege but rather the harm. For example, the solution to unfair treatment of people of color by police is not to extend that unfair treatment to white people, but rather to put a stop to unfair treatment by police, period. Meanwhile, I'm not convinced that white privilege automatically extends to every facet of existence in this country. Rankine has little patience for the guy's remark to the effect that his son faced a disadvantage in getting into Yale. And yet, is the suggestion implausible? Whether you think minority preferences justified or not, they seem difficult to square with the idea that whiteness must always in every circumstance furnish a club pass, bonus points, or a get out of jail free card. Perhaps we should focus more on eradicating unfairness, which means race-based disadvantages on the one hand and certain wealth-based advantages on the other.

2 Recommend

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Carolyn Ryan commented July 21

C

Carolyn Ryan

Marblehead, Ma

Sometimes I think seeing one's own privilege and racism is like getting sober: you've got to stop drinking and/or drugging, of course, but one also must take stock of oneself fearlessly and, gasp, change. This takes conscious practice and requires a willingness to do what's necessary, since people often come to sobriety because they face total personal loss, including life. Dealing with our own racism requires a similar commitment to self evaluation and change. And it requires giving up privilege so that others may be treated more equitably....but there's the rub, no?

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Or.... commented July 21

O

Or....

West Coast

Or, the white guy that didn’t get hired, was called on the side by HR from his personal cell phone and told - ‘I want to hire you, you are the most qualified, but I can’t right now due to our diversity initiative. Please keep applying.’ This doesn’t diminish the white privilege that exists. It does describe that some people who are the most-qualified are being dismissed in corporate America today due to diversity initiatives. Initiatives are necessary to field a diverse pool of candidates and embrace a new mindset, but should still mandate the most qualified person is hired IMO. This ‘set-aside’ effect is demotivating loyal employees, and leaving swaths of people disenfranchised and disengaged; which is resulting in less competitive and less productive corporations for America. We need a middle ground of embracing diversity and hiring the most qualified people.

6 Recommend

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Riley Banks commented July 21

R

Riley Banks

Boone, NC

Who can afford to fly 1st class but the economically privileged? Don't conflate race with class.

6 Recommend

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1 REPLY

boston123 commented July 22

B

boston123

boston

@Riley Banks. Believe me, most were traveling on business and their companies would pick up the tab .

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C Bryant commented July 21

C

C Bryant

Boston, MA

I am a 69 year old white male. I was raised in a predominantly white suburb in upstate New York. Growing up, I had relatively few encounters with other ethnic groups. That said, I consider myself to be a liberal politically. With all due respect, IMO Professor Rankine overanalyzes the topic of her article. Her chosen “test environment” of airline travel conversations seems rather ordinary and mundane. The interpretation of these conversations could be considered to be problematic and open to ambiguity. At the beginning of the article, Professor Rankine cites President Trump. Given his recent statements, President has overtly defined himself a racist promoting a racially divisive agenda. Professor Rankine’s arguments seem tame in comparison to the inequity and injustice she describes. President Trump’s overtly racist rhetoric demands a comparably virulent and potent response.

1 Recommend

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Denis commented July 21

D

Denis

Brussels

I was very disappointed to discover that in reality you had asked very few people and all from a very narrow subgroup. The research you suggest in the title would be phenomenally useful - but you haven't done it. Try it! Get some students from a few colleges around the country (men, women, white, black, Asian, Hispanic, ...) and ask each of them to talk to some white men - some they know, some they meet randomly, some they stop on the street - about white male privilege. I believe you would be amazed about a few things: 1. Many (not all) white men realise how lucky we are in many (not all) ways. We think this is terribly unfair and would love to fix it. Who wants a world where women cannot walk safely at night? Who wants a world where promotion doesn't depend on competence or ability? Who wants a world where you can predict someone's life-success based on the address where they were born? 2. White men often have great ideas how to help, and sometimes we know more than the activists - because we are the people you are trying to fix, we know what will convince us and change us. Do listen :) When I disagree with you, it might be because I have the same objective as you but I can see that your plan will not work with any of the white men I know. Full disclosure: for years I worked on a "gender diversity and inclusion" team in a multi-national. My main role was to "translate" what women wanted to communicate into language that would engage men. It made a huge difference!

3 Recommend

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Citizen commented July 21

C

Citizen

Fairfax CA

I believe you overestimated the white guy in the first class line. My guess is that he was so arrogant that the snide comment WAS directed to you, and worse that he felt sufficiently haughty to verbalize his disdain with perfect obliviousness. I'm white and grew up in a white world. But my family taught me early on that racism was basically abhorrent. Yet year after year many of my white friends and acquaintances shocked me with their proud racism and general disdain for most of the world. These were well educated people often of some weath. I had always thought of racism as being something coarse that would be beneath anyone with even half brain. But i learned over the years that arrogance, bigotry, disdain, and common racism is a time honored tradition. And its' not limited to white men (although they may often be the most egregious) i recall listening to a local (black) taxi driver in the Bahamas who made disparaging comments about other nearby islanders who were invading his turf. It wasn't pretty. I often wonder if all the creatures of the world are predisposed to fear of "the other". Yet to me, nothing is more inspiring than to witness the sincere embrace of our fellow humans. Its the difference between toxic enmity and that warm enlightened feeling that i have no words for.

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Sasquatch commented July 21

S

Sasquatch

Seattle

I think Winston Churchill said something like: "It takes courage to stand up and speak your mind. It takes even more courage to shut up and listen." It's the latter I think white, cis-gender, males like myself, whose positioning has no intersections, must do. The article also raises another important point, which T. Coates has often raised: whiteness is amorphous. Where it used to be strictly Anglo, it has broadened over the years to include, Jews, Irish, Eastern European, etc. But, make no mistake, whiteness is always defined in opposition to Black. That frame has not changed and continues to be exploited as evidenced in the recent lawsuit brought about by an Asian family claiming discrimination in response to a Harvard rejection letter. The argument laid out in the suit was the same argument used by the white man sitting next to the author: someone less deserving, was admitted based on race. Could it be that Asians are now being admitted into the white club?

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Bradski commented July 21

B

Bradski

Little Silver, NJ

Rich with malice, but what a very hurtful perspective.

4 Recommend

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Bill commented July 21

B

Bill

Grand Rapids, MI

As an overweight, bald, upper middle class, hearing-impaired, white, Christian male who was raised in a poverty-striken home led by two hard laboring deaf parents, I get and have been judged a lot ... especially in airports. I do not deny racism exists. I also don’t deny judgments are made by people for all kinds of reasons ... many have to do with your skin color, your age, your shape and your sensory abilities. That said, this entire essay was insightful but it was the last line that had one of the greatest and most hopeful statement I’ve read in years on the topic of racism: “... a shared longing to exist in less segregated spaces.” My faith tells me there is no race ... God sees us all as equal parts of the human race ... yet I know this world is broken and we are all flawed. I pray we all can live together in greater harmony and I hope people read this essay to the end as our longing not to be segregated aligns with what I believe is a Godly desire implanted on our hearts to be in unity with Him. So it should not be just a dream, but a demand from each other that, as Jordan Peterson said, should be a “reemphasis on the potential nobility of the human being and the moral responsibility to make that nobility a reality.” The human race was meant to be noble and it will take grace, mercy, justice and enlightenment ... just as Professor Rankine has demonstrated to us here.

1 Recommend

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Bruce Kaplan commented July 21

B

Bruce Kaplan

Richmond CA

This is complicated stuff. For sure, I’ve benefited from family wealth, skin color, access to good schools, presumption of innocence, and haven’t had to endure the painful racist episodes that most people of color endure daily. On the other hand, I’ve had my own career obstacles, made mistakes, suffered aggression from alpha males in the workplace and struggled in the pursuit of happiness. Some aspects of white privilege are so unconscious and institutional, It’s hard to recognize. Am I responsible for a system I did not build or ask for? Maybe so. I saw glimpses of a similar bias through the lens of anti-semitism, hearing a friend’s Dad talk about “Jewing Down” someone on a car. Did he know I was Jewish? Did he know using that term made me feel quietly ashamed for both of us when he used it? As a manager/owner of a small business I tried to practice affirmative action and to pay and promote people in an inclusive way. And to treat all employees with respect. Did I try hard enough? After five interviews as a candidate for ED for a non-profit, I lost to a women. Did my status as an over represented middle-aged white guy work against me? I know POC bear more of the brunt, but don’t almost all of us suffer the pain and inequality of unmitigated capitalism and corporatism? How do we build a country where white privilege is no longer the dominant factor, and people from different backgrounds are all comfortable in their skin? Can we get ever beyond racial identity?

1 Recommend

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Gail Friedberg commented July 21

G

Gail Friedberg

Fair Lawn, NJ

Thank you for this. I am a white middle-aged Jewish woman. I consider myself to be passing for white and recognize the privilege (and invisibility) that brings (which is privilege in some circumstances and a disadvantage in others). I work with people of color in a racially mixed industrial neighborhood and feel every day the respect and courtesy I receive simply because I am a nice white lady. I think about the racial component in all my interactions and debate with myself every day about whether that makes me racist. thank you for the additional food for thought and for sharing your experiences and thoughts so honestly. It helps.

1 Recommend

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CP commented July 21

C

CP

NJ

White male, child of the 50s and 60s, and a Reform Jew by birth. But I "don't look Jewish," which - sorry, Rabbi - is a fluke of luck that has stood me in good stead on more than one occasion; it is usually assumed that I'm a "WASP." I see awful and good behavior from many angles, and I emphasize with Prof. Rankine's experiences. Many white men are jerks, true, but despite prejudices that all of us have been programmed with, I think most people indeed just want to get along. Perhaps my view is more deeply rooted in my insider/outsider roots as well as being raised by and around smart strong women. I consider myself lucky to have my background. If that's "privilege," OK, I'll take it, but with gratitude for my luck and a commitment to try to respect all people. I hope I succeed.

1 Recommend

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CPod commented July 21

CPod

CPod

Malvern, PA

The author made me realize the value of going to an ivy if this is the quality of the instruction. I want to take her class.

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Why? commented July 21

W

Why?

USA

Took it me a while to figure out what disturbed me most about this article. In the end, it's this: Ms. Rankine has the privilege of getting a feature article in the NY Times to complain about a series of daily inconveniences and turn them into a political issue. White men deal with the exact same inconveniences ALL THE TIME. People cut ahead of us on line. Flight attendants and waiters forget our drink orders. People make rude comments. We do not, however, get to attribute any political significance to these actions. And we don't. It's just life. The person on the crowded subway recently who intentionally took up two seats and played loud music on their iPhone? That was annoying but I didn't consider it a political issue, just merely a rude person. So a privilege exists for Ms. Rankine, and it has nothing to do with her wealth and prestige job. It's her ability to take her daily inconveniences (which might be racism or might be only her negative confirmation bias) and make them into someone else's problem. The fact that a white man was rude to her is now my problem. That's not fair. I don't jump ahead of lines. I don't make rude comments. I have my own struggles. Why should I be burdened by hers? Why should I have to recite a mea culpa for my very existence? It seems like the "woke" left is trying everything it can to make the racial divide worse. Instead of telling a whole class of people they are a problem, why not just implore everyone to be better human beings?

16 Recommend

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John commented July 21

J

John

Ukraine

I grew up white and working class in North Philadelphia. I very little to none of this “privileged.” I saw a lot of hate and occasional violence directed at me and my three brothers. We dealt with it, meted out our own when an opportunity presented itself, and worked hard to get out of that neighborhood of lovely 3-story row-house. As an engineer, I have worked hard to overcome the prejudices that some used to attach to me (and other white inner city Philly folk) due to our speech, way of describing things, our occasionally aggressive nature). It was what it was and is what it is. Until a larger majority of blacks take ownership of their lives and futures, they will remain underemployed, underutilized, underachieving, and under appreciated. The statistics reflect much of the reality. Sorry to disabuse you.

7 Recommend

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Lisa commented July 21

L

Lisa

Syracuse, NY

Here’s a twist. I’m an urban planner and I told a young black female intern about my white privilege and the history of racial segregation in Upstate NewYork. She was absolutely stunned as she had no idea about any of this history. Funny how they don’t teach that in high school. Her head was spinning. She told the intern coordinator (black) what I Told her (that racism was largely ingrained in my psyche and I have to work hard to root it out, among other things) and word got back to my boss that I was out of line. My boss said she couldn’t believe I was intentionally trying to be racist. In the end the intern learned the most from me. I gave her some books to read. I was called out by a a black person for telling a black person that I and the entire system was racist. It’s that ingrained and subversive in our region.

1 Recommend

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Pls commented July 21

P

Pls

Plsemail

This author must have a very sad life. To spend all of their waking hours thinking that everything is based on one's race. The author writes, "I was always aware that my value in our culture’s eyes is determined by my skin color first and foremost." Says who? The vast majority of people do not care what another person's color is, we are all racing around trying to make ends meet, satisfy the needs of our family, and trying to be happy and content with the challenges of life that we have. When I travel around the US, I see plenty of business people of all races clearly on business trips, and there is more integration of races and sexes than ever before. I think it is a false narrative to keep people in their own business. I think it is very sad to teach people that everyone is biased against each other; actually, "we are all in this together" so let's get over our colors and stereotypes. I think if a white person wrote an article like this it would be considered very prejudiced and bigoted.

14 Recommend

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Dr. John commented July 21

D

Dr. John

Seattle

This is a horribly unjust situation. Therefore each of our Democratic presidential candidates has the responsibility to convince the voting public how unfair it is and tell voters what actions and policies they will require of the government and citizens to correct the unfairness. If they remain timid and silent, we must not support them. And the eventual nominee must make the evil of white privilege #1 on their campaign platform. There is no other option.

1 Recommend

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David commented July 21

D

David

Pittsburgh

I'm disappointed by this article. The author seems to assume that every place in the US is the same, and that everyone has the same experiences and narrative that she has. She also reminds me a bit of my son, when he's certain everyone is making fun of him, and I have to tell him that he's placing way too much importance on himself. She does think a great deal of herself, and seems to think that everyone else is focused on her as well. I realize that she's no doubt encountered a lot of racism in her life, but that doesn't mean every exchange is racist. And yes, if you had asked me what I thought of "my white privilege", I would accused you of a racially tinged slur. Because you're assuming that I come from a society that has enabled me in some fashion. That assumption in itself is racist. You should instead ask what I think about white privilege in general, or how it MAY have influenced my life. Because you don't know me, or where I come from. As for your jobless friend who you think needs to take the long view -- no, he does not. HE did not do those things that led to his privilege. The fact is, if he didn't get some job due to racially-motivated hiring quotas, he was at the short end of a racist policy. But I expect things will have to get a lot more ridiculous before the author sees that.

3 Recommend

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John commented July 21

J

John

Los Angeles

The genius of Western criticism is its ability to cannibalize the culture from which it came. Whiteness studies is a way of turning the tables on the Eurocentrism of cultural anthropology and folklore studies to refocus the pitiless lens of analysis on the former beholders and making them the subjects. Here, they’re white mem, and they are squirming uncomfortably under the lights the way all subjects eventually feel. If Claudia Rankine can’t see that she has appropriated the techniques of objectification and dehumanization used by the dead white males of those disciplines, she is fooling herself. Rankine’s bio says she is a poet, yet, like too many academics who teach arts and letters as well as write, she is donning the mantle of a social scientist. She is delving into the categorizations, the jargon, and the generalizations of a social scientist, yet the impressionistic and poetic tropes one hears at her Racial Imaginary Institute, with its Afro-Pessimist and whiteness studies panelists, mostly come from literature. My confusion stems from her insistence on giving the aerie faerie, subjective musings of a personal journal the weight of sociological inquiry, even as it effectively turns the tables. The difficulty she had with those prickly white men comes with the territory—objectifying people for ethnographic research is a scientist’s province—not a poet’s.

3 Recommend

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BilliePie commented July 21

B

BilliePie

Memphis, TN

Beautiful. Just so beautifully written and voiced. My specific experience with white privilege which leaps to mind (other than everyday living) is the time my two small children and I were driving in a rural area outside of Memphis and I was pulled over by the police for expired tags. As I was handing the officer my license and registration and apologizing for my forgetfulness, I was hyper aware that if I had been a Black woman, I would be terrified right now. When the officer let me go with a warning, I knew that if I had not been white, I would have gotten a ticket for sure.

4 Recommend

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Sharon commented July 21

Sharon

Sharon

Tucson

Very interesting and thought-provoking essay. I find myself wishing that Ms Rankine wasn't so perceptive, so the world, as it is, wouldn't hurt her so much.

2 Recommend

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Darlene Wiley commented July 21

D

Darlene Wiley

Austin TX

Brilliantly conceived and written. As a university professor at a large state university where a diverse student population evolves each year with a new class of freshmen, our "American" society should take a lesson from how the students themselves define inclusion and acceptance. Most "freshmen" are inclusionary and I would say visionary; they are the future.

3 Recommend

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JJ Flowers commented July 21

JJ Flowers

JJ Flowers

Laguna Beach, CA

After reading this engaging and arresting piece, I was left just hoping Dr. Rankine's students appreciate the gift of being in her class. This needs to be a book.

9 Recommend

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mary commented July 21

M

mary

connecticut

I am a 66-year-old white woman who I grew up in a white middle-class community. My graduating class had one black young man, and when he received his diploma, he got a partial standing ovation. I was shocked because I knew him, and he barely had enough credits to graduate. It was a lightning bolt moment in my life, for it was the first time I witnessed racial prejudice in real-time. He was the designated poster child for ethnic diversity. I left the area at 19 years old and lived in different parts of our country. Your travels confirm what I have been acutely aware of; 'white privilege' is alive and well, It has just been politely hiding in the woodwork. The angry rant we now hear from these humans who wear white skin, primarily lead by the male gender is but a secondary emotion. What drives this train is fear. The fear of losing the power of the many, the title of a white majority offers. Thank you, Ms. Rankine for taking this journey and sharing. I probably won't live to witness the day of an awakening of the human race to truth; We are all the same under this skin we wear, and diversity is a gift from the universe.

3 Recommend

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john commented July 21

J

john

italy

76 y/o white male here who was always aware of his privileges. I wish Ms. Rankine had asked me, but I seldom fly first or business class anymore. I do remember flying coach years ago and a black professional woman, on the stand-by list, took the empty seat beside me. For an hour or so I silently admired her beautiful black hands with their white palms. I spoke to her praising them and asked if I might hold one. Delighted, she gave me one to hold, and we had a nice trip, unforgettable for me.

3 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Me commented July 22

M

Me

My home

@john This is a truly bizarre comment. Luckily you didn’t ask to feel her hair. If someone spoke that way to me on a plane I would ask to change my seat. Just creepy.

1 Recommend

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Toby Beaglehole commented July 21

T

Toby Beaglehole

New Zealand

Lovely, thoughtful, insightful and generous article. You have a very deep well of patience and perspective. It's through stories like these that we can all try to learn to live better.

8 Recommend

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BarbaraAnn commented July 21

B

BarbaraAnn

Marseille, France

Ms Rankine lives in a different part of academia than I do: one where the professors fly first class. In my world (math and science), the professors fly economy. The universities and conference centres do not reimburse first-class or business class travel for anyone.

23 Recommend

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Jack commented July 21

Jack

Jack

London

For clarification Priviledge in America is synonymous with Racial Superiority

2 Recommend

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Ylem commented July 21

Y

Ylem

LA

A professor at Yale, one of the most privileged people on the planet, is whining about how horrible her life is for some slights, imagined or real. Try working as a server in an Appleby's for a few days and then you may understand what humiliation on a daily basis feels like, regardless of your socially-constructed identity. This is why they hate us. The rest of the world and working people in our own society hate us because the cultural elite in this country inhabit a narcissistic bubble of abject privilege while whining like adolescent babies. Like this professor, they claim victim status while ignoring the peasants below who toil away at their menial jobs with menial pay and who daily confront their desperate lives. "I was made to feel uncomfortable in Business Class." Oh, you poor dear. Was the orange juice not fresh squeezed either? This is why we get a moron like Trump, the manifestation of class hatred who taps into this resentment for the cultural elite represented by people like this professor.

48 Recommend

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Michael commented July 21

M

Michael

boston

Really wish NYT would use more non- academics on race discussions. People from non- echo chamber environments spouting the same cliches and stereotypes. All the nyt race writers seem to have to pass an ideological litmus test and all end up sounding the same with no assumptions challenged..

32 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Andrew commented July 21

A

Andrew

HK

@Raz: there were free African Americans at the time who were “free” to organize and create... and they did. And there were servants and slaves who organized and created as far as they were permitted. That is for starters... and... oh... I give up... can’t we just celebrate the things people did without applying false concepts of race... and who said our value was measured by what we organize?

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Raz commented July 21

R

Raz

Montana

White people built this country. Slaves worked and contributedd to its growth and culture, but they weren't the organizers and creators. Look att what happened to South Africa after Blacks were allowed to vote and run for office...corruption and decline.

12 Recommend

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Aaron commented July 21

Aaron

Aaron

Orange County, CA

More white people are on food stamps and welfare than minorities. More white people take government subsidies.. I see white poverty not white privilege ...

18 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

American commented July 21

A

American

Portland, OR

You must not be in First Class, Aaron! Go on up there and you will see all of the privilege. I cannot see it from here, either.

2 Recommend

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Bub commented July 21

B

Bub

Boston

Not as a percent of the relevant population cohort...

2 Recommend

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Bian commented July 21

B

Bian

Arizona

The whole concept of white privilege is an excuse for people who did not have the drive or discipline to work hard and make something of themselves. My grandparents came to this country legally, as young adults, but with little education and not able to speak English. In the old country they were at the bottom of the social scale if on it at all. In the US they had menial jobs. They worked hard, learned English and were able to send their kids to college. Their kids then were able to send their kids to college and thereby economically survive without resort to excuses. Those who talk about white privilege ought to try working. In fact the work ethic does work. You get ahead by working hard and not by saying you did not have the advantage of white privilege.

20 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

Deborah Clark commented July 21

D

Deborah Clark

California

Bian fails to understand that when his/her grandparents came to this country , the very white privilege that Bian now denigrates and chooses to ignore, allowed them to jump in front of the people of color already here waiting in line for a job. They rented apartments and enrolled their children in schools in neighborhoods unavailable to people of color. And it was all without the grands having to do anything themselves to avail themselves of these advantages. That was only the beginning of the white privilege upon which all three generations have built their financial and social capital here. Your inability to acknowledge how your family has benefited is itself part of how white privilege works.

1 Recommend

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Pls commented July 21

P

Pls

Plsemail

Exactly so!

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MJG commented July 21

M

MJG

Boston

Why Whites? Northern and Western Europeans made the US and Canada into economic success stories. Look at Hispanic countries and their socio-economic cultures. Look at African countries. Be honest. Would you wish you were born in Guatemala or Nigeria? Non-Whites come to America and succeed. It's not a racial issue although, sadly, bigotry is on the rise. Rather than teach about "poor me" subjects let's teach about Western values and how to make it. My German-speaking grandfather learned plumbing. His two great grandchildren graduated from elite universities. Let's investigate those dynamics.

36 Recommend

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Michael Green commented July 21

M

Michael Green

Brooklyn

My father, a high school drop out, was the son of immigrants and was raised in foster homes while my mother was raised in a one room house which her father built with his own hands. When I hear privileged minorities talking about White privilege, it truely disgusts me. People do find themselves with many forms of privilege including educational, social, economic, geographical, ethnic and race. Sometimes these work in backward fashion. It might be more beneficial to be poor rather than middle class. Barack Obama and Kamala Harris certainly benefited from being Black. Privilege is a complex reality and simplifying it into White privilege is simplistic and self serving and racist. That Yale would employ this auther speaks to the decline of that university.

291 Recommend

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16 REPLIES

John Friedman commented July 17

J

John Friedman

Hudson, NY

@Michael Green I hear your pain. I would ask that you think of these issues as both micro and macro matters. On the micro side, your father's and mother's stories are compelling proof that privilege is a personal thing at one level. My family story is not as fraught as yours but I can both sympathize and empathize with it. On the macro side, however, there are the assumptions that everyone makes about everyone else on the basis of how they look -- and skin color, hair texture, facial features -- they all play a part. I am a white guy -- that's how I understand myself and how I've been perceived by those around me in the Northeast where I'm from and live. When I travel to rural Arkansas, or even rural upstate NY, I'm a Jew. Not white. Not black. Just Jewish. In those places, my privilege is curtailed. I feel it. It's palpable. Especially when one of my brother-in-laws is with me -- the large, patched-in biker (who is black as coal) -- because when he walks in behind me, I can feel my privilege being restored (if only by a fraction). Our friends and families see us; the rest of the world sees what they want to see -- and they (we -- we!) base that conclusion often (mostly? always?) on race at some level.

156 Recommend

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Robert commented July 17

R

Robert

Washington

I think that you are incorrect to dismiss this article as a form of simplification. Isn’t it time that we have these discussions? Isn’t important that we recognize the validity of both her and your viewpoints. I am a white male, how can I possibly understand the viewpoints of a black women or a Hispanic woman or even a white women if I don’t listen? Isn’t dismissing her viewpoint the same thing that you are accusing her of, dismissing the viewpoint of an economically disadvantaged white person? It seems to me that we have something to learn from each. I would love to be able to participate in this women’s class at Yale because this whole concept is rather new to me and I think would be important to my ever evolving understanding of American history. But of even more importance is how it will influence the lives of my young grandchildren. I want a better future for them. Not just economically but socially as well. It certainly does not hurt us to listen.

139 Recommend

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Blonde Guy commented July 17

B

Blonde Guy

Santa Cruz, CA

@Michael Green I missed the part in her essay where she claimed that white privilege is the only kind. But ask yourself: when you go into a shop, does a clerk follow you around to see if you're going to shoplift? If a cop stops you for a broken taillight, are you afraid you'll be shot? That's white privilege.

193 Recommend

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DI commented July 21

D

DI

SoCal

Times Pick

Middle-aged white dude here -- I'm surprised by the number of overly defensive comments made here by people that I presume to be white. I think many of the people responding negatively about the article seem sensitive regarding the idea of white privilege, and they also seem to feel that it somehow diminishes their own accomplishments. I get pretty irritated when my fellow white folks complain that people of color "make everything about race," or that they "play the race card." My friends, white people are the ones who have made everything about race in this country -- from slavery to Jim Crow, lynchings to legalized segregation, institutionalized poverty to mass incarceration. If your response to this piece is angry, or defensive, maybe take a deep breath and consider what it must be like to be made conscious of your appearance every day of your life.

2027 Recommend

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41 REPLIES

Cassiopeia commented July 18

C

Cassiopeia

Northern Sky

@DI My personal experience has been that whenever something goes against a person of color it automatically becomes a race matter. I'm talking about people I was close to in the workplace.

38 Recommend

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Matthew commented July 18

M

Matthew

California

@DI You are missing the point. No one should have to be conscious of their appearance every day of their lives, but forcing anyone who could be considered "white" to consider how their own skin color affects everything that they do inherently makes this problem worse. Instead of creating a society where skin color doesn't matter, we are now told that we should consider skin color all the time. This must stop. It will breed resentment, which will lead to more racism not less.

105 Recommend

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RW commented July 18

R

RW

Manhattan

@DI I worry that some the people who get defensive are the ones who might actually vote against Trump: lower middle class and poor white people. Right now, we can't afford to alienate any voters who might vote Trump out. This kind of article - and any talk of "white" anything- is going to alienated them even more. Make no mistake: this country will be destroyed by a 2nd Trump victory. We are in a major crisis here.

59 Recommend

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ml2018 commented July 21

M

ml2018

Nyc

I do not think we should judge white men by the behavior of white businessmen in first class. They are all jerks and the worst beneficiaries of white male privilege. But they are also fueled by the grandiose entitlement of class privilege and the intellectual failures of having attended college before these kinds of discourses became routine subjects of discussion. Like most of my yuppie white male friends (gay, straight and otherwise), I am in my 30s, do not fly in first class, do not have children whom I am trying to slide into Yale whatever way possible. None of us would be so ignorant as to speak to Ms. Rankine in the way these men do. Which is not to say we wouldn't have our own internalized white supremacists tendencies. As a public intellectual, Ms. Rankine has a responsibility not to re-entrench whiteness as an essential category which, for the purpose of this essay, is equivalent to a white male heterosexual business traveler, which, in my estimation, is often one of the least imaginative and intellectual porous categories of people. Why not ask your young male students what they think? Why not ask the white men who are boarding after you? Or the white male (usually) gay flight attendants what they think? These men share white male privilege but they also share being in a circumstantially subordinate position of power in relation to you. This conversation is so much more complex than this essay. I hope Ms. Rankine, with her venerable empathy, plunges a little deeper.

109 Recommend

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Tony commented July 21

T

Tony

New York City

I fail to understand why white people are so touchy about there special place in American society. Being white opens the door to countless opportunities. If you decide not to take advantage of these special venues, please don't act as if they weren't offered to you. most of us dont get one opportunity no matter how many hard earned degrees we have. White people dont have to worry about being shot just for walking out their front door. Read the newspapers and read the comments here in the NYT, white people are special.

113 Recommend

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16 REPLIES

Z97 commented July 19

Z

Z97

Big City

@Tony, black people don’t get shot for walking out the door; they get shot for refusing to follow police instructions. White people also get shot for that, more often per year than blacks do. There are no special opportunities that open up just for being white. Opportunities open up for academically successful people. For any given level of achievement (as measured by SAT, GRE, etc. scores), being black opens more doors than being white due to the demand for diversity exceeding the supply of academically successful African-Americans.

50 Recommend

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Alonzo commented July 19

A

Alonzo

Salt Lake City

@Tony I can only guess why white people are touchy based on how I feel . . . which is overwhelmed to even begin to fathom the brutal history of white on black dominance and violence. White privilege is a residual of that brutal history of dominance. And while I did not personally participate, I am implicated. I'm not saying it is an equal burden to bear, but it is a burden for thoughtful folks nonetheless. How do I fix it? How do we fix it?

12 Recommend

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Z97 commented July 19

Z

Z97

Big City

@Alonzo, if you didn’t personally participate, you cannot be implicated, even if you want to be. No one can be in any way responsible for anything they did not do, good or bad.

20 Recommend

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Billy commented July 21

B

Billy

NY

Trump said go back and help her country first. Then come back and help us. Tell all the story not half of it.

3 Recommend

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Leanne commented July 21

L

Leanne

Maryland

Thank you

1 Recommend

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Scott commented July 21

S

Scott

Milwaukee, WI

So called white privilege is nothing more than an excuse by non-whites for not succeeding in life. It's easier to blame someone else for your shortcomings than to look in the mirror.

7 Recommend

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P L commented July 21

P

P L

Chicago

White privilege ala Chicago all the red light camera and ticket writers in white neighborhoods. Black alderman demanded they be taken down in their neighborhoods too many tickets were being issued. Live in a white neighborhood miss your water bill a month and you have an orange turnoff notice in 3 days. Blacks run up tens of thousands in water bills then get them forgiven for no other reason than they are black.

5 Recommend

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Chatelet commented July 21

Chatelet

Chatelet

NY,NY

Fire your therapist. That man was insulting you.

2 Recommend

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P L commented July 21

P

P L

Chicago

When will the NYT let a white privileged male working his butt off to pay his bills and taxes publish a rebuttal to a black racist elitist article?

8 Recommend

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jlafitte commented July 21

J

jlafitte

Leucadia/Marigny

Great essay. Another choice quote from James Baldwin: “Whatever white people do not know about Negroes reveals, precisely and inexorably, what they do not know about themselves.” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1962/11/17/letter-from-a-region-in-my-mind

1 Recommend

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doncheech commented July 21

D

doncheech

new jersey

my fathers white privilege was born out of getting up every morning at 5am whether he was sick or their was a blizzard outside and went to work. later on in life with a bad back,bad knees and bad heart. he had the privilege of retiring with his house paid for and doing some traveling before he passed at 83. He spent 6 years under german occupation during WW2 and never used that as an excuse for his lot in life.

15 Recommend

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Raz commented July 21

R

Raz

Montana

"White privilege" does not exist. We just had a mixed race President, for goodness sakes. This is not to say that whites and other races accomplish the same things, or take part in various pursuits according to their distribution in the population. There are a disproportionate number of Black athletes in football and basketball. If you look at the doctorates awarded in mathematics this year, almost all of them went to Whites and Asians. Not all races commit crimes at the same rate. People are NOT all the same. People who use the term "white male" to charaterize a whole population are just as racist as the people they are criticizing, but few seem to realize it.

8 Recommend

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globalnomad commented July 21

G

globalnomad

Boise, ID

I don't think the poor whites in eastern Kentucky or the trailer-dwelling denizens of Alabama consider themselves "privileged." Maybe Claudia Rankine does.

11 Recommend

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Jonathan Ben-Asher commented July 21

J

Jonathan Ben-Asher

Maplewood, NJ

Lefty white guy here. Worked for Sanders, voted for Clinton in November, would like to see Warren run against Trump. We have a manipulative, race baiting, quasi-Fascist in the White House. But articles like these - largely a long winded musing on petty rudeness in First Class - are a gift to Steve Bannon. Steve eats this stuff up, as does the GOP. I also found that the piece, like much acadrmic writing, was disorganized and rambling, and could have been edited to half its length. Is there an editor in the house?

15 Recommend

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Privalaged commented July 21

P

Privalaged

Brooklyn

Wow, life without white privalage sounds awful. I'll be sure to hold on to mine!

2 Recommend

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Tim commented July 21

T

Tim

LA

Maybe she should try flying coach (where the majority of white men and women fly) rather than staying in first/business class with her other privileged circle.

11 Recommend

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MinisterOfTruth commented July 21

MinisterOfTruth

MinisterOfTruth

Riverton, NJ 080..

. Better me than you. One group or anothr will hav The Privilege, but it shouldnt be applied in an overbearing way. When I was in white-minority Hawaii in the '80s, whites were disparaged : my "mainland accent" was a detriment in job hunting, it marked me as a "mainland haole" [HOW-lay.] Bc of my caucasian race and mainland ways I was advised mostly by whites but some "locals" too how to stay in my place --- which beaches, neighborhoods, hangouts, etc would be.......better for me . .

2 Recommend

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Cali Sol commented July 21

Cali Sol

Cali Sol

Brunswick, Maine

She's on a university faculty, flies first class to S. Africa, has a therapist and sees white male privilege everywhere. I want a pair of glasses which help me see those privileges, since I've been jostled and threatened by people like her numerous times.....next she'll want me to pay reparations for long past injustice, as if they were stored in a bank she manages.

9 Recommend

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Lee Holland commented July 21

L

Lee Holland

AZ

Our schools are nothing more than institutions of PC liberal/progressive/socialist indoctrination.

7 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Beth commented July 22

B

Beth

Tucson

@Lee Holland I do not agree with you, but I am disappointed in the New York Times for publishing articles like this that fuel this belief. Race is such a volatile subject in the country with Trump as president. The media directly aided his election and these types of articles will contribute to his success in the the next election. The NYT has the opportunity to present evidence based articles demonstrating how people of color are discriminated against in every aspect of American life and maybe even give policy ideas on how to fix racial inequality. Instead they publish an article by a professor at Yale giving anecdotal evidence about her racist experiences flying first class across the world.

1 Recommend

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linh commented July 21

L

linh

ny

one cannot '...interrogating that question....' interrogate a question as it's inanimate and unable to answer. however, i am pleased that your article of definite value has been published.

1 Recommend

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B commented July 21

B

B

RI

Actually, Jewish Americans are significantly more privileged than white Americans when you factor for things like income level and prestigious careers. Would it be considered anti-Semitic to point this out?

2 Recommend

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reb commented July 21

R

reb

California

As a 60+ white male with loads of "privilege", I wonder why I should give any of it up voluntarily. Exactly what do I get (and what do why white children and grandchildren get) by giving it up? It will just make our lives harder. Would other racial groups in the same position give up their privilege? Do I see Asian people giving up their slots at Harvard to free up space for Blacks or Hispanics? Do I see Black stars in the NBA giving up their position to let more white players in? Do I see wealthy Blacks in South Africa giving up their privilege to lower income Blacks.? The answers are obvious. Harping on the evils of white privilege will just drive white voters to Trump. To combat the problems of racism and inequality there needs to be another story line than whites, specifically white males, are the source of all evil in the world. Especially if you them to vote for you.

6 Recommend

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Blackmamba commented July 21

B

Blackmamba

Il

Since there is only one biological DNA genetic evolutionary fit human race species that began in Africa 300, 000 years ago there are no black nor white nor yellow races. What we call race aka color is an evolutionary fit human pigmented response to varying levels of solar radiation at different altitudes and latitudes primarily related to producing Vitamin D and protecting genes from damaging mutations What we call race aka color aka ethnicity aka national origin is an evil malign socioeconomic political educational demographic historical white European American Judeo-Christian myth meant to legally and morally justify humanity denying black African American enslavement and separate and unequal black African American Jim Crow. Racism aka bigotry and prejudice based upon color aka ethnicity aka national origin in America is real. Even though race is not. See ' The Race Myth: Why We Pretend That Race Exists in America' Joseph L. Graves; ' Watson Defined' : ' The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in an Age of Colorblindness" Michelle Alexander: ' Dog-Whistle Politics: How Coded Racial Appeals Reinvented Racism and Wrecked the Middle Class ' Ian Haney Lopez; ' 13th' Ava DuVernay

2 Recommend

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1 REPLY

HR commented July 21

H

HR

Parizh

@Blackmamba Then why does my 23andMe report say that I’m European and Jewish? Race is not a myth, except for the American construction of ever-expanding “whiteness”. White privilege is also a myth.

1 Recommend

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Rob commented July 21

R

Rob

San Diego

The privilege of white , rich people, criticizing other whites for not being as sensitive as they are. Most people of all races just go to work, and go home, not posting on the nyt about privilege. White people posting about horrors of white privilege. Give me a break.

4 Recommend

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Gary commented July 21

G

Gary

Massachusetts

This was more about privileged white men (first class flying) not white privilege.

4 Recommend

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BackHandSpin commented July 21

B

BackHandSpin

SoCal

"staring at my semi circle of oak trees.." in New Haven where it's a safe distance from violent black crime? Hmmmm. Sounds like privlidge to me.

4 Recommend

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Dan commented July 21

D

Dan

St. Louis

I read much of your piece, but finally had to stop reading because of all the racial stereotyping. Are all white men (or the majority) rude like the one who stepped in front of you? You may have a white husband who is probably as privileged as you given that you teach at Yale, but it seems that you do not understand the diversity within white people - you want to stereotype all white people. You may be the one who needs to do research and go to places other than your privileged hamlet of Yale to discover that most white people are not nearly as privileged as you.

7 Recommend

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Curiouser commented July 21

C

Curiouser

California

Times Pick

I am confused about my "Whiteness." I am olive skinned, dark brown eyed, black/white, wavy haired and 100 per cent Ashkenazi Jew. Hate crimes, the Holocaust and enslavements are scattered throughout our history. I have felt the sting of racial prejudice several times in my past and it HURTS. At 74 am an "old White male?

93 Recommend

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6 REPLIES

perltarry commented July 21

P

perltarry

ny

@Curiouser Me too. I am confused as well. Not sure how "person of color" is being defined right now but it doesn't appear to be particularly inclusive.

8 Recommend

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JP commented July 21

J

JP

New Orleans

@Curiouser Please read more of the comments, especially ones very similar to yours and their responses. Some will empathize with your “confusion”, others will hopefully enlighten you in a much more precise and eloquent manner than I ever could. Your hurt and the historic wounds you describe are palpable. I believe what is being discussed isn’t meant to diminish you or your pain at all.

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Robert Crosman commented July 21

R

Robert Crosman

Berkeley, CA

Dear "@Curiouser: In the henhouse there is a "pecking order," where the top hen can peck all the others, the next-to-top hen can peck all but the top hen, and so on down the line. In such a society, the lives of the hens near the top of the pecking order are not so bad, at least contrasted with those toward the bottom, who may actually die if they try to do what they need to do in order to survive. As a white man I immediately see "black" or "white" in another person, as quickly as I see male or female, and I automatically adjust my behavior accordingly - slightly warmer in the case of a white woman, a bit wary in the case of a black person, especially a black man. Awareness of a white man's Jewishness takes a bit longer to suss out. When I do, I'm likely to expect to find a high-status, intelligent achiever. I know Jews weren't always considered fully "white" by my Anglo ethnic group, and there are whites who still make that distinction. Being Jewish may in some milieus be considered a liability, but like the second hen in the pecking order, it's a far better place to be than at the bottom, where poor, black people usually find themselves.

32 Recommend

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JimH commented July 21

J

JimH

Northern CA

Lately, I’ve been thinking more about racism, sexism and many other things in the context of a broader category: aggression. In recent years, Americans have come to admire aggression as an indicator of success and positive change. Donald Trump was elected president precisely because he is so outrageously aggressive. It’s impossible to imagine his election if he was only slightly less aggressive. Successful business and political leaders are typically highly aggressive. However, not all aggressiveness is created equal. When blacks and other minorities are aggressive, they are considered threatening. When women are aggressive, they are considered unfeminine, even unnatural. (As we now see in the reactions to the Congressional “Squad”, to be female, minority and aggressive is a near-criminal combination in the eyes of many.) I believe that this explains why there are so few female and minority CEOs. The mostly white, male corporate boards deem non-aggressive candidates as unsuitable for that reason alone. But they are likely to deem aggressive minorities or women as distasteful. This is not to say they are opposed to women or minorities overall; they do not typically oppose their employment in middle management. But there does seem to be some unconscious line that is not to be crossed. The group at the airport as acted on the sense of self-importance and disdain for the rights of others that are hallmarks of aggressiveness. It didn't matter who they pushed aside.

1 Recommend

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1 REPLY

steven commented July 21

S

steven

from Barrytown, NY, currently overseas

@JimH, I think that you have brought up an important point. The culture since the 1980 has increasingly favored aggression as a positive character traint. You point out good reasons to think that culture punishes these same traits in women and people of color. Look at the Westerns from the 1950s: for all of th eir many faults, the protagonist, even the John Wayne characters, were never aggressive. The aggressive types, gunslingers, were always proto-fascists, whose time was shown to have come and gone. I would bring up another aspect of this problem: with the unenlightened and aggressive self-interest of Ayn Rand's philosophy having become the dominant worldview, everyone is also in competition with everyone else. We don't like our competitors. But when we are told it is a meritocracy, we have no basis for being a "loser" except that we deserve it. This is not something people can live with. The racists have a handy explanation: your competitor was not legitimately in the competition. This is why tying anti-racism and anti-sexism to pro-market competition and free trade as the Democratic Party centrists have for 30 years is self-defeating: the aggressive competitivenss both favors the Trump types aesthetically and it leads people to want to exclude competitors. It is no accident that the only real progress on race, gender and sexual preference equality, and the immigration reforms all happened after decades of New Deal structures and policies.

1 Recommend

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Bascom Hill commented July 21

B

Bascom Hill

Bay Area

Those white guys in the 1st class seats? Here’s a few of the ways they got there... 1. Born on 3rd base and thought they hit a triple 2. Grew up in a mostly a white world, graduated from mostly really well funded white schools (Biggest predictor of SAT scores is household $income) 3. Worked hard and thought they did it all by themselves 4. Didn’t work that hard but got lucky 5. Never lived in poverty 6. Had lots of mentors along the way 7. Hired and promoted by white guys who graduated from their college and had similar backgrounds 8. Role models. Saw how the senior management white guys did it as they were starting off in their careers 9. And some of them grew up in lower middle class families but somehow had access to public schools and universities and then out worked everybody...which was still a massive advantage versus the minority kids in the same town Terrific article.

3 Recommend

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Dan Kline commented July 21

D

Dan Kline

Anchorage

A beautiful, powerful essay.

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BA commented July 21

B

BA

NYC

White privilege is real, most certainly. But it can be a bitter pill to swallow without the acknowledgement of interlocking and intersecting class privilege. I wish Ms. Rankine had paused for a moment to reflect on her choice to fly first-class, which in a just world would not exist, or her position at Yale, an engine of social inequality. Someone with her talent and bibliography could teach at any university she wanted, but she chooses to work at Yale, demonstrating that her devotion to a left politics ends with the safe entry of oppressed groups into the capitalist system built for white slaveowners. White privilege is real, yes, but until we acknowledge that rich people are the enemy of everyone, nothing will change.

4 Recommend

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Anna commented July 21

A

Anna

NYC

This is an issue that I’ve struggled with a lot. At what point is a person responsible for the acts of their ancestors? Here’s the truth: no one chooses what ethnicity, nationality, gender, socio-economic status, or sexuality they’re born into. As long as you do the best you can in the moment to recognize and overcome your inherent biases, what more can anyone ask for? Is the child of a murderer automatically a murderer? Is the child of an abuser automatically abusive? To the extent that self-determination exists, if people acknowledge past atrocities and do their best to live the right way, is it fair to condemn them for acts that happened before they were born? Where does it end? I’ve never walked in your shoes, but you’ve never walked in mine either. From my perspective, we all need to meet on common ground as best we can. Let’s not alienate people, regardless of background, who want a better future for all of us. Let’s focus our attention on the individuals who refuse to recognize the past and fight against it, rather than fighting amongst ourselves. We have much bigger (presidential) fish to fry…

3 Recommend

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P-wave commented July 21

P

P-wave

Katy, TX

I suppose that I should not complain that I need higher scores on civil service tests if I want hired by the government or that disadvantaged groups get priority while bidding on government contracts. I should also not mind that my parents back in Appalachia are living at near poverty level The fact that my ancestors were killed in the Civil War wearing blue should not make a difference either. Yes, I felt all that privilege when I burned through my 401K to keep my house while I was unemployed for months at a time. That is why I moved half way across the country for a job to feed my family. You know we got over the fact that our ancestors homes were burned and starved out of the Rhine Valley because of their beliefs and came and built a home here in America the hard way. So, I will just bow my head, be ashamed and acknowledge all that privilege. When I am too old to work and homeless I will just think back on this thoughtful article.

6 Recommend

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brupic commented July 21

B

brupic

nara/greensville

it would've been interesting if she'd talked to whites who lived in a country/culture that was not dominated by whites. i'm white and lived in japan, in sakai, nara and osaka, off and on for 19 years. i'm also canadian, not american, so it's possible my perceptions of race could be different. japan was 98.9% japanese at that time--1993-2012. 70% of the remaining 1.1% were korean or chinese ethnically. i was treated differently--both negatively and positively--but i were very aware i stuck out like a sore thumb, that people had many preconceived notions of me--mostly that i was american--and that i'd never fit in no matter how good or bad my japanese was. also, that if i had a beef or a problem with japanese that i would probably lose....it was proven when a 20 year old kid drove his car into mine while making an illegal turn.....and the police weren't much interested in talking to him. being there for that long made me treasure diversity even more than i normally did. finally, my family--on my paternal side--is now seven generations in canada. it started in the 1880s when my great grandfather came from pre-partitioned ireland. it now includes england, german, romania, india (sikh), cameroon, italy and japanese by marriage. france, wales and china on my mother's side.

3 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

brupic commented July 21

B

brupic

nara/greensville

@brupic and Canada is the only country on the face of the earth where this is possible. I think we'd all agree on that.....

1 Recommend

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brupic commented July 21

B

brupic

nara/greensville

@brupic oops...I WAS not I were...

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Bruce Williams commented July 21

B

Bruce Williams

Chicago

If somebody can be fired without a fuss, that person will be more easily hired, and probably won't fly first class.

2 Recommend

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Maxy G commented July 21

Maxy G

Maxy G

Teslaville

"If you live your life as a struggle, it will be a struggle."

5 Recommend

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O'Brien commented July 21

O

O'Brien

Airstrip One

My god, what a revelation: people are rude while traveling by air and they mostly feel offended by people who are within 50 feet of them when traveling. Ms. Rankine, come on back to the economy gate area, boarding line, and section of the plane if you want to see some across-all-races self-interest, entitlement, and thoughtless nastiness. We'll be glad to have you.

6 Recommend

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Mack commented July 21

Mack

Mack

Charlotte

We aren't supposed to generalize about others but here we have someone generalizing about others. And this is OK because "white people" deserve it. I am a gay man who is white, I am decidedly not "priviledged".

8 Recommend

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1 REPLY

A S Knisely commented July 21

A

A S Knisely

London, UK

@Mack -- Not so privileged, perhaps, as if you were straight. But do step back -- just one or two steps -- and imagine yourself a gay man who is black. Ask yourself: Would you trade the life you live for the life that you're imagining? Or, imagine yourself a straight man who is black. Would you trade the life you live for the life that you're imagining? Hierarchies of privilege exist, and as a white guy, gay or straight, in the American South, you're near the top of those hierarchies. Or so it seems to me.

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JD commented July 21

J

JD

PA

The rudest people I've ever seen in lines were Indians in India, men and women alike. No order at all, just pushing and shoving to get ahead. I don't think being rude in a line is restricted to white people or males.

8 Recommend

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Son Of Liberty commented July 21

S

Son Of Liberty

nyc

Most important of all: This question really should be addressed to the White Men in the GOP who are in power, in the Senate and House of Representatives. Actually, it was "asked" last week and their silence was DEFININIG.

2 Recommend

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Aaron commented July 21

Aaron

Aaron

Orange County, CA

Let's get something perfectly straight- "White Privilege" is owned and orchestrated the top .001 percent of America's wealthiest - I don't know them - so stop trying to cast me in the same light as them just because of my skin color.

2 Recommend

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Raz commented July 21

R

Raz

Montana

"White privilege" does not exist. We just had a mixed race President, for goodness sakes. This is not to say that whites and other races accomplish the same things, or take part in various pursuits according to their distribution in the population. There are a disproportionate number of Black athletes in football and basketball. If you look at the doctorates awarded in mathematics this year, almost all of them went to Whites and Asians. Not all races commit crimes at the same rate. People are NOT all the same. People who use the term "white male" to characterize a whole population are just as racist as the people they are criticizing, but few seem to realize it.

2 Recommend

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Thrasher commented July 21

T

Thrasher

DC

Whew! So much to unpack awesome reality based examination of racial truths about America and Whiteness Brilliant

1 Recommend

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Ace commented July 21

A

Ace

New Jersey

Ms. Ranking, don’t you think “interrogating that question” says about all one needs to know about your intent and the possible responses, no response, you will get?

2 Recommend

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Dheep' commented July 21

D

Dheep'

Midgard

When I was 17/18 ( young & White) I was playing & singing Live music in various Night Clubs in the Rhythm & Blues side of town. I was threatened & insulted all the time and told I couldn't possibly play that stuff cause I was white. Well - I'll tell you what - I kept on playing what I liked - regardless of the Racism. And I kept on getting Gigs - because I was good at it. A few years later the work was in the C & W (white) side of town, & I was good at that too. And still getting insults. One night some Yahoo in Boots danced by the stage & told me to stop playing that "jazz". "we don't like black Music here". What a laugh ! I kept up what I was doing & got hired every day of the week. It has gone that way for decade after decade. You aren't going to put me in a box. This country stinks when it comes to prejudice, hate preconceptions and preconceived wackiness. I have experienced it all. One size does NOT fit all. But I'll tell you one thing - we are going down down the Hatred tube mighty fast.

5 Recommend

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Arthur G. Pym commented July 21

A

Arthur G. Pym

Nantucket

Being black, or Asian (all types), or "other", and a good student, is, nowadays, a sure-fire recipe for a full-ride scholarship at most universities looking to fill their diversity quotas. Whereas being white and not rich, is not good enough. How does your racial [sic] privilege feel?

2 Recommend

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1 REPLY

HR commented July 21

H

HR

Parizh

@Arthur G. Pym True enough except for the East Asian/Indian students—at least at the top schools. See, e.g., the lawsuit against Harvard for its admission policies that make it significantly harder for Asians to get in (while favoring black/Hispanic students as “real” diversity). Asians must get 100 more points on SAT than whites, 200 more than Blacks.

1 Recommend

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GK commented July 21

G

GK

New Jersey

Kudos to the author for sharing her experiences so the rest of us might begin to reflect on them. I'll be re-reading this one.

2 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Chris commented July 21

C

Chris

Paris, France

@GK Yeah, science fiction can be good. Too bad her story goes nowhere.

4 Recommend

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Susan commented July 21

S

Susan

USA

I'm a white woman, now 70, and have had the same experiences you have, except when I was married to a doctor AND he was present with me. This has been going on my entire life in places as diverse as Seattle, Peoria IL and Jacksonville FL. You are my hero.

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David in Toledo commented July 21

D

David in Toledo

Toledo

I have benefited in various ways from my fortunate circumstances of birth for a long life. On the few occasions when I was told an equally qualified "minority" had been "privileged" ahead of me, I had no resentment, because those fortunate circumstances meant there would be many other opportunities (if I had the sense to make good use of them). What a privilege it is to be able to fly from world-class university to international conference in first class.

5 Recommend

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1 REPLY

A S Knisely commented July 21

A

A S Knisely

London, UK

@David in Toledo -- "What a privilege it is to be able to fly from world-class university to international conference in first class." Indeed. One of Prof Rankine's points was, I think, that this amazing privilege was treated by some to whom it was accorded as to be accorded only to them. And not to a black woman, whose skin colour, whose gender, in their eyes foreclosed access to that privilege for her. Her sharing in that privilege may even have devalued it for them...

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hammond commented July 21

H

hammond

San Francisco

As a now-well-to-do cis-gendered hetero white male, I am under no delusion that I live in the same world as a black man in a similar demographic. None whatsoever. For starters, I no longer think about my race. I say no longer because I thought about it a lot as a minority white child who lived in a mostly black and latino community. I remember what it felt like to be the other, and perhaps because of that I've kept my eyes open to the perceived 'otherness' that is the genetic burden of non-whites. No one follows me in stores. No one locks their cars when I approach on a sidewalk. No one suspected that I was a racial preference token in college or graduate school or medical school. No one asked if I needed remedial help with my early medical school studies. No one asks to see my MediCal card when I pick up a prescription. No one asks me to enter through the back door when arriving as a guest at an event. No cop has ever pulled his gun on me because I was illegally parked. These are all actual events that happened to black and latino friends. Space prevents me from submitting anything close to an exhaustive list.

8 Recommend

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MWR commented July 21

M

MWR

NY

For years I remarked about the ‘white man in a suit’ privilege, which still exists. If you’re white, neat, and wearing a suit, in many circles you have instant credibility and license to gain access anywhere. It’s real. That’s white man’s privilege. But then I saw a hilarious comedy show episode about a black guy who gains instant credibility if he is neatly attired and wears eyeglasses. Funny but not completely unserious. Race obviously matters to people, but mostly as a cue to fall on stereotyping. The question becomes, though, how much of this privilege is based on race, and how much is based on perceived economic rank?

14 Recommend

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Rick Laubscher commented July 21

R

Rick Laubscher

San Francisco

This is a resonant piece to me; Rankine's thoughts are well-articulated. And it says a great deal on the face of it that this woman, one of our most accomplished and lauded poets, repeatedly felt hesitant to inquire about what was inside these white male heads. By the end of the article, she was actively engaging in dialogue, instead of a monologue within her head. I hope there's a follow-up that captures future dialogues she has with white men. She has a gift for inquiry. One other thing: I got a bit derailed at the beginning of the piece when she mentioned the white jerk who cut in line at the airport and then disparaged her to his "buddy". I had the same thing happen to me, except deplaning after a long international flight. Stepping out into the aisle, a white American man behind me, younger than me, started launching insults. His traveling partner joined in. I said nothing, but they continued to harass me, even launching a threat to my safety. I ignored them, but the fact that I still remember it some 25 years later is an indication of the emotional impact it had. I believe there's something about accompanied by someone one believes shares their views that emboldens some men to be, well, jerks. To anyone they feel they can outnumber. Not saying Rankine's perceptions weren't accurate -- that the men she cites weren't racist, only jerks -- but I sure wish THAT had been the man she had an active dialogue with. He needed it, in the worst way.

2 Recommend

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JP commented July 21

J

JP

NYC

Being a white man today is a lot like some aspects of being black. For example there's often the complaint that a black person in a prominent role becomes a figurehead for black people generally. Fail or fall short and your entire race will be judged. But to be white, and particularly a man today, is to have the sins of every other white man not just of today or of your own country laid at your feet from the crusades, through colonization and slavery and the foreign policy of the 70s and 80s. Black people also often recount that they are expected to be deferential and not rock the boat when it comes to race. Yet the same is true of white men. The author's clear perspective is that any challenge to her constructs of "white privilege" is at best "white fragility," and perhaps even racism. When accused of privilege, we're supposed to smile politely or simply nod our heads in agreement. Any comments on race are supposed to be self flagellation. To be white today is to realize that talent is not supposed to determine your opportunities any longer. White men are considered to be "overrepresented" in tech, leadership roles, and political office, so regardless of your qualifications or talent, the real question is, is there a "diverse" (non-white, non-cis male, or non-straight) candidate available? Humans have 24,000 genes of which fewer than 400 influence skin color. Maybe one day we'll come to see skin color as the truly tiny part of who we are that it is...

17 Recommend

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Bayshore Progressive commented July 21

Bayshore Progressive

Bayshore Progressive

No

What White Men Privilege? I've worked hard all through my working career, experienced periods of unemployment, and have now retired. I never experienced what is being labeled WMP and consider it to be more about jealousy than fact.

12 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

Raz commented July 21

R

Raz

Montana

@Bayshore Progressive Some people are willing to put the work in, and some want it handed to them.

4 Recommend

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T commented July 21

T

T

New York

White privilege doesn’t mean you don’t have hardships in life it means your hardships aren’t due to your race.

2 Recommend

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OffTheClock99 commented July 21

OffTheClock99

OffTheClock99

Tampa, FL

White men as an entire population do not enjoy "privilege." Homeless white heroin addicts or meth users have no upper hand in this world. Jail cells filled with poor white men stuck in a cycle of deep poverty don't enjoy perks. And, yes, I fully realize that those forcing the privilege argument would contend that privilege doesn't necessarily equal economic wealth. If there is a privilege anyone has, it's being an American. Our lot is far better than so many of the impoverished or war-torn countries from where our ancestors emigrated. That a professor and poet has the time to conduct an amateur social experiment, write it up in the NYT Magazine and get paid for it is all you need to know to see how good we have it.

16 Recommend

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Maggie commented July 21

Maggie

Maggie

U.S.A.

Perhaps some day 3.4 billion boys and men around the planet will recognize their profound unearned privilege granted throughout human history by other men over now 3.4 billion girls and women...then change that. This is the enduring injustice that's always been the basis for racism, homophobia and species-ism. * Not holding breath.

3 Recommend

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3 REPLIES

Raz commented July 21

R

Raz

Montana

@Maggie Look at the natural world. This isn't an injustice, but a natural phenomenon. Be patient and realistic. Change and progress take time, and women have it a lot better now than they did just a few decades ago. Overcoming and mastering our primitive, base instincts is part of becoming civilized...a process that is ongoing.

4 Recommend

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Concerned commented July 21

C

Concerned

Brookline, MA

Made sense until the “species-ism”.

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Ace commented July 21

A

Ace

New Jersey

I’m only surprised that one of the Democratic presidential candidate haven’t uttered ‘reparations’! That will come as the contest gets tighter. If I change my sex do I become exempt?

1 Recommend

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William Case commented July 21

W

William Case

United States

Whites think of white privilege the same as Asians think of Asian privilege, blacks think of black privilege and Latinos think of Latino privilege. It is advantageous to be a member of the predominant racial group in any country. However, most competition is interracial, not interracial. For example, white Americans mostly compete against other white Americans because whites make up 76.4 percent of the population.

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Steve commented July 21

S

Steve

Chicago IL

I fly first class often. I also have had people step in front of me while I have been in line waiting to board the plane. I have had people line up next me, forming there own line or acting as if I did not exist. Acts of rudeness. My white privilege means I don't have to think of these as racially motivated acts of rudeness.

14 Recommend

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Joe commented July 21

J

Joe

United ststesm

I am sitting in my backyard with tears running down my face after reading this article. The indignities, rude behavior, yelled insults must not only hurt the soul ; but also damage the heart. The first time someone said some thing to me about my “white privilege,” I became defensive and said “ I’ve earned everything that I have.” This is true; I grew up poor; but it is the wrong response. I can’t possibly know what it feels like to be a person of color and a minority where one is abused, neglected, harassed, bullied, and beaten merely because the color of their skin. All over the world we sometimes view people with suspicion just because they look different. Everyone just stop it now! Bark less, wag more.

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Morgan commented July 21

M

Morgan

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

These are tough conversations. Being privileged comes with its own restraints and punishments: not being able to clearly see who you are and what you’ve become, not knowing how other people really see you. Ever step away from these so-called privileges frees you.

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Dave C commented July 21

D

Dave C

Houston

I'm curious what the reaction would be if some old White guy decided to teach a course at Yale on the Black experience.. I applaud your desire to learn more about an alien culture in the summer prior to teaching a course, but wouldn't some depth if understanding of the subject be a prerequisite for teaching it at an Ivy League school?

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2 REPLIES

Chris commented July 21

C

Chris

Paris, France

@Dave C You'd think so, but apparently the right politics and demographic are enough. It should be called Liberal Privilege. That entails the privileges of going around attributing made-up privilege points to anyone who has achieved more than you and demanding that society at large reward you for your shortcomings, a fast track to tenure so that you can keep spreading hateful rhetoric without losing your job, and the ability to organize and participate in riots whenever a Conservative speaker is invited on campus by a student group.

4 Recommend

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Jordan commented July 21

J

Jordan

Melbourne Fl.

@Chris wow do you ever have this entire discussion down to its essential truth.

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Pat commented July 21

P

Pat

Virginia

While I agree white privilege is a factor; I would argue you have this framed wrong: Not all white people have "privilege" unless you define the term to mean free from experiencing prejudice. It certainly doesn't mean all whites make more money. With more blacks becoming extremely successful today, that should be obvious. So my problem with the term "white privilege" is it ignores economics. A poor white is not going to feel privileged. This was seen in the Civil War. There was a movie about the true story of some poor whites in a Southern town who recognized the war was only about fighting for the rights of the wealthy to own slaves, and opted out. So change the term to: Wealthy white privilege, and you have a case. Because see wealthy whites also have privilege over poor whites. As more blacks are becoming successful (a great trend!) it is insane to argue the differences are mainly racial today -- instead they are economic. That doesn't mean there aren't disgusting racists around. I'm just saying you can't assume this is the majority today.

10 Recommend

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Wasquefish commented July 21

W

Wasquefish

Ohio

WM here, I have had white people cut the line, also have had black people do that. I never thought of it as a racial thing, only as an act of rudeness. What would the author believe if a black person cut the line in front of her? Since she sees the world solely in racial terms, how would that be processed?

10 Recommend

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Jason commented July 21

J

Jason

Seattle

Has the author considered, while in her cushy First Class Lounges or amongst her trust funded students, that she may just be experiencing just “privilege” instead of “white privilege” - something which has no basis in race? I went to an Ivy League school and I also fly first class. People of all colors in such environments can just feel over- privileged and act rude. When we apply “racism” to every small transgression we are essentially crying wolf aren’t we?

8 Recommend

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Victor commented July 21

V

Victor

UKRAINE

As an older white man, I wish I could say I don’t see color. But I grew up in a declining Midwest that blamed every ounce of decline on an “other.” Detroit was once great - it wasn’t the economy that ruined it it was blacks. The best thing I ever did was move my small children to the west coast, where we were not a majority. Because of my upbringing I will never be able to see a person of another race and not hear that little voice from the past use a slur. But I can do my best to shut it down and to try to make sure I’m the last generation who has to hear it.

6 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

Chris commented July 21

C

Chris

Paris, France

@Victor What's the west coast of Ukraine like?

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Jonathan Engel commented July 21

J

Jonathan Engel

North Carolina

Bravo!

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Max commented July 21

M

Max

NYC

The only real white privilege is the privilege of knowing that some people are just jerks, having nothing to do with race. Rude behavior at the airline gate? Bad service/attitudes from flight attendants? As a white person. I know this happens to everyone, all the time. I'll bet Ms Rankine knows it too - presuming she's been on many flights where no one bothered her and she got her drink the first time. If racism is really as prevalent as some would like to believe (so that they can teach a class on "white studies") they wouldn't have to resort to mind reading to make their point.

14 Recommend

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Liz commented July 21

L

Liz

Florida

This reminds me of conversations I had in high school such as "ooh, he looked at me so funny.... what does that MEAN?" A pseudoscientific study I think. Lumps on head....

8 Recommend

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WorkingGuy commented July 21

W

WorkingGuy

NYC, NY

The author has a paradigm-her collected set of assumptions-which is her biased world view. We all have paradigms / bias. The author, however, can articulate and cite these assumptions very well, as she does in this article. Her bias is that she lives in a world of White Privilege (WP). Victimology is in the waft and weave of the fabric of WP, the whole cloth she sees as wrapping, shrouding, or even as fashioned into a tailored fit up there in First Class. If only she could disabuse herself of WP & not inculcate her students with this bias. (As an academic, how could she not also see the faultiness of her selected sample group?) From the article: “And then came the realization that we were, in fact, in the midst of a discussion about the perceived loss of white male privilege. Was I implicated in his loss? Did he think so?” The realization is no verity. Affirmative Action (AA) is at its essence a hiring program with the discriminating factor being race. ( Or fill in any one of the protected minority classes under federal law, I think now up to 12.) If you are an able-bodied cisgendered straight white middle aged male, you are most likely to be discriminated against-all other things being equal-in favor of one of the 12. The author could only see a lamentation on a loss of WP and not a fellow traveler who now shares a common experience of discrimination in hiring. More faulty thinking: A therapist telling a patient what OTHER people think is a quack; patient is duped.

10 Recommend

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Hedonikos commented July 21

H

Hedonikos

Washington

You asked the wrong question. You should have asked what white men thought about privilege. Not THEIR privilege. You make an assumption right from the start that because a man is white they are privileged. Just because a man is white does not mean he is privileged. I work in an occupation where I care for the sick and injured. There is no skin pigmentation that I would think is better or worse. They are just people. All people. Every walk of life. Is your question valid? Of course. Does it solve any problems? No. You just make the divisions worse. I really dislike that racist in the Oval Office. People feed off his ignorance. For me, life is one person and then the next. They get the same care. THey don't all speak English and they have different cultures. Your article simply compounds the problem and the paradigm will not change because of your article. Do people have privilege? Of course. And it comes in every race, color creed, religion, sexual orientation. The only non privileged person is the one sleeping on the street or fighting their own demons or simply living payday to payday. There is so much racism in the world. Humans who act and react because they see someone different than them are the ones who feel privileged. I am the old white man who worked all his life and never made more than 50K a year. I am a left leaning progressive. This nation should be about acceptance. Not about who is different and who is better than the other. But then, this is a human failure.

6 Recommend

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GDK commented July 21

G

GDK

Boston

White privilege?I was on the admission committee of a major Medical School and the advantage was to the underrepresented minority,black or ceratain hispanic .Certainly being white male was a disadvantage but to be Asian was a real downer.I am so glad my Korean Surgeon made it

11 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Jason commented July 21

J

Jason

Seattle

@GDK I applied to medical school as a white male from suburban NYC in 1999. I knew that my grades and MCAT scores had to be much higher than any person of color. And yet once in medical school I never once even looked at another ethnicity and thought “black privilege” or “Hispanic privilege” even though they had an advantage in being admitted. This article is simply reminiscent of the victim of the week culture we now live in. Sure there is racism and that is terrible. But not every small transgression or dirty look or someone cutting in line is racist.

5 Recommend

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Mack commented July 21

Mack

Mack

Charlotte

Here is the problem with the her, and the general, fascination with "white male priviledge". Oppressed people see the world through a very narrow lens and that lens is corruptable. Men, and whites in general, don't see themselves as "privileged" because they don't see themselves through the lens of whiteness. Some may see the the world through their lens as gay, handicapped, poor, etc., "white" men. Some "whites" may even see the world the world through their lens as oppressed women. And it's these lenses where the fantasy of "white (male) privildge" falls apart. Gay "white" males are definitely not privildged and gay people in general have been badly mistreated and maligned by "priviledged black heterosexuals" (and "white priviledged heterosexuals", "Hispanic priviledged heterosexuals", and so on). Essentially, there may be degrees of priviledge but, very few have not been the "victim" of those with "priviledged". The danger of this narrative is that people are tuning it out because it is inherently, if not blatantly, racist.

10 Recommend

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Sean Bruner commented July 21

S

Sean Bruner

Tucson, Arizona

I would have preferred an historical and statistical analysis to her observations of white males in the first class line at the airport. Anecdotal experiences is what informs most people's opinions which is also why most people are woefully uninformed about various subjects, including this one about race. "Feelings aren't facts" is something we all should remember. Trump and his racist supporters harbor a set of beliefs based on emotions which have no basis in reality, which has led us to this unfortunate moment in American history.

4 Recommend

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NormaMcL commented July 21

N

NormaMcL

Southwest Virginia

This is a wondrously good essay, extraordinarily well written and, more important, well thought. Two things struck me. One is the overdetermination that many blacks feel in living in a white-majority society. We whites go through life without thinking we "represent" much of anything. Maybe it's different for white men these days; they are a bit defensive. I am older, and I'm well past thinking that I as a woman or as a white represent much of anything. I've been rendered invisible. But the blacks I've known seem to carry a burden of representation around with them, and I sometimes find it maddening. I will explain later. I also detest the "I don't see color" or its alternative, "I am colorblind." I enjoy my friendships with people from diverse backgrounds, including racial, precisely because of the differences. You live long enough, you get sick and tired of white people. A heads-up: I grew up in the Deep South and, worse, in a Ku Klux Klan stronghold. This was a long time ago, though, and the New South is quite different. Anyway, I fled at age 18 and swore I would never tolerate a racial slur again. And I haven't. But I say all this to get to a point: No one is going to change a racist. I know these people. I'm kin to them. Get past it and enjoy your lives. Being concerned about every action in terms of what you're projecting is needless. Racists will not be affected, and those of us able to see you as people will see you as individuals, not representatives.

3 Recommend

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a teacher commented July 21

A

a teacher

c-town

I guess I thought this was going to be more data and less personal reflection. I also want to know what White men think about their privilege. Perhaps I need to get off my duff and do some research about it. I was reminded of a resentful ex who couldn't get the jobs he wanted because of "diversity." "Privilege" implies an undeserved, a nuanced, tacit waterfall that anyone who hasn't gotten what they want bristles at - hence the "I worked for everything I have" attitude coupled with the attendant belief in American meritocracy.

2 Recommend

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darrell simon commented July 21

D

darrell simon

Baltimore

This is what goes for a socially relevant discussion of power dynamics these days in the Times? I stopped reading halfway through after this author had apologized for her own entree into so called "White Privalege" you know...the yard with trees, and I don't travel first class on planes... and the matter of that professorship, which again seems plausible only if one plays along the same lines as the power structure in general. It will always be about social class, my favorite public teacher the recently deceased Dick Gregory was very clear in his most acerbic condemnations of white privilege that it "was a certain kind of white man that held power over others" and not simply a matter of whiteness. I am sorry but as a white man raised as a minority in a Spanish/Black neighborhood when I read this piece I am reminded of the time a family member, whom was raised with me in said area, dating a black individual, who had gone to prep schools and was to be attending one of the best colleges, and wining about his lot as a man of color, amongst white privilege... My sister laughed at him. She told him of the times I had to fight and instruct her to run home when we were jumped...We had lots of these times and it never made me love all people less, or assume anything more than "when you are poor its tough out there! This woman has every trapping of privilege, it comes across as amusing for her to claim the system exploits her.

8 Recommend

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Paulo commented July 21

Paulo

Paulo

Paris

You Americans lived in the wealthiest country that's ever existed. The reality is you all enjoy an economic privilage, in some circumstances exponentially so, to others on our planet, even among your poorest citizens. Yet to read your newspapers convey you as the most miserable, angry, and outraged of all of us.

10 Recommend

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No-Yawn-reality-article-Verses commented July 21

N

No-Yawn-reality-article-Verses

United States Of Angered Lost Identity Opinion

“Twenty-five years after they participated in one of the world’s most atrocious instances of mass violence, their experiences in Rwanda show that peace and reconciliation are possible.” By Hollie Nyseth Brehm and Laura C. Frizzell

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Dave commented July 21

D

Dave

Austin

My Lord! The author wakes and sleeps finding faulty with every man she comes across! Are there subconscious bias in workplace and society? Absolutely. Does it means everyone should look at her and say, "sorry I am white mail and I am sorry for the privilege I have." Come on. I too find bias and discrimination when it comes to key roles. But not wherever I go. I have been stopped as a person of color and humiliated by other people of color in airports. Please NYTimes, if you carefully read this author has great privilege being a Harvard prof flying business or first class all the time. Move on.

10 Recommend

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Objectivist commented July 21

Objectivist

Objectivist

Mass.

"White privilege” is an invention of progressive ideologues and nothing more. A quick trip to Paducah, Kentucky will be very instructive for anyone who thinks that white skin - by itself - conveys some substantial economic privilege over any other skin color. Race baiting is the core of the progressive strategy. Without claims (mostly false) of racism, the policy programs (mostly socialist) of the progressives cannot be justified.

9 Recommend

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ondelette commented July 21

O

ondelette

San Jose

I have no problem with learning how I am perceived and what I don't notice, but before a member of one race presumes to school members of another race on how they should see themselves, and negatively at that, I think she should seriously sit as student to find out how she is perceived by them -- not how her race was traditionally perceived, but how she, a Yale professor telling others they are privileged, is perceived. I promised myself I would grow my hair when I retired -- I had a whole career of keeping it neat and tidy for the endlessly required "business casual". So I did. Would Claudia Rankine like to know how it is to be driving while, walking while, going to doctor's appointments while, old and white? Pulled over because the young female cop thought she had an opioid bust given my profile? Treated like I had Alzheimer's in store after store, complete with millennials talking baby talk as if that makes you more understandable to the demented? And how about going to the doctor, and before the visit begins, being asked where I would be sleeping tonight? Or going to a routine procedure and being surrounded in classic restraints pattern because I didn't have enough urine for a sudden on-the-spot drug test? Go a few pages over, Ms. Rankine, and look seriously at the interactive map of the opioid crisis. I'm older than you, and I can remember learning as a small child back in the 1950s about starvation, poverty and early death in a place called Appalachia.

8 Recommend

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SC commented July 21

S

SC

Philadelphia

Most White people are as touchy about talk of White privilege as tall people would be of talk of tall privilege, good looking people of good looking privilege, smart people of smart privilege, people from educated parents or educated parents privilege. almost no one -- except those with guilty consciences or brainwashed in college-- wants their struggles and accomplishments reduced because of circumstances they have had no control over. It seems to me talk of White privilege is not only unnecessary when it comes to achieving greater equality, it's harmful, as it alienates those who want to help.

8 Recommend

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Stephanie commented July 21

S

Stephanie

Santa Fe, NM

Brilliant, thank you. Only one comment. To show that the white men forming their own line was white privilege, not male privilege, you asked that we imagine black men doing the same - and indeed, we cannot. However, you didn’t ask to imagine a group of white women doing the same, and indeed we cannot - so it’s not purely white privilege, it is inextricably linked to male privilege.

3 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Chris commented July 21

C

Chris

Paris, France

@Stephanie Trying to moderate a racist accusation with a sexist argument, are we? Well, not only can we imagine black men, white women, or black women doing the same; I see it happen every time I go to the supermarket, which is presumably more often than the author or yourself embark on a plane. Except that instead of doing it unintentionally and distractedly, these people (older women specifically) tend to feign interest over near the beginning of the line, loiter around for awhile to establish their presence there for anyone noticing them, then try to blend into the line once it starts moving. If it's not in my line, it's in a line or two over, and it happens all the time. But instead of turning these annoying displays of incivility into a form of oppression I can accuse others of, I just call it rudeness and move on.

1 Recommend

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Jack commented July 21

J

Jack

Raleigh NC

It's certainly no piece of cake being a middle-aged white male. We're always being blamed for something. Some white males are arrogant jerks, no doubt spoiled by their rich parents, but not everyone should be painted with the same brush. I really get sick and tired of listening to people whine about how life is "so unfair". I've suffered from depression for most of my adult life, and I don't go around playing the victim card. I sure hope that my son isn't taking classes like this in college. BTW, there are more females attending his college than males.

8 Recommend

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Lamar Smith commented July 21

L

Lamar Smith

St Simons Island, GA

You would do better getting information from white males if you drop the “white privilege” term. It is used as an intentional insult, not a useful description. It’s sort of like slapping someone in the face and asking them how it feels.

10 Recommend

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Jared commented July 21

J

Jared

San Francisco, CA

First of all, I empathize with the author and think her perceptions of racism are real. I have two experiences as a white male in America I’d like to share: during my first job I would often have to arrive at 5 am and deal with a nasty, vindictive boss. One morning as I was walking in, I looked up and noticed a young black male standing outside; He immediately yelled: “you’re a racist!” Only later did I realize he probably interpreted the scowl on my face as derision at him, while in reality it reflected how miserable I was at my job. Many years later I was hauling my three young children onto an airplane by myself without help and an older black woman nicely asked If I needed help- I was in the midst of responding “no, thank you” when my two year old began tipping over a barrier and I grabbed her, so all that came out was “no” Her response was “Fine- I guess you don’t want a black woman’s help.” I wish people of color could give some of us the benefit of the doubt - maybe actions are not meant to be racist or even remotely drawn out of white privilege or our shared cultural history of racism, but something much more mundane.

8 Recommend

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Sleestak commented July 21

Sleestak

Sleestak

Brooklyn, NY

I don't understand what sort of "diversity card" that Asian American friend (of that white man's son) could have used to be admitted to Yale Early Action. Everyone who has been following this issue knows about the 2009 Princeton study showing that Asians had to score a hundred and forty points higher on the S.A.T. than whites to have the same chance of admission to top universities. That Asian American friend must have been an outstanding candidate by any measure. https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-uncomfortable-truth-about-affirmative-action-and-asian-americans

4 Recommend

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Nino commented July 21

N

Nino

California

Authors such as herself will continue to perpetuate the notion that racism is everywhere, whereas Africans who have immigrated here are happy to be here and love this country. I mean you can say “oh it’s cause I’m black” all you want, but in reality rude encounters happen to people of all races. Get over it.

6 Recommend

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BearBoy commented July 21

B

BearBoy

St Paul, MN

This is an absurd premise. There is no such thing a white male privilege. Quite the opposite is true nowadays.

5 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Bascom Hill commented July 21

B

Bascom Hill

Bay Area

You might want to check $income level comparisons by race. Same for the funding levels of public schools in predominantly white versus minority neighborhoods. And high school and college graduation rates by race. Data is our friend.

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TMart commented July 21

T

TMart

MD

Millions of black descendants of slaves are prospering in America. Millions more black and brown men have traveled here escaping persecution, starvation, death, disease, war, etc. Contrary to the always hateful views of the left, American blacks are privileged vs. other blacks in the world.

7 Recommend

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DJS commented July 21

D

DJS

New York

If Ms. Rankin wanted to question white men about her belief that all white men are privileged, she should have followed standard research protocols. Ms. Rankin's own sense of privilege led to the believe that she had the right to interrogate white men about "their privilege." The irony is that Ms. Rankine abused her own privilege, in an effort to prove that white are privileged, having chosen a group of men whom she knew shared her own economic privilege, rather than choosing to pose her question to white men of all socioeconomic backgrounds. Her economic privilege allowed her to fly first class where she interrogated while men who had no way of escaping her, and to interrogate men in business class lounges.She chose the most economically ,privileged group of white men to whom she had easy access, selecting a sample of men whom she believe would support her beliefs. Ms. Rankine did not travel to Appalachia , to shuttered factory towns, to areas that have been hit by natural disasters to homeless shelters, to shuttered factory towns, to V.A. hospitals, to the unemployment office, and so forth . I hope that she does not have tenure. Yale teachers should know how to conduct research, and that research requires informed consent.

14 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Chris commented July 21

C

Chris

Paris, France

@DJS " I hope that she does not have tenure." Leftist, woman, minority. She'll get tenure, fast, and fit right in.

1 Recommend

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Mike commented July 21

M

Mike

Pittsburgh

It would have been nice if this article addressed why people treat other people differently. I believe it has to do with stereotypes.

1 Recommend

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michaelf commented July 21

M

michaelf

new york

Maybe the answers you seek are elsewhere. Is "white privilege" so unique as to merit exclusive focus? Your privilege as an able-bodied person, your American citizenship, your money, your access to "elites" at Yale and imprinteur your works garner through association with that elite institution, your youth compared to the elderly, the list goes on and on and on of how systemic structures aid or hinder even your own fate. We are ultimately all individuals with a unique set of advantages, disadvantages, some thrust upon us, others sought out. Is it just about power at end of the day? You are in first class, get the bigger seat at the front of the plane, but still get slighted for the drink order? That is the level of "microaggression" which grates, what about the others who walk by and squeeze into a tiny seat with no room 10 feet behind you? It is not that examining any particular bias such as "whiteness" in our society is not worthy in itself, it is just that to make that somehow a unique fulcrum is to miss why white men say "I worked for what I have really hard". In other words, it is a misattribution to have whiteness be the dominant factor in the outcome for getting a supreme court seat. In the context of an admission application review, lower gpa/test score criteria for certain minorities is a "privilege", one meant to try to correct the larger societal disadvantage that minorities experience in trying to get those scores.

5 Recommend

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Merzydoats commented July 21

M

Merzydoats

Suitland, MD

Just want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this instead of working. Excellent work. I hope it creates even more dialogue to join the 1803 comments before mine.

1 Recommend

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Dustin Heim commented July 21

D

Dustin Heim

New York, NY

White male privilege is hard to define, like anything else, in broad strokes and irrespective to personal history. For me, it’s feeling guilty for not necessarily living up to specific societal pressures that should “come easy” to me as a white male, and not doing enough to advocate for fellow non-white male friends, colleagues or, in an often toxic gay community, partner. I admit, I don’t recognize all of the privilege afforded me, but I always try to learn other perspectives in the process and do better for myself and others. I feel the author, despite minor acknowledgements of their own, has amplified some classist micro-aggressions common to just about anyone to make a point about race and privilege. Strange coming from someone who frequently flies first class and is an Ivy League academic—huge privileges to which a vast majority of Americans cannot relate regardless of race, gender, and sexual identity. These anecdotes feel disingenuous in their retelling as they may speak more appropriately to personality and individual fragility, which ultimately undermine the intended cause. Tone is important to discussion, and that seems lost on the author. Righteous indignation over the more mundane is not productive. In my own over-generalization, this is common to the Yale bubble.

6 Recommend

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Rainy Night commented July 21

R

Rainy Night

Kingston, WA

I can’t walk alone on a secluded beach without fear of unknown men. I can call it out but cannot change it because I can’t control all men. I am afraid and a target because I am a woman. That will not change.

2 Recommend

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dmg commented July 21

D

dmg

California

I'm a white male. I think very seldomly about my various privileges. In my experience, most people who have privileges don't think about them very often. It's the people who don't have them who think about them a lot, and perhaps often wonder what the people who have them are thinking.

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OF commented July 21

OF

OF

Lanesboro MA

I admire Professor Rankine's humility in exploring complexity.

1 Recommend

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1 REPLY

West coast commented July 21

W

West coast

USA

What humility?

2 Recommend

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Raul Campos commented July 21

R

Raul Campos

Michigan

The author suggests that the root of white privilege is cultural and pervasive. The author uses the concept of ‘whiteness’ to re-segregate our society into two camps: white people that have intrinsic privilege and extrinsic power and all others that are victims of white privilege and power. This premise is popular among academics and the left to vilify American history, our founding fathers and our nation’s values, and justify the redistribute of wealth and power in this country along different racial and ideological lines. If, as the author suggests, that white people bear the sins of their forefathers, then they also must share in the progress that each generation has made in bringing all Americans into equal status under the law. What is evident in this opinion piece is a disregard for all the progress this nation made and the guiding principles of our democracy that keeps us moving ever forward, as one people, in recognizing the equality and inalienable rights of all peoples.

5 Recommend

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Brian commented July 21

B

Brian

ny

What is most intriguing is that the debate over white privilege is primarily one between whites and other whites. It really is about education and wealth as much as it is about race. Oddly enough, it is those with the highest educational privileges that spend the most time dwelling on it and even pointing fingers at those with far less priviledge and opportunity. I have yet to hear about a while liberal arts student giving up their privilege to attend school so that a person of color may go in their place.

3 Recommend

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Lelaine X commented July 21

L

Lelaine X

Planet Earth

When you're accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.

3 Recommend

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Leonard Miller commented July 21

L

Leonard Miller

NY

"What do whites think of their privilege?" Where is the author going with this? A lesson of life is that if a question seem intractable, there is probably something wrong with the question. To make a point, the question could apply elsewhere- What do the young think of their privilege over the aged? What do the attractive think of their privilege over the unattractive? What do the tall think of their privilege over the short? What do the able think of their privilege over the disabled? The point is: what are the intended purposes of these questions? If they are to be sensitivity training of the privileged, they are too antagonistic and invite pushback. If they are precursors to prescriptions such as a rationalization for reparations, it's an unwise motive. The starting point in any experiment should be: what do you want to achieve? And that means a sober looking forward for useful prescriptions, not a backward looking antagonistic blame-laying. A healthy starting point would be, say, what do we have to do so that a black child born today will have the opportunities the same as the rest of the population. And to do that will require curing some community disfunctions which will require much more than eliminating racism. I will not offer prescriptions here to answer what we should do going forward, but just want to make the point that Ms. Rankine's experiments and approach are very far removed from--and perhaps counter to-- helping that black child born today.

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1 REPLY

Chris commented July 21

C

Chris

Paris, France

@Leonard Miller "A healthy starting point would be, say, what do we have to do so that a black child born today will have the opportunities the same as the rest of the population." Absolutely. But any criticism of single-mother, fatherless households, the idealization of "gangsta" culture, and embracing other ways out of poverty than basketball scholarships or a career in the rap industry would force the author and the community she thinks she represents to face their responsibilities, and drop the victimhood bargaining chip.

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Jordan commented July 21

J

Jordan

Melbourne Fl.

Here is my tale of white privilege: My father's father left town when my father was two, leaving my grandmother to raise him and his brother alone with her job cleaning office buildings and apartments in brooklyn. My father never had enough to eat and never graduated high school and had me by accident when he was twenty and my non high school graduate mother was seventeen. We were dirt poor growing up, with not enough to eat regularly. My father recognized the value of education and bodily threatened me when I got less then A's on my report card. I was the first in either mom or dad's family to graduate high school. I worked my way thru college with no help from any individual or government. I went to law school (no financial help) and worked my way thru that too. I had a successful career after working up from the absolute bottom of the legal industry. All so I can send my kids to college and them not be forced to work as I did to make it through. And finally, to be told at the end of my career by the left that I apparently did none of this on my own and should be ashamed of myself due to white privilege. Vote Republican.

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1 REPLY

Raul Campos commented July 21

R

Raul Campos

Michigan

Best comment ever!!!

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Sandra Garratt commented July 21

Sandra Garratt

Sandra Garratt

Palm Springs, California

I am a white woman and having been in very similar travel & business situations I would say that these white men treat all women in that dismissive privileged manner...sadly it is even more pronounced if the woman is a woman of color aka "minority". So strange since women make up more than 50% of live births and the general population. Women clearly are the majority not a minority, and that needs to be brought into balance without further delay.

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1 REPLY

Raul Campos commented July 21

R

Raul Campos

Michigan

Then you should be against abortion since girl fetuses are aborted more than boy fetuses.

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Aaron commented July 21

Aaron

Aaron

Orange County, CA

I am a white male and I think it is OK to cut in front of a line as long as you have a "service dog" .. They are wonderful for this! I regularly cut in line at the grocery or a restaurant - nobody says anything. They may roll their eyes- but for the most part they are too afraid to say anything. I'm sure if they knew my "service dog" wasn't a real service dog- and I simply purchased his red service vest off the internet as well as a bogus certificate - they would be more vocal -- but many don't know the truth I'm hiding- so I just manipulate the system.

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S commented July 21

S

S

The World

Absolutely beautifully written. Which hides the amazingly thin content. Mrs. Rankine started losing her authority when she decided to interpret rude behavior, not on the understanding of the reality of the situation, but her conflating history of 50+ years ago to 2019. Then further when she made no meaningful attempt to understand what white privilege is according to the white men she spent nearly the entire article NOT talking to. She didn't break down any of the conversations down beyond 'hot takes'.

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Joan Culpepper-Morgan commented July 21

J

Joan Culpepper-Morgan

Weston, CT

Thoughtful, self-probing, and honestly expressed. As a professional black woman, I too have tried to engage white men and women in non-threatening conversation about their privilege while at the same time mindful of their fragility and my anger at their ignorance and clumsiness around race. It is indeed very frustrating. Open and honest conversation needs to be had about our shared and troubled history. We need truth and reconciliation but so much gets in the way. This piece beautifully explores the complexity of thought and feeling that we go through trying to effect change by personal interaction. The walls of history and racial mythology make it so difficult. Yet this essay had a hopeful ending, not happy but hopeful. Encourages me to keep trying.

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John commented July 21

J

John

Marshall

This article opened my eyes to the fact that whites are a monolith and they all share the same experiences in life. Thank you Claudia. The best way to combat privilege is to take away from the privileged group to bolster the other. In the year 2040, when we're all dependent on the government, awaiting our monthly rations as if cattle in the barn, we'll all finally have equality of outcome along with numbers tattooed to our forearms.

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Jim commented July 21

J

Jim

California

I am sorry, I could not get through this article. All this talk of so called white privilege and racism of late just seems so wrong-headed and unproductive. The real issue is culture and culture clash. There is no white privilege. What is perceived as white privilege by some is really just an observation that white people tend to understand and embrace the dominate culture of this country. By doing so they naturally enjoy the benefits of swimming with the current -- success comes more easily. However, the dominate culture is colorless. Anybody can learn it and live it. Obama is the best example of this, but overwhelming numbers of immigrants and former minorities know this as well. And, if you want to subscribe to the values of a minority culture, go right ahead. The dominant culture is accepting of minority cultures -- just don't expect easy success unless you are truly gifted at something. One more thing -- the dominate culture is not stagnant, it is always changing. Feel free to push your own ideas but expect push back. Does the dictionary definition of racism exist? Are people really discriminated against because of skin color. If so, I think it is only because skin color is being used, as it always has been used, as a quick, though error-prone, way to detect clashing cultural values in someone. Is it possible for people of different skin color to like each other. Of course, but shared cultural values must exist first.

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RRI commented July 21

RRI

RRI

Ocean Beach, CA

If you insist on seeing everything in terms of race, you won't see class, sitting in your Yale classroom with your Yale students. Neither will you see class, looking only for white privilege, among those affluent enough to share with you the dilemma of a "business or first class" flight, nor in comparing notes about your different trips abroad to Africa. In fact, you won't really see race either, at least not as it complexly shapes life and its challenges for the vast majority of Americans of every color who haven't anything like your privilege and, whether you have lost sense of it as such or not, relative affluence.

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1blueheron commented July 21

1

1blueheron

Wisconsin

And as far as religion and white priveledge is concerned, the work of Willie James Jennings is powerful. "The Christian Imagination" - one of the best books ever recommended to me.

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Teresa commented July 21

T

Teresa

Miss NY

I also don't like the term "White privilege" but not because "privilege" suggests that everyone desires white dominance. Rather, I tend to differentiate a "right" from a "privilege," although that's perhaps a false distinction (as a privilege is a special right or advantage). Redlining isn't white privilege. It's economic and racial discrimination of people of color. A White man cutting in front of a Black woman isn't privilege. It's arrogant. And repugnant, as well, if the White dude thought a Black woman couldn't or shouldn't be standing in the line for first class. It's not a privilege to be treated with respect. It's a right. So when someone isn't treated with decency and respect and her rights are trampled on, that's not privilege. It's discrimination. And all that isn't to say that White people haven't benefited from the wildly unjust and discriminatory laws they've created. But I view laws that preference one group over another as unjust and not as a privilege afforded some and not others. Was it a privilege that only men could vote until 1920? Those who fought for the right to vote didn't fight fight for the privilege to vote. Segregation of schools was wrong not because it privileged White kids who received a good education but because it discriminated against Black kids who didn't.

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Sutter commented July 21

S

Sutter

Sacramento

There are many kinds of privilege, white is just one. All we can do is be aware of it and try to be as fair as is reasonable in whatever situation we are in.

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CPlayer commented July 21

C

CPlayer

Whidbey Island

Self awareness is so difficult. Especially for the priveleged.

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Barbara CG commented July 21

B

Barbara CG

Minneapolis, MN

As usual, several commenters make the point that, while white, they had to make their own way and have achieved what they have on their own. That is, of course, in many ways, at least partially true. What is missed here is this part of privilege: they didn't have to be aware of being seen (or not being seen) because of the very color of their skin; they didn't have to worry about being stopped by police or an unfamiliar neighbor because of their skin color; what some see as being blind to color (of others) is something no person of color ever gets to experience. It would be good if people who don't get the concept of white privilege could read the current NY Times article "16,000 Readers Shared Their Experiences of Being Told to ‘Go Back.’ Here Are Some of Their Stories" https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/19/reader-center/trump-go-back-stories.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage You might then get another way to look at this. I am white, by the way.

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1 REPLY

Chris commented July 21

C

Chris

Paris, France

@Barbara CG I find it interesting that the "privilege"-obsessed are so fixated on Whites. If Whites are such a privileged group, and if oppression is always defined as "by Whites, on others", why is it that Asians don't share the same experience of being stopped by cops, or the same dismal education levels as Blacks and Hispanics? Could the former metric have anything to do with crime statistics? And if the White founders of our country were so intent on creating a society by Whites for Whites, then why are Asians thriving? The logic of privilege, and by extension, victimhood, is flawed. Better work on another culture-wide shakedown scheme.

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Liz commented July 21

L

Liz

Florida

Teaching a class in whiteness sounds like one of the easiest things one could do. Just sitting here, I can think of a dozen angles and tropes and themes and mopes. I have at least 50 standing in line stories, tales of men and women, white and non, cats and dogs. I could just run amok with stories and angles. I could begin to count the angels dancing on the head of a pin. And to think this is done at the ivies.

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1 REPLY

Chris commented July 21

C

Chris

Paris, France

@Liz " And to think this is done at the ivies." ....And embraced by the "paper of record" ...

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roger commented July 21

R

roger

boston

The author neglects another example of racial strife alive in the country today. The condition is known as "colorism." It refers to a culture of superiority inherent in ethnic groups of light complexion over people of darker complexion. They feel entitled to demean such people with impunity as part of their "traditional culture." To many white people, this issue probably goes unnoticed because these ethnic groups treat them differently. But within the circles of people of color, their ways of condescension can be virulent. It applies to immigrants from countries with a history of slavery and colonialism such as Brazil and India. The scale of immigration from such places today recreates a mean dynamic of new racism for black Americans. Just when people thought the old racism was tamed by the civil rights movement, they are faced with a new type of struggle for racial respect. We must understand that ethnic diversity is not a strength unless there is a common understanding of racial equality. It means that the problem of racism today is more complex than the old white dominant model. Perhaps new immigrants should be required to learn about our history of racial struggle, and to show respect for the hard fought standards of equality. They should not add to the problems of race in the country they want to join. It's not just a white male problem anymore.

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Bored commented July 21

B

Bored

Washington DC

It is sad to think that this professor gets paid to teach at Yale. White men freed black slaves during the civil war except for two black regiments that played a minor role in the war. White men have to give up jobs to the various types of so called minorities who get jobs and slots in college with lesser qualifications. In reality the term white man's burden is a more accurate description of the situation white men have been in for a very long time. The real question is why do so many minorities fail to succeed even with the preferential treatment they get. Minorities in the Washington DC schools have test scores that are in the 28th percentile while whites in the city are in the 85th percentile. This happens now after 50 years of affirmative action. Lets hope the Supreme Court soon does away with the discrimination of affirmative action that white men are burdened with.

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Tamza commented July 21

T

Tamza

California

Using ‘people of color’ to identify a group of people and compare with white is old. I would rather see the distinction be people and colorless people. White is the absence of something / so colorless seems more accurate and puts that group in place.

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Worried but hopeful commented July 21

W

Worried but hopeful

Delaware

For me, without breaking it down, white privilege has too much in common with the concept of original sin. In order to be useful, I like trying to categorize types of privilege. *The luxury of not having to perform on behalf of our racial group. Tough one. How can we empathize with those who carry that social burden? *Arrogance. We should be mindful and respectful. *Outright discrimination. We should try, as some commenters described beautifully, to right everyday wrongs. What other categories are crucial and what could we do?

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Tim Phillips commented July 21

T

Tim Phillips

Hollywood, Florida

This is an interesting article, even though it seems to be quite racist itself. It seems that any white man, because of the fact that he’s white and therefore dominant, is automatically at a moral fault when dealing with non-whites, and especially blacks. That is undeniably racist. This article seems to be addressing people of privilege to recognize that there is an unequal distribution of privilege among the privileged. It’s like complaining about not being able to afford a Rolls Royce and being stuck with a BMW only because I’m not white. Many of the real problems in our society are a result of economic predation, those predations are generally colorblind. Though white dominance is real, it’s not a unifying message that’s going to tackle the problems plaguing our society. I hope the Democrats give up on this kind of divisive rhetoric and focus on the problems that unify rather than divide.

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BC commented July 21

B

BC

N. Cal

An eloquent piece. It certainly makes one think but I feel the author uses too broad a brush. That's not to say that white male privilege is an urban myth, it is not, more so in the U.S. than perhaps anywhere. However the behaviors described are not the sole purview of the white male. I have lived in all white rural and suburban communities and I have lived in urban areas where I was the only white boy for blocks in any direction. I've had experiences that were humbling and enlightening. Some that were breathtaking in the unabashed prejudice and some that were straight up terrifying. I also came of age in the time of Equal Opportunity and as much as people hate to hear or acknowledge this; myself and others like me have been passed over in favor of people of color just so an employer could check the boxes on a compliance report. I guess my point is this; my experience tells me that stupid comes in all 54 flavors. We are all the product of our own experience. To try to understand another person's experience is essential to our society. In this piece I'm not hearing "I want to understand you" so much much as "I want to understand why you don't realize that everything about you is wrong." I don't believe that Professor Rankine is trying to put anyone on the defensive here, but this is a trap we all seem to fall into when we try to discuss race/gender/orientation/age/whatever differences. Maybe I'm just a snowflake, then again maybe not. Maybe its just an awkward subject.

1 Recommend

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Michael Freeland commented July 21

M

Michael Freeland

Fond du Lac, WI

This is an incredible piece. While reading it, more than the insight it provided, I could sense part of the exhaustion that those without the benefit of white privilege must experience, both consciously and unconsciously.

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just Robert commented July 21

J

just Robert

North Carolina

Times Pick

I am a 72 year old white male. I belong to a Unitarian Universalist church with a black lesbian minister in North Carolina. In her sermons she has often talked to our mostly white congregation about white privilege, racism and prejudice. As a former social worker I have worked with all races and back ground and have not thought about myself as a contributing member until she mentioned the book 'White Fragility' which i read with difficulty because it pointed out that as a member of this society we all contribute to racism. Even my job contributed to it because the system itself is set up to support White Privilege which in its urns supports class privilege. I consider myself a secular humanist but am beginning to become aware of attitudes perhaps unconscious that are racist. To become aware is the best I can do right now. Apologies? To whom?

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4 REPLIES

ImagineMoments commented July 21

I

ImagineMoments

USA

@just Robert Did you do your best at the time, with the information and understanding you had at the time? I honor your courage to grow, and to learn, and to remain open to change.

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Cynthia Rucker commented July 21

C

Cynthia Rucker

Mount Perry, OH

@just Robert Apologies are pointless. Work to change attitudes and minds.

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ThinkinginUSVI commented July 21

ThinkinginUSVI

ThinkinginUSVI

Charleston, SC

@just Robert From a fellow UU. Yes, let's be aware and open to seeing it in ourselves. Let's speak up when we see and hear racism. Let's hope that we can do that with grace and humility so that it is heard and not shut out. Let's work to make this country a place where persons of color have everything we have in all the same ways. I'm uncertain if African Americans want apologies. I am certain that they deserve equality and need it sooner, not later. Thank You, Ms. Ranklin, we need to have this conversation.

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J Lo commented July 21

J

J Lo

New York City

I can go shopping alone, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed. I can open to the front page of the paper or look at Congress and see people of my race widely represented. I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race. I can swear or dress in second-hand clothes without having people attribute these choices to the morals, attitudes, or poverty my race. I can remain oblivious of the language and customs of persons of color who constitute the world’s majority without feeling any penalty for such oblivion. I can criticize our government and talk about how much I fear its policies and behavior without being seen as a cultural outsider. I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to “the person in charge,” I will be facing a person of my race. If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven’t been singled out because of my race. I can go home from most meetings of organizations I belong to feeling somewhat tied in, rather than isolated, out-of-place, outnumbered, unheard, held at a distance, or feared. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having co-workers on the job suspect that I got it because of race. I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help, my race will not work against me. If my day, week, or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it has racial overtones.

2 Recommend

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Sophia Koinis commented July 21

S

Sophia Koinis

Durham, NC

I am so thankful for this article and the author for her work and vulnerability.

2 Recommend

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P. J. Mira commented July 21

P

P. J. Mira

Pennsylvania

Professor Rankine, I very much enjoyed reading your article. I feel that it is very important to explore the complexities of our racial system, but it's very difficult to do so, as you indicate. We need much more of this type of effort in order to avoid reductive thinking as we become aware of systematic oppression. Thank you for this wonderful work.

6 Recommend

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Lisa commented July 21

L

Lisa

CA

I, a white female, was the only person waiting in line to speak to someone at a hotel check-in desk. A minute or so after I got in line another (white) man came up and stood not behind me but adjacent to me. A minute or so after that another other man lined up behind the man adjacent to me. It was one of those interesting moments that either could be nothing or, more likely in my opinion, a subtle example of male privilege at work. Did he not see me obviously waiting? Is he expecting to go ahead of me? Was it more natural for the other man to fall in line behind another man than a woman? I’ll never know for sure what the man was thinking, but I made sure that he did not cut ahead of me.

15 Recommend

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3 REPLIES

Peter Blau commented July 21

P

Peter Blau

NY Metro

@Lisa There are many badly brought up people - male and female - who cut in line. In fact, that person lacking in manners could be someone less, or more, privileged than you.

1 Recommend

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P L commented July 21

P

P L

Chicago

Or the second man mistakenly thought you were the mans wife and did not want to encroach on your space . God forbid we think of something normal in today’s society. Every act is first thought of and labeled racist bigoted sexist etc.

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Wasquefish commented July 21

W

Wasquefish

Ohio

Maybe the second man didn’t know you had arrived before the first man. There is no indication in your piece that he was trying to get ahead of you.

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Red Ree commented July 20

R

Red Ree

San Francisco CA

I liked the examples in this article, including the nuances of interactions. It's a matter of re-training, which takes time. Two books with detailed examples and observations of interactions include Robin DeAngelo's book "White Fragility" and Elijah Anderson's "The Cosmopolitan Canopy". Both include both inner and outer dialogue. Participating in race workshops can be pretty daunting and intimidating, but less so after reading some books to get context first. It's easier for me to take it in for the first time from a book, because nobody's getting in my face in front of a group of people because I said the wrong thing. Just makes people not want to speak up. I'm on the fence about the wisdom of exposing people like that, although I realize sometimes it's necessary. Still, better to learn from other people's mistakes first. In my own dialogues with individuals, all the educational media attention does help. Acknowledging other people's presence and personal space is part of basic civility but we all have blind spots. If nobody ever talks about anything because we're all too afraid to initiate, then nothing will ever change.

3 Recommend

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Karen H commented July 20

K

Karen H

New Orleans

Yes, it is much easier for white males in America to succeed, but success is never easy. Much of the defensiveness about the phrase "white privilege" arises at the perceived suggestion that whatever edge white privilege affords is entirely responsible for an individual's success. As a woman married to a successful white male, I can testify that much of his success comes from getting up and going into the office every weekday for 45 years, working hard, and enduring enormous amounts of stress in the process. If white males were given credit for that, it might be easier for them to imagine whether a black woman who did the same thing had a harder or easier time succeeding.

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3 REPLIES

truth commented July 21

T

truth

West

@Karen H I truly do not understand your comment. Almost anyone who is successful has put in the work and time and effort. The point is that people of color, and women of all colors, do not even get the *chance* to do so in many cases, and when they do, they are required to work *even harder/longer/better* than their white male counterparts (in the example of work). Never mind the fact that you complaint has nothing to do with, say, the white man's expectation of being "first in line." Sheesh.

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Internal Medicine commented July 21

I

Internal Medicine

Birmingham, AL

I am a white female physician working in a mostly white male dominated practice. I work 11h/d. I have to do work from home on weekends resulting in 60h work weeks. I endure enormous amounts of stress. I am married to a busy, professional white male and I have 2 kids. I can tell you that putting in the same or more sweat than my white male colleagues, they enjoy advantages due to white male privilege that I do not. Whether the weight of their opinions in meetings or how staff tiptoe around them or their ability to get away with bluntness or to cut folks off when need be or demand that things don’t change because they like the status quo, I could give a litany of examples. It is different for them than it is for the rest of us. Yeah, we all work hard and I definitely have invested in my own success. But they are at the top of the food chain and enjoy privilege that even white women don’t enjoy. That privilege greases the skids for them all the way through life. And as a white woman, I enjoy privilege that none of my fellow females or other males of different races do here in the US. If it’s hard for me keeping up in this world, I can’t imagine how much harder and more frustrating it is for minorities.

4 Recommend

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Mary A commented July 21

M

Mary A

Sunnyvale CA

White privilege at its finest.

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Evan Thayer commented July 20

E

Evan Thayer

Portola Valley, CA

I’m in no way an expert on race relations and class relations and I have no clear way forward to solve the structural and emotional issues plaguing our society. However, I am an expert on motivating people to reach for their potential and have coached and counseled many, many people of all colors and classes over the years to do the same. The one thing in my experience that most effectively derails an otherwise talented and motivated individual is self-identifying as a victim. I know, as a statistical truth, that an individual who believes they are a victim of something (regardless of whether this is true or false) will not achieve and overcome as well as someone who feels confident and in control, or at all. There are tons of structural issues which need to be worked on by all colors of people and all classes for sure, but getting people to the table and focused on solutioning requires the thought that you might be able to control the outcome. This thought doesn’t exist in a victim point of view. Removing the victimhood identity is always the first step towards productivity.

31 Recommend

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3 REPLIES

Sidney Rumsfeld commented July 21

S

Sidney Rumsfeld

Colorado Springs

@Evan Thayer I would imagine that seeing one's self as the victim of injustice could be highly motivating in the effort to rectify injustice. If you tend to be dismissive of such efforts, then it would be clever to decry the "victim mentality."

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Bascom Hill commented July 21

B

Bascom Hill

Bay Area

What if victimhood is a fact, because of institutional racism/discrimination and not driven by self identity?

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P L commented July 21

P

P L

Chicago

Hence the lack of success in blacks compared to asian immigrants attending same high schools living in same neighborhoods. But what person clan race or gender do Democrats not want to label a victim. Oh yeah back to the article .... white males....

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John Hayden commented July 20

J

John Hayden

California

Thank you for this thoughtful essay. It's helped me, a white man, to better understand my own white privilege. It seems the best way to dismantle white privilege is to keep having discussions about it. I've found this to be a very difficult thing to do, an emotionally perilous thing to do. During my attempts, I've felt simultaneously shame, embarrassment, diminished, isolated, out of place, and confused. In my upbringing, I was socialized to not talk about race and breaking this socialization is painful. Yet I know I have to participate, not just listen, if we're to have a more equitable society. Thank you for sharing your experience. It's validated some of my experiences and given me more courage to participate.

16 Recommend

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Pamela Lam commented July 20

P

Pamela Lam

CT

Great read. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I wonder when people say they don’t see colors, they are fully appreciated how a color person feels about it. Humans by nature are born prejudice, and only through education and awareness that we develop empathy, for both parties.

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Cathy Cole commented July 20

C

Cathy Cole

Chapel Hill, NC

An excellent article.....I want to comment on what I read as the dismissive comments of your therapist; as a retired therapist I had no right to explain the behavior of others and certainly had no right to categorize the experience of the client. My role was to reflect and assist my client on making meaning and decisions of response that felt congruent and safe. Not sure how you received the way the therapist responded but i would have felt invalidated and experienced a loss of trust.

3 Recommend

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TrueBliu911 commented July 20

T

TrueBliu911

Copenhagen

Really well-written article and important questions asked...not all answered. An interesting journey for the author, as well, it seems. I appreciate the acknowledgement that all have ingrained ideas about different races and kinds of human beings. I also hope for an end to the idea that skin colour or the location of the dirt on which one was born plays a part in the way that society pre-judges them.

3 Recommend

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Michele commented July 20

M

Michele

Wisconsin

Loved this article! And I agree with you. I am white and probably make racial errors, even though I wish not to. But I have to point out, if there is a line, my husband (white) cuts in front of everyone. Because he is rude. Because he has to be first. I hate this behavior, and have pointed it out for 48 years. He hasn’t stopped. So sometimes that could be the explanation.

8 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Mary A commented July 21

M

Mary A

Sunnyvale CA

He wouldn’t have able to “get away with it” at all if he wasn’t white.

1 Recommend

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somsai commented July 20

somsai

somsai

colorado

Sounds to me like a lot of class privilege being served up with a generous heaping of entitlement. Might be time to step out of first class and the cloistered environs of super selective universities and see what's happening in the rest of the world.

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Brynie commented July 20

B

Brynie

NYC

I find the word 'privilege' used in this context to be inaccurate, because the positive aspirations it reaches for should be the norm. We are not referring to membership to an exclusive club with a private pool and study. "Shame on those with functioning toilets" it suggests.

13 Recommend

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Tynia Thomassie commented July 20

T

Tynia Thomassie

West Orange, Nj

Thank you for this deeply probing and beautifully written essay. It hits on all the conversations we don’t want to have, some are trying to have, are nervous to have, and don’t know what to do with IF we are having them. As an educator I have begun following the work of @triciaebarvia her mission to decolonize American education and educators. My growing awareness of how multifaceted and uncomfortable these conversations are, even when people are willing to have them, how much rage, embarrassment and required ownership are necessary to even to take a step forward, can overwhelm. These conversations can’t be sidestepped any more—not on a plane ride and certainly not in education. Thank you so much.

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klr commented July 20

K

klr

Asheville, NC

"And just like that, we broke open our conversation — random, ordinary, exhausting and full of a shared longing to exist in less segregated spaces." That bit brought tears to my eyes. This is what I think we all -- or at least so many of us -- long for. I know I do.

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Ghost commented July 20

G

Ghost

nyc

Phenomenal read. Full stop.

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Autar Kaw commented July 20

A

Autar Kaw

Tampa

The Asian kid did not get admitted to Yale because of the diversity card; it was even harder for ze to get in.

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Davidk1 commented July 20

D

Davidk1

Guam

I'm a white male that used to live in a primarily black neighborhood, renting a room from a black family. I can't count how many times I was pulled over for "DRIVING WHILE WHITE" in my black neighborhood. The implicit assumption was I was there to buy drugs. Most of the officers in the area at the time were black. Is this also racist?

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1 REPLY

Gordon commented July 21

G

Gordon

Largo

This is an interesting line of thought.

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DCA commented July 20

D

DCA

Charleston

I’m always struck with the way Chris Rock addressed all white privilege. “There’s not a white person who would be willing to switch with me. And I’m Rich!!”

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boroka commented July 21

B

boroka

Beloit WI

@DCA Chris Rock needs to get around. (Use the limo if he must.) There are plenty of "white" persons who want to be "non-white." Some of them make the newspapers: If I can not recall their names it is because I do not consider them worth remembering. But I do see thousands of students at the institution where I've been teaching for 30 years: The majority of them daily and proudly express a desire to be anything but "white."

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Silvana commented July 21

S

Silvana

Cincinnati

@DCA I would.

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Maggie commented July 21

Maggie

Maggie

U.S.A.

@DCA There are even fewer males anywhere who'd switch place with a female.

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Allen M. commented July 20

A

Allen M.

New York City

...sometimes you just don't know what to write and express in making a comment, so this is the perfect time to listen.

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1 REPLY

Why? commented July 21

W

Why?

USA

And if your only response to people who disagree with you is that they should shut-up and “listen,” you’ve lost the argument. Why don’t you “listen” to what some of the objectors here are saying, and actually offer reasons why we’re wrong? Who knows, maybe you’ll actually convince us! Except, of course, that’s the troubling totalitarian nature of the discourse of the “woke” left. Not only do they want to convince everyone that white people are inherently harmful to the world, but they want to silence them as well. Not just with demands that they shut-up and “listen” but by also arguing that any white person who disagrees with someone like the author is, ipso facto, a racist.

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Iko commented July 20

I

Iko

Here

I wonder what you're answers would be if, instead of an Airport, you'd ask your questions in a coal mine? Obama, while at Harvard Law School, transformed the debate about affirmative action to one about economics. And, sure enough, the USA has very low upward migration; if you're born poor you stay poor; if you're born rich you stay rich. I'm sick of identity politics. That goes for both left and right. Right now, we have a showman in the White House who is a genius (stable or otherwise) at playing the identity politics card. What I want is equality. Not shame; equality. Not "white male privilege"; equality. As long as the debate focuses on race or gender I want to shout "enough already!" Instead: I want real equality. Real justice. That means a good education without crippling debt. That means health care without the threat of bankruptcy. That means if a cop shoots an unarmed man, that cop is at least convicted of manslaughter. Not black. Not white. Not male or otherwise. Merely, simple principles that define us and can make us proud to be who we are. You know; as a "people undivided..."

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angry veteran commented July 20

angry veteran

angry veteran

your town

I served in the military amongst a broad group of mostly white males who didn't have any privilege at all, particularly when it came to gaining the opportunity to attend a college or university, much less a prestigious Ivy league school. This likely explains my later feelings of guilt at sitting in college classes as a veteran undergrad, not thinking, but knowing for sure there were many shipmates of mine who were far smarter and hardworking and deserving than I who were never going to get the opportunity to attend anything. I got lucky. Thats my white privilege. When you talk about white privilege, be very careful and never make the mistake of applying it to all white males, you're talking about a select group of wealthy pampered whites who've always had wealth and the luck it buys and will forever, because their Mommy and Daddy bought it for them. They typically attend highly selective schools. You are not talking about me. I'll show you the scars and medals my privilege got me anytime you like.

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2 REPLIES

truth commented July 21

T

truth

West

@angry veteran Yes, well... what you're talking about is class. Ask the black people you served with, and whom you grew up with (if there were any) and then tell us you didn't benefit from being white.

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SticksPlusStones commented July 21

S

SticksPlusStones

Durham, NC

You missed the point.

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James Serene commented July 20

J

James Serene

State College, Pa.

Matt from Nevada caught the essence of Ms. Rankine's erroneous assumptions. Matt stated, "if you can only see race, you can only see racism". Most of the article by Ms. Rankine involves her immediate profiling of individuals based on their sex and skin color. She then judges them by what she 'imagines' they are thinking. Coming to conclusions, secondary to such obvious confirmation bias, is dangerous and false. For an academic, I was disappointed by her adolescent need to confirm her preconceived ideas, leading to accusations which lack of objectivity.

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DJS commented July 20

D

DJS

New York

" I wanted to Know What White Men Thought About Their Privilege. So I asked." No. You , a woman so privileged such that you can afford to afford first class chose to pose your "question" to a group of men whom you knew were economically privileged, in order to support your assumption of white male privilege. You didn't travel to Appalachia or other impoverished areas , to shuttered factory towns, to prisons, homeless shelters or VA hospitals . . Unlike Jon Stewart ,who had been using his privilege to fight for health coverage for 9/11 first responders, not only have squandered your own privilege , but are using it to harass strangers . You didn't travel coach, pose your question to white men in coach, and donate the difference in air fare to those who are less privileged than are you. Your own sense of entitlement is such that you believe that you have the right to intrude on others. including when they are seated on airplanes, and can not escape your accusations. Your sense of privilege far surpasses that of any of the white males whom I know ,none of whom would interrogate strangers in airports, on airplanes or elsewhere. You are a privileged individual ,who views yourself as a victim, while it is you ,who believe that you have the right to interrogate strangers.As someone who teaches at Yale, you should know that accusing millions of New York Times readers of "white male privilege" increases his chance that Donald Trump will be re-elected.

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3 REPLIES

Al commented July 21

A

Al

Idaho

Good points. There is definitely white privilege. But most of that is money privilege. OJ showed us that. Money doesn't over come all racism, but it over comes a lot of it.

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DJS commented July 21

D

DJS

New York

@Al Thank you. I did not mean to suggest that white privilege is non-existent, while I agree that most o that is money privilege. You've made an excellent point in terms of OJ. Money privilege translates into ""Get out of Jail Free Card" whether one is black or while. One can boast of groping women and go on to be President. One can be appointed to a life-long position as a Supreme Court Justice even if there is a credible allegation of attempted rape. Those who choose politics over justice are blinded by their agenda to the extent that they fail to consider the safety of their own loved ones.

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Mary A commented July 21

M

Mary A

Sunnyvale CA

Harsh.

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William Lippens commented July 20

W

William Lippens

Camano island

White privileged is something I never really thought about until recently. As a white male in his early 60s I have known about racism and misogyny my whole life, but I didn’t understand the depth and breadth of that discrimination until I started to really examine all the “passes” regarding everyday experiences I get in life that blacks, Asians, Latinos, middle easterners, and women of all colors have to deal with every day. I would never say my life has been easy, but I have NEVER had to worry about being shot, arrested, belittled or underpaid because of the color of my skin or my gender. I am sad that I feel embarrassed just for being who I am and that at this stage of my life I feel that my country is regressing to an extent that I feel like I am living the early 60s all over again.

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George Kazolias commented July 20

G

George Kazolias

Houston

Very interesting paper (long too), food for thought. BUT, if half the seats in First Class and Business Class were occupied by "people of color," how would that change the reality of those in Economy? The paper, written by a Black member of the American Bourgeoisie wanting acceptance into that group of "privileged Americans" completely ignores the whole question of CLASS. It is those profiting from an unjust system who feed and encourage racism to divide those who produce the wealth. I have seen racism smash its teeth on the rocks of (class) consciousness. Nevertheless, if you have the time, this paper by a Black woman professor at Yale (whose husband is White and yes, I think that matters too) is well worth the read. The question can't be who gets into the 3% who will serve at the pleasure of the 1%.

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1 REPLY

David commented July 21

D

David

Virginia

@George Kazolias The couple of times I was bumped up to business/first class on flights to London, the majority of the people were Arab, African, or from the Indian subcontinent. I assumed they all had immense privilege of some kind or another--whereas I was just a lucky fellow. I agree that class issues are greatly muted in the current debates. I also think we should stop yammering on about things like white privilege and put our shoulders to the wheel on the coming climate crisis. People who cut in front of you in line are not subjects for profound meditations--they're just jerks.

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Joe Smith commented July 20

J

Joe Smith

New YORK

This piece reeks of the implication that "there is white privilege and therefore white people are less authentic and worthy." There is no questioning of blacks at all. It's a slam-dunk indictment of whiteness, and I wonder why this is possible every time I endure the black woman far larger than me rudely, aggressively wedging herself in to sit between me and someone else on the subway that we all share.

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Ronald Keeperman commented July 20

R

Ronald Keeperman

Stony Point, NY

As a non-practicing (agnostic) Jew (ethnic white) who is a (left-leaning) senior citizen of the U.S. the (only) privileges that I feel that I have is that I am still alive, I am healthy, I am not impoverished financially, and that I can feel empathy for (all) those who aren’t as fortunate as me. As luck would have it, I was born (but in the Bronx, N.Y.) during the Siege of Stalingrad and not in Mother Russia. These are my (blessings) privileges. I look forward to (more) poetry from this talented (observer) professor.

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Green commented July 20

G

Green

Cambridge, MA

The clarity and courage the author exudes in speaking to people about White privilege is laudable. In her exposition, it is clear that privilege is as steady as the rhythm of heavy rain, as tightly bound into our society norms as a well-weaved tapestry. White privilege is suffusive in its seductive powers, subsuming all of us to be numb to an incredulous norm. Am I, a minority, complicit in her or his privilege? Would I start my own line at the airport check-in? Would I disturb the 'peace' to point out the 2 drinks that have been passed to the person sitting next to me, while I received none?

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Peter commented July 20

Peter

Peter

Los Gatos, CA

... the third of my 3 awakening stories ... 3. I mentioned I work at two different SF startups. My nominal job is about driving the patenting effort. But my core human skill is spotting what is "broken" or "missing" in a system, and fixin' it. As you might imagine, working at startups moving a million miles an hour, there's mistakes a plenty being made. I realize that it takes a tremendous sense of personal privilege to decide, on my own, that there is a mistake, that it's a big one, that it needs fixing, and that I possess not only the skill, but the agency to do so. But, I'm also aware that I am a privileged white male who has a lot of rope to play with. And my approach, in working on these problems (that no one hired me to fix), is to recruit young co-conspirators in the company to work with me, and then when the fix is accepted by the wider company, to push any credit onto my younger colleagues. Hey, don't hear me say I'm being "selfless" by deflecting this credit. I walk around these companies showered in white male privilege. I won't go so far as to say that it feels sickening. Just that I'm aware that it's grossly unfair, and that I see my role as I age being to use that unfair privilege to boost the success of my colleagues, friends, and loved ones who don't enjoy that privilege. I'll tell you, this approach feels so much better in my belly than taking all the credit ... like I used to do. :)

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1 REPLY

thostageo commented July 21

T

thostageo

boston

@Peter how's your arm ?

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Rob commented July 20

R

Rob

San Diego

I don’t understand, if a person is traveling with someone, they leave, can’t they join their friend back in line? If it’s constantly stated , correctly, that blacks make less, are under represented in professions, is it a shock to assume a black person wouldn’t be traveling in first class? Incorrectly. When we hear constantly about the high rate of incarceration for black males, doesn’t that encourage racist thinking that one should be careful around young black males? No it’s not right, just thinking aloud.

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1 REPLY

James Blohm commented July 20

J

James Blohm

Long Island, New York

If you made an effort to listen to your use of language regarding the human diaspora, then you might realize that the adjectives used to describe the human beings around us are also loaded with classifications with regard to privilege and status. When you tell a story, instead of simply saying, “I saw a man being rude” you will likely add “I saw a black man being rude,” when in fact blackness really has nothing to do with that story. Think about this, and discover how extensive language colors and covers our privilege as white people.

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eddiec commented July 20

E

eddiec

Fresh Meadows NY

I live in a building with two entrances (A and B) and two sets of mailboxes. The other day as I entered A building I saw a new mail person who was black in front of the B building. I assumed she was entering the B building and I went inside the A building. Seconds later the door in the A building opened and there she was. I turned to her and said " I'm sorry I didn't see you and let the door close before you came in." The incredulous look in her eyes told me she couldn't believe what I was saying to her. If this is a reaction that white privilege has brought us we have to change and treat everyone with more humanity. It will be better for all of us.

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2 REPLIES

P L commented July 21

P

P L

Chicago

And so white privilege required you to apologize to a black person for something you did not even do?? You did not slam the door on her she was not behind you when you walked in???

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Chris commented July 21

C

Chris

Rosarito Mexico

@eddiec I totally agree. Telling people that their skin color is why they are poor or rich, successful or a failure is the definition of racism. Some black people resent white people because of the racist propaganda we are bombarded with from every aspect of authority. The author of this article is either willfully trying to destroy the system of government that made America great. Or she is too ignorant to understand she has been demoralized and subverted into believing that skin color = value. There is privilege. But is has almost nothing to do with color any more. During slavery and Jim crow (democratic institutions) she would have been right. If it were still a problem Obama would be have never had the opportunity to perpetuate the same racist rhetoric in this garbage article.

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Scott commented July 20

S

Scott

Portland, OR

Speaking as a someone resembling an aging hitler youth who struggles with various dimensions of identity, accountability and fairness, I found this article magnificently humane, insightful and helpful. Enough to inspire the first comment I remember after 20 years of reading the times online. What a leader, so steadily courageous, lucid and measured, honest and effective. I'm grateful this lady is teaching future leaders and writing for the rest of us.

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Peter commented July 20

Peter

Peter

Los Gatos, CA

... continuing my "awakening" stories from my last comment: 2. In my late 40s, I had a three-day growth of stubble and was driving a beat-up old Toyota Corolla, speeding on Highway 17 in California. A young white cop pulled me over for speeding. He came to my window and said: "Are you aware that your tags are 2 years expired?". I paused, thinking, and then responded: "We have five vehicles and receive 10 pieces of paper a year -- insurance and registration. Evidently, we've only been getting 9". He didn't say anything, just nodded and went back to his car for a few minutes. When he returned, he gave me a temp registration, wrote down my speed to 5 over, and told me to get it taken care of. I might have forgotten this story if I never had read "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander (a former law school classmate of mine). Reading Michelle's book, I realized that had I been a disheveled black, rather than white, I would have been face down on the pavement, with my hands cuffed behind my back, and the scar tissue in old injured shoulders tearing. If that interaction of mine with the white cop wasn't about white male privilege, then there ain't so such thing.

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1 REPLY

P L commented July 21

P

P L

Chicago

Yeah buddy I’ve seen the videos. You mean you were a white respectful male addressing the officer as sir or madam. Provided what ever they asked you for and answered their questions so they let you off with a warning? Or were you an aggressive black male with 3 priors demanding answers swearing being loud disrespectful and belligerent. screaming racism before they even spoke. You mean that guy ends up in cuffs face down. ??

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Brad commented July 20

Brad

Brad

Chester, NJ

I’m a person over 60 who is white but nothing was handed to me except that my parents were able to provide a good and loving home where learning and respect for your fellow human beings were encouraged and fostered. I was fortunate that they were able to afford to send me and my sister to college. My parents’ parents were immigrants and my parents earned everything they had through their own efforts. In other words, no one handed them or us anything; I had to work for what I’ve achieved in life. If that is privilege or we benefited from privilege, so be it. I’m not going to apologize for it.

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4 REPLIES

David commented July 20

D

David

Singapore

“Not me,” he said. “I’ve worked hard for everything I have.”

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James Blohm commented July 20

J

James Blohm

Long Island, New York

This thoughtful well written article does not reflect on your personal journey or your success story, it really wasn’t about you, I don’t believe that the professor was specifically asking you for an apology either. How about viewing this as someone who, like you has worked hard to achieve success, and is exploring the perceptions and preconceived notions about groups that you are apparently unwilling to acknowledge?

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Brad commented July 20

Brad

Brad

Chester, NJ

@James Blohm I actually didn’t think the article was that well written or conceived. I have a hard time taking seriously any person who teaches a course on whiteness, whatever that may be. Most of us have to work hard to achieve success. Some have the benefits of getting assistance, whether it be wealth or whatever. I think most of us would be glad to get a little assist. When I hear people complaining that someone had an assist through privilege, I hear the wish that they had that benefit too. You get that by working harder than the next person, the assumption being that we all have equal access to the benefit. That is where the government comes in, to make sure we all have that access.

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SC commented July 20

S

SC

TX

"They couldn’t know what it’s like to be me, though who I am is in part a response to who they are, and I didn’t really believe I understood them, even as they determined so much of what was possible in my life and in the lives of others." This gave me chills. Because as a (white) woman, I relate - women respond to the world/ rules not made for us. But who would we be if we go to participate in the rules? Then add color on top of that - which I have not lived. And wow. Wow wow wow.

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Kenneth commented July 20

K

Kenneth

Montreal

The author flies first class and yet says "the price of my ticket does not translate into social capital." Oh really? I've never been able to afford to fly first class anywhere. First class travel is an expression of privileged social capital. It is the highest class, higher than my place in the financial and class structure allows. The author is highly privileged herself--as her position at Yale as Iseman Professor of Poetry also indicates. I would ask her about her privileges if we sat in adjacent seats on a plane, except that would never happen because she is much more privileged than I am.

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1 REPLY

Elle S Worth commented July 21

E

Elle S Worth

Cleveland, OH

Money does not equal social capital. Ms. Rankine is as privileged as Mr. Henry Louis Gates. Mr. Gates is a black man who teaches at Harvard who was arrested on the porch of his own house. Neither get the benefit of the doubt that white people with the same positions would get. Neither is thought to belong where their education and money allows them to be.

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Russ W commented July 20

R

Russ W

Kansas City

Oh how I wish I could attend one (or many) of your classes. This essay was an amazing read, even as it pushes such ugly facts to the fore. Wouldn't the world be such a better place if we -all- could have such conversations? I mean, I -think- I'm aware of my own white privilege, but I do know that there have to be many times I just don't see it as it happens. I'm looking forward to the release of your collection.

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C from Atlanta commented July 20

C

C from Atlanta

Atlanta

As if frequently the case with anyone having a salient difference, Ms. Rankine attributes more to than that characteristic, in her case race, than may in fact be the case. In 2019, there's more to causation than race. Not that race doesn't significantly contribute negatively to the actions of people towards her, but that it's entwined with other things. For example, who else do those self-defined white big wigs step in front of? My guess is that they jump the line far more often then when race or sex could possibly be a factor. China would be a good place for her to go teach for at least 3 years so that she could watch -- as a 3rd party -- behavior in others similar to what she has experienced in the United States but not attributable to race. There may be other places to teach -- anywhere where everyone else will be of one race. She can use her Yale privilege to get a teaching post away from this country for a while. To me, this column embodies fundamental attribution error run amok. The author will only be able to get a fuller perspective upon return to the US after a prolonged period outside of it. And she needs to get a life.

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Denis commented July 20

D

Denis

Brussels

I am firmly convinced that most white men fully recognise that we are what you mean by privileged, but we hate being called "privileged" which means something different in most contexts. If only people with society-changing ideas could learn from advertising agencies and do some focus-groups before settling on a term. "Privilege" works great if you want to talk to the victims, but fails miserably if you want to talk to the "privileged", because the word (more than the idea) makes them defensive.

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J.C. commented July 20

J

J.C.

Michigan

The end goal of conversations and awareness of racism is less racism, which benefits a society. What is the end goal of conversations and awareness of "privilege"? Less privilege? What is the benefit of that? How will it make anyone's life better? Awareness is simply the first step in the direction of an end result. In this case, awareness seems to be the only step and the only goal.

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1 REPLY

Why? commented July 20

W

Why?

USA

The end goal of the discussions of white privilege is to get a majority of white people to agree they have it ... and then make them pay reparations. It’s basically a first step in imposing a form of collective punishment for the sin of being white ... first you have to convince enough people they deserve to be punished. And with all the comments here from white people apologizing for their existence and promising to renounce their privilege, things are off to a good start. And before anyone accuses me of overstating or exaggerating this, it’s no secret the goal of the “Woke” Left is to make white people pay reparations ... just read the article Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote about it or the recent debate in Congress about forming a commission to “study” reparations (said commission likely being composed almost entirely of proponents of reparations). I agree we’d all be better off just teaching people to not be racist and to treat all people with respect, but that will never happen, as long as America is governed by the MAGA crowd on the one hand and the “Woke” Left on the other.

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Randal commented July 20

R

Randal

Vermont

This essay is interesting as far as it goes, but the author only deals with people of a certain social class: they are flying first class overseas; they are concerned about children getting into Ivy League schools. In short, they are used to privilege and, I expect, to wielding privilege. It would be instructive to see a similar conversation carried out with people waiting in line for the local dollar store to open, or waiting for subsidized dental care. It is true that a much higher percentage of those people will be people of color, but assigning "white privilege" to every white person breaks down at the bottom of the income scale where there is no privilege to be found. Knowing that there are more black people suffering from grinding poverty doesn't ease the grind on white people in that position. Until such time as conversations around white privilege recognize that truth, the concept will remain one of more interest to the moneyed (largely coastal) elites and will continue to push poor, rural, and uneducated whites into the MAGA camp.

13 Recommend

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Susan Anderson commented July 20

Susan Anderson

Susan Anderson

Boston

I have spent most of my adult life in close collaboration with people of color, and have never stopped seeing incidences of persecution - Living While Black. Recently, with two home health aides making my life possible with their love and hard work, I've been forced by my conscience and access to finances to defend them from regular attacks by the legal system, which is extremely biased and prone to take hundreds and often thousands of dollars from them for no cause. The criminal justice system exacts fines and fees, the housing courts regularly take deposits and make threats, traffic cops regularly stop them, in some cases actually telling lies about what they have done. You need only go to your local court and sit through a session or two to find some poor working mom who can't pay many hundreds for a parking fine or small speeding ticket, or something the police wouldn't even stop me for, since I'm white. Yes, Living While Black is hard, and it involves putting up with insults as well, almost every single day. It's a crime!!

6 Recommend

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L. Edward Phillips commented July 20

L

L. Edward Phillips

Decatur, Georgia

The kindness expressed in this essay made me feel just a little bit more hopeful about our divided world and more determined to confront my own (invisible to me) racism and sexism. I have nothing to add expect "Thank you, Professor Rankine. You have offered a level of care I do not deserve. As a Christian Theologian, I call this grace."

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RJR commented July 20

R

RJR

NYC

The concept of white privilege is intellectually lazy, but it’s a convenient way for the speaker to silence “white” people whom she disagrees with. It also, as others have pointed out, erases the struggles of “ethnic whites” (as the author bizarrely puts it). My grandparents were Russian immigrants and Jews who faced discrimination and exclusion when they arrived in the US. My father, years later, was unable to buy a house in certain parts of suburban Connecticut. He was told there simply weren’t any houses available. Was this also “redlining”? As a gay woman, I have fewer legal rights and protections in this country than any black person, including this author. I also do not have the benefit of affirmative action or built-in community to support me. I’ve encountered my share of Black people who openly hate me and use their (usually Christian) religion as justification. Do they have “straight privilege”? Discrimination is complicated, often insidious and doesn’t usually announce itself as bigotry. The author is right about that. But she’s wrong to claim to know what white men are thinking about her, and to pretend that her own behavior doesn’t influence others’ opinions. It does. The biggest problem in the US today is that no one wants to take responsibility for themselves or their lives. Sadly, that moral and intellectual dereliction is not limited to any socioeconomic or racial group.

39 Recommend

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Orfidan commented July 20

O

Orfidan

Houston

The social, economic and political criticisms of white male privilege in this article, and white’s invisibility to it, may be fair and just. But, the moral superiority associated with not being white is unpersuasive, and worse, impedes non-whites’ advancement. First, it’s worth considering that all humans are prejudiced, that is to say, inclined to see the world from their own individual and group perspective, and to justify their social and political standing, whether high or low, on those perspectives. But articles such as this strongly imply that non-whites, solely by reason of skin color (rather than unjust social structures) are morally superior to whites, at least as long as whites fail to recognize that they are treated better than non-whites. Very little evidence or argument is given for that position of seeming moral superiority. Further, non-whites, by so implying, deprive themselves of economic, political and cultural allies they might otherwise have, and divert focus from the economic, political and social structures that sustain and increase inequality. Second, and more importantly, by making such arguments, non-whites deprive themselves of power and grant it to whites. If the central task for non-white improvement is to get more economic, political, and social power, arguing that whites should recognize their privilege seems counter-productive. It merely reinforces that inequalities can only be remedied by whites’ munificence.

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Dan commented July 20

D

Dan

New Jersey

There definitely is such a thing as "white privilege," but I think this article glosses over other types of privileges that are more salient to most Americans. Prominently, socioeconomic privilege. It loses resonance for that reason. Most white Americans are not wealthy people who are thinking about whether their kids will be displaced by Asians at Ivy League Universities. They're working class people without college degrees that are mired in financial insecurity and struggling to pay the bills. These Americans, observing their own tenuous socioeconomic position, likely fail to see any privilege whatsoever. The author came from a well-off Jamaican family that provided her with a better living environment and early education at a prestigious Catholic School than most white Americans could afford for their children. Comparing herself to say, a rural white American living in an impoverished drug-addicted community with almost no educational or career prospects - would that person's "white privilege" really supersede their socioeconomic hindrances? What of she were to walk up to such a person, as someone coming from a relatively privileged background, and demand they explain the "privilege" they presumably experienced growing up? Wouldn't such a person naturally feel chagrined? In some circles, "White privilege" may be an overused canard that diverts our attention away from the socioeconomic oppression that stifles people regardless of skin color.

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Kinsale commented July 20

K

Kinsale

Charlottesville, VA

I guess when I read a column let me this as a white male I feel that I am no longer taken seriously as a human being. I have been reduced to a stereotype, a mere receptacle of white privilege. I consider myself a human being of good will who tries, at some personal sacrifice, to create a better and more just world. This column makes me feel invalidated and reduced to a caricature. It confirms me in my desire to emigrate to a country where I can feel appreciated for my modest contributions to the common good and leave America to its insoluble moral dilemmas and its increasingly insipid discourse.

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DC commented July 20

D

DC

Ct

I am white born in the 60s my father moved here from Ireland in the 50s I have not had any white privilege nor do I believe in such a thing

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1 REPLY

Trina commented July 21

T

Trina

NYC

My Irish-American relatives hint at the same theory. But they had: 1.) Free or reduced-rate Catholic Schools in the 60’s. 2.) Weekly access (via mass) to a powerful network of priests with political clout. (Now I can only cringe at how that played out.) 3.) Forced-family-unit due to women being prohibited from divorcing alcoholic husbands. 4.) Many working men had strong pensions from government or railroads that kept their eventual widows from becoming homeless. (Not as prevalent anymore.) On the plus side, you may be able to go back where you came from! Ireland has nationalized healthcare and will let you live there with at least an Irish-born grandparent. Sounds like that’s another privilege you forgot you had! Enjoy!

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Jeff commented July 20

J

Jeff

Calkins

The story of the man cutting in line was a bit ambiguous, but I had another interpretation. If it was the friend in line who said, "it's amazing who they let into first class," my first reaction was that he was chiding his companion for being rude. You should not let rude people in first class. The author's belief that it was a racial comment could be true, but her description of the incident did make that clear. I think intent matters. While there is obviously institutional racism and I recognize my white privilege, as Freud might say, "sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." "Where are you from?" might be a micro-aggression implying they are not a real American, but it could also just be natural curiosity and an ice-breaker to start a conversation. I choose to give people the benefit of the doubt, rather than assume the worst. Perhaps that is part of my privilege, but too many on the left assume the worst in ambiguous situations, and I think that is unproductive.

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James Stewart commented July 20

J

James Stewart

New York

I comment as a member of an immigrant family of now-assimilated minorities whose color is white. I suspect that Professor Rankine is a competent teacher of poetry whose application to teach at Yale received a "plus" rating because she is black. That's how far her race, along with browns and reds, but not yellows - Asians (because they are, in general, smarter and harder working than the rest of us) - have progressed in today's America. Asians have achieved a lot, but they are now discriminated against at Harvard, Google, and other places where diversity is more important than merit because there are simply "too many" of them who are well-qualified. So be it. My spouse - also a member of now-assimilated US minorities - and I have given serious thought to what we will do should the Democrats win the Presidency and both houses of the federal Congress next year. Currently, we are very likely to spend a lot more time in one of our former countries. Austria, which we visit every year, is our most likely choice. It is a country where we will not be discriminated against because our color is white. It also wants to control who immigrates, something that the Democrats in the USA have rejected.

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Ian Green commented July 20

I

Ian Green

Switzerland

I am an old white man, an Anglo-Saxon Protestant, even. I have had a privileged existence. Privileged upbringing in Australia (even though working class), privileged university education, privileged career in Geneva, thanks to the work permit I got from my Swiss wife. I ask myself, why have I been so privileged? I sometimes wonder how I would have managed if I had been born with the same intelligence (I am obviously very intelligent) and the same moral qualities (many, you cannot doubt it) in Haiti. Haiti, because one of my daughters, fostered, is Haitian. She is supposed to be black, though after I have been hiking in the Swiss mountains for a few days, her color is not so different from mine. Seventeenth century French plantation owners, no doubt. I have benefited from white privilege all my life. I have difficulty to image what advantages I have enjoyed. I have difficulty to image what disadvantages I would suffered otherwise. I get a glimpse of some from my Congolese-Swiss son-in-law, who occasionally tells story which shocks me. But he doesn’t want to shock me. It is far from perfect for “blacks”, whatever that means, in Switzerland It seems it is far worse in America.

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Jann McCarthy commented July 20

J

Jann McCarthy

Rochester,NY

We would be so complacent with President Hillary, President Trump makes us stop and read this essay. For that, and his ever shining beacon on things we disagree I am grateful. This is the conversation we need to be having now. As an aging white woman that has enjoyed much white privilege before realizing the depth if it, I’m eager for a change.

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JeVaisPlusHaut commented July 20

JeVaisPlusHaut

JeVaisPlusHaut

Ly'b'g. Virginia

Underneath my burnt-umber skin iives this male biped-human who, if my skin were torn away, would be a money rich guy who gives most of it away because nothing would have impeded my (logical) path to acquiring those riches facilitated by a 'natural' in-born talent inside the full package of 'me.' In other words, If I were 'white,' and based on where I almost got to as I am, I would be rich. That would have been easy, because I could have imperceptibly mounted the upward curve train without the placed upon visual impediment of skin.

2 Recommend

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Cloudy commented July 20

C

Cloudy

Seattle

Ms. Rankine's emphasis on listening is heroic. Making herself vulnerable in this way to the harms that could arise from inquiring from white men about the issue of white male privilege is nonviolent communication, something that most of the dominant in society are too cowardly to do. Thank you.

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Simon DelMonte commented July 20

S

Simon DelMonte

Queens NY

I don't feel like this article really says very much. It sort of meanders. But I don't expect more from the magazine now. It really needs better editing. Anyway, I know I benefit from white privilege and male privilege - which are intertwined but not exactly the same thing - but I am not entirely sure how I can define it. Certainly I can define it in all the ways I am not discriminated against. But it can't really point to something in my life and say "yes, I am benefiting!" My privilege is, I think, far more subtle. But what is it? I really don't know.

2 Recommend

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Jim commented July 20

J

Jim

Hatboro

Times Pick

So as an approaching 60 white guy I hadn’t thought about “white privilege” much but my consciousness has been raised. I noticed white privilege a couple years ago while waiting by a popular national chain hotel counter. There was a (what’scorrect blackorcolored) person there also. When the attendant (what’scorrect blackorcolored) came out from the back asked me if I needed help I said the other gentleman was there first. Couple weeks later at a National vitamin supplement store the cashier lopes out to the counter and looking me dead I the eye says “I can help you.” I nod toward the (what’scorrect blackorcolored), saying he was there first. It kind of resonates with me now

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15 REPLIES

Zora commented July 20

Z

Zora

NYC

@Jim I think now the most common terminology is "person of color" as a very broad category. ("Colored" sounds very dated and negative in the US.) Black (sometimes capitalized, sometimes not) and African-American are also used. I'm a white person, so I can't really say what anyone *prefers*. But that's what I see used most. Good of you to notice these things. Once you start to look, you see it a lot.

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Georgist commented July 20

G

Georgist

New York CIty

@Zora and @Jim, I commend you both and thank you on behalf of my mom and dad(both civil rights African-American blacks) who were arrested for sitting in lunch counters. I thank you for my grandmother and grandfather (who were afraid to drive in certain states (Texas, Georgia, SC, NC, Ohio) after dark and always stayed at relatives homes along the way when we traveled up the east coast. I thank you personally that Jim offered to his compadre that the person of color or black was their first. In college, I had a white room-mate move out because I was African American, I've received bad grades due to racism. I was hired, a white male was paid $5,000; after the 2007 recession, that same white man laid me off the same week my mother died and gave my job to a lesser educated white male (while I was on vacation) There are hundreds of items I could list, but these few as well as both of your comments show me that white people do care. The African American/Caribbean/South American/African continent (slave 1700s - 1865 descendant of American chattel slavery period ) should be analyzed in the right context when it comes to reparations. My parents and grandparents passed away, my grandmother lived to her 90s, but she was sad in the end. My grandfather worked himself to death. My father and my mother both died early due to racism. My mother was indeed heartbroken by racism in this country. Again, thank you.

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Rick commented July 21

R

Rick

Washngton, DC

@Jim Maybe he was deferential toward your age. I'm now 66 and find I receive a lot of deference on the bus and train, elevators, hallways. Just saying.

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RAB commented July 20

R

RAB

Bay Area, CA

This is just one more article that reminds me that, yes, I have experienced white privilege (I am white.) Each article I read, or each person I talk to makes me redouble my efforts to be a better person. I appreciate that Ms. Rankine has taken the time with this detailed piece so I can see the problem through her experiences.

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jacqueline canfield commented July 20

J

jacqueline canfield

claremont, ca

Hi Claudia. Thank you for the imagery of flying in the clouds while encountering and contemplating white dominance. Have enjoyed hearing of your successes and adventures. Ran into John a couple of years ago in the village. I enjoyed this article, even if it breaks my heart. Mostly, though, enjoyed being U's teacher for a couple of years. Please give her my love and best wishes to you, looking forward to reading you.

1 Recommend

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Eva Lockhart commented July 20

E

Eva Lockhart

Minneapolis

A fascinating article, one that really made me think. Thank you to both the Professor and to the NY Times for publishing it. Maybe when our society is completely diverse, in a 1000 years or however long it takes, we'll all come to terms with this. But who knows if we'll last that long. I see the biggest problem with white males as their propensity for getting us into wars. Historically and currently, men in general, but white men most recently have an aggression and a need for dominance that makes me question whether human society as we know it will survive.

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1 REPLY

J.C. commented July 20

J

J.C.

Michigan

@Eva Lockhart Men in general? No. Throughout history, men in general have been slaves and serfs and soldiers and laborers and farmers. What will kill human society is wasting time wringing hands about non-issues while the world chokes and burns and poisons us and every other living thing on it. When that happens, women will have been just as complicit as men.

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Howard commented July 20

Howard

Howard

Arlington VA

Gerald Horne, in The Counterrevolution of 1776, has a take on whiteness that Dr. Rankine did not mention. According to Horne, since enslaved Africans clearly outnumbered slave owners in Virginia and the Carolinas, the Founding Fathers, dominated by Virginia planters, had a strong incentive to enlist every white male in the task of terrorizing the enslaved. Patrick Henry was quite explicit about this, but the entire planter class, including Thomas "all men are created equal" Jefferson, worked to unify the white population and expand its ranks through immigration. The greatest fear of the planter class was slave rebellion. The concept of whiteness was a bulwark against that possibility, and when the slave rebellion finally came, in the form of Lincoln's emancipation, the white population of the South was united in the task of restoring the old order as quickly as possible. Slavery is more than our original sin. It was a major reason for the split with England and a corner stone of our democracy. It lives on in the cultural and political institutions of whiteness.

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Gruezi commented July 20

G

Gruezi

CT

Ugh. Travels amidst white business men. My condolences. You are beyond brave to try to connect. I’m white. But a woman. And petite. I’ve had the stepped in front of in line, the orange juice scenario and the out of that entree (because they asked me last although I was in 2B) many times. Usually the culprit of bad business class service is a white FA. I’m relieved when the FA is male. I’ve also found European men even worse than American in terms of pushing ahead, grabbing overhead bins and generally making me feel invisible. I can’t imagine the rage it might stir up in me were I an accomplished black woman from a prestigious university who is likely overlooked and underestimated in so many situations. Your equanimity is inspiring and I’ll think of you the next time I’m traveling by air or simply feeling disempowered. Thank you for this article - beyond the travel commiseration, I learned a lot about the phrase itself, and white privilege, that I hadn’t thought about before.

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Alex Eiderdown commented July 19

A

Alex Eiderdown

Southern Cal

First of all, I have never see anyone standing in line for first class. And even if there were such a line, it would be so small as to be irrelevant. One might even call it a gathering, or cluster, of privileged people, no matter their color, most likely in a private lounge. That's why they call it first class, I believe. The people standing in line are the ones flying in coach, the part of the airplane where lack of leg room is in part related to excess of leg room in first class. After all, that small cluster of privileged people up there are taking up a lot of space. Secondly, I find it unsettling that the author of an article interrogating privilege would be so relentless in asserting her own, from teaching at Yale to staring into the semicircle of oak trees in her New Haven backyard to crisscrossing the United States, Europe and Africa in first class, to waiting in private lounges, etc. I mean, good grief! If the author’s economic privilege has not adequately translated into social capital (I don’t agree) for her to feel fulfilled, then perhaps she is a little too focused on her own privilege per se.

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Joseph Patterson commented July 19

J

Joseph Patterson

Anaheim, CA

The author is making an argument: that white men have privilege on account of their race. That argument is invalid. If it were not, then all white men would be privileged people. And all privileged people would be white men. If you doubt this is what the author is asserting, then draw two circles, one for privileged people and one for white men. Unless they perfectly overlap--in which case there are no privileged people who are not white, which in untrue--then you end up with part of the white circle that is not privileged. How big a part of the circle would be up to the person drawing the circle. But the reality remains that the two categories, though they may overlap, are not one and the same. One does not cause the other. Hence, there is no such thing as white privilege. (One might argue that all first class flyers are privileged people and vice versa, but this would be untrue as well. I was once upgraded to first class, some remarkable oversight no doubt, and it took about five minutes for the other people in first class to figure out I had been upgraded. They treated me accordingly.)

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Marion Gropen commented July 19

M

Marion Gropen

Birmingham, AL

This was the most illuminating piece on the subject of race that I have ever read. I thought I understood the privilege my white skin gives me -- and most of the points she made, I had understood before. And yet, she gave me a deeper, richer sense of the issue. I am grateful to her for that.

7 Recommend

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Not Sure commented July 19

Not Sure

Not Sure

central nj

Ms. Rankine, this was a tour de force. I enjoyed every minute spent reading it.

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dan commented July 19

D

dan

L.A.

As here, identity politics only serves to reify exactly the fictional categories it nominally wishes to deconstruct. This is paradoxical and counter-productive. Such serves to divide and leave us each in the obliette of inessential misidentification. The favorite word in this essay is "I."

15 Recommend

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Lawyermama36 commented July 19

Lawyermama36

Lawyermama36

Buffalo, NY

I quite value seeing the academic approach to the conditions I work within every day. It's refreshing to read the point of view of another middle aged black professional female. I have to laugh at the different ways we would deal with some of the situations she described. We as women of color never know what it is about us that may trigger someone's ire or disdain: do they think women (especially middle aged women) are lesser, invisible, or do they think people of color are less than human? That's what I boil it down to. But like the author said, we never know if we are letting our assumptions drive the bus, and be mindful. If I found myself sitting on a plane in first class, and the white man in front of me kept, however inadvertently, reaching back, seeing my brown face and looking at me 'like a stone he tripped on', I wouldn't have smiled. I've been in the trenches of the practice of law: I've prosecuted, I've defended. I've been called by the defendant's name by other lawyers searching for their clients, I've been insulted by police officers who thought a black prosecutor was a problem. It gets old. I would've caught his eye and stared him down. I appreciate that the author was trying to journey into these men and their thought patterns, but I guess I've had enough of that. I tend to take the bull by the horns. Thanks to the author for her work.

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Elisabeth commented July 19

E

Elisabeth

B.C.

I loved this article thank you. I prefer the white dominance language as well. I used to teach a Prejudice Hate and Violence course and when I spoke about white priviledge I noticed that some of my students stopped listening. As a white woman I try to address privileged comments when they occur although at times I am overly reactive. I believe that my tone is legitimate and justified however for the receiver they can more easily dismiss me. If I was still teaching this course, reading and writing a response to this article would be a course requirement and worth 50% of the grade !

4 Recommend

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Oriole commented July 19

O

Oriole

Toronto

What do white men think about their privilege ? Judging from the remarks I've heard over the decades, a huge number of them view it as perfectly normal. And acceptable. The natural order of things... It's not just the remarks. Behaviour reveals mindsets. And it's not just white men who think this way, as a glance at the directors of America's top art museums - or a read through some museum directors's memoirs (e.g. those of Sir Roy Strong) will demonstrate. You'd think that virtually all grads in history of art were white men.

1 Recommend

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Cat commented July 19

C

Cat

Michigan

The challenge of this topic is that generalizations are being made in a world of individuals. And generalizations are rarely accurate. I have watched ALL the men I know, having to deal with generalizations that dehumanized them. Almost all of these generalizations have been attached to skin tone. For me the question becomes, "Would you rather be considered a victim, or a victimizer?" As a victim, one may feel justification for anything they may do or say...after all, they are a victim. As a person on the perceived dominant side, one must carry the burden for every heinous thing that has been done by that group. One must constantly be told how their humanity as an individual is meaningless because they are part of that group and therefore privileged. And they must either be angry or ashamed or both for the perception that somehow they are part of the problem, regardless of their actions, their beliefs, or their experiences. I know that profiling happens. It has happened to friends of mine, strangers I have observed, and my own nephews. But knowing the inner pain I have carried most of my life regarding how others who are darker complected than myself are treated, I worry for my white sons. How can anybody carry the burden for so much wrong, even if they really aren't conscious of carrying this burden, without it affecting their lives, their happiness, and their mental and emotional well-being?

8 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

Matt commented July 19

M

Matt

New York

@Cat I think we can start by being less defensive. Anger and humiliation are not useful unless they can be redirected into something positive. It seems to me that if you mean to say that you are white by saying you are on the perceived dominant side, you are holding on to some defensiveness. The dominance is not anybody's perception, it is reality. If one feels that all of humanity are brothers and sisters and we are all in this together, we need to do what we can globally to work on intelligent management of our resources, and equitable sharing of these resources. This may be beyond what we are capable of as humans, I don't know. We need to move beyond us vs. them and tribalism. Simple things like being a friendly person towards those that are different from us in the present help towards alleviating the burden you mention. Also, being open to and able to discuss reality without acrimony is probably good as well. I'm not saying those things are easy either. What does everyone else think out there?

3 Recommend

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J.C. commented July 20

J

J.C.

Michigan

@Matt If a type of language and approach is consistently receiving a defensive reaction, you have two choices: 1. You can keep pounding away at it and keep receiving the same result, while smugly blaming everyone else but yourself for that outcome. 2. You can change your language and approach to produce the outcome you desire. Now, it might just be that the outcome you desire is to confirm your own biases and write books and papers on the subject in order to get a professorship at Yale, which comes with lots of nice privileges, like having a nice house in Connecticut, flying first class around the world, and getting an op-ed published in the NY Times, all while patting your own back for making the world more "woke" from your perch above the hoi polloi.

6 Recommend

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Maurice Robson commented July 19

M

Maurice Robson

Los Angeles

Times Pick

I am an immigrant to America and now a naturalized citizen. As a child born in England, I truly can not remember ever seeing a black person - my arrival by boat to New York City was a revelation. At school in England, when I was about twelve, we had an exchange teacher from Texas and before she arrived we joked she would be wearing a cowboy hat and six-guns. Instead, a tiny, middle-aged lady arrived wearing eyeglasses with a dangly chain. She taught our history class. She kept talking about "Democracy" and treated us as though we were denizens of some London outback. We looked at each other: "What's this democracy stuff?" we asked each other. We had never heard the word before. I wish that I had been more knowledgeable at the time, I would have asked her if the black community on the other side of the tracks in the town she was from enjoyed the benefits of "Democracy."

73 Recommend

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6 REPLIES

Kate commented July 20

K

Kate

Gainesville, Florida

@Maurice Robson How did you manage to grow to the age of 12 in London without meeting black British schoolmates, neighbors,etc? When my aunt and uncle moved there from New York in the early 60s (my uncle was born in London; his family emigrated to the US) their next door neighbors were from the Caribbean and I remember their comments on the lack of residential segregation compared to this country.

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Mary commented July 20

M

Mary

New Jersey

@Kate: Maurice's comment does mention that he was a child in London. I assume that his experience describes a more rural English upbringing.

8 Recommend

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Kathy commented July 20

K

Kathy

NC

@Kate - Maurice doesn't give his age. I grew up 25 miles north of London in the 50s, and there were no black kids in my classes. A family from India moved next door when I was in my teens but their kids were all much younger. The black men at my university in the mid 60s had grown up in Africa and intended to return.

5 Recommend

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Jeff Bowles commented July 19

J

Jeff Bowles

San Francisco, California

Back in the 1980s, there was a questionnaire that gay people passed around. It was full of questions that were asked of gay people, rewritten to ask the normative center-of-crowd straight person: "When did you decide to become straight?" and "Have you ever been refused a job because you were straight?" There is privilege and entitlement given to the center of the crowd, and it's no fun. But do not propagate the notion that if you're white and male, you have it easy. Not everyone in the that category, is in the center of the crowd. We gay men still do not have protection in the workplace; our lesbian sisters remain targeted for physical violence; our transgender brothers and sisters have targets painted on their back and are considered the ones to make fun of, at this political moment. There are substantial injustices that African-Americans face. Elevating them should be the goal, not creating infighting by insulting whole demographics of other groups.

6 Recommend

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Frances Scura commented July 19

F

Frances Scura

New York City

In my experience, perception of skin color is relative. Skin privilege is more like majority-based privilege. I am white-skinned, of Scottish-Irish heritage. I was called "dirty foreigner" and discriminated against in several languages on different continents and in different hemispheres by darker or lighter-skinned natives! When I was in the Peace Corps in Africa, I was considered an unwelcome, colonial predator with pale, white skin in the all dark-skinned African environment. Later, when I worked in Frankfurt, Germany, I was considered "dark-skinned" because I had a tan and I have dark eyes and hair and I lived in a truly pale-skinned, blonde environment. Germans asked me: "Are you from Spain, Sicily or Turkey, i.e., one of those dirty "brown-skinned" places?" When I worked in Hawaii I was accused of theft by my Japanese boss because I was a white person from the mainland who is a foreigner and can't be trusted. It turned out the boss's son had simply borrowed some money from the cash register to get change from the bank. It seems discrimination based on skin color is rather relative. There is hope that diversity in USA, which may well now be the majority, will overcome the fact of white privilege, if not the memory of it.

7 Recommend

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Thomas J. Cassidy commented July 19

T

Thomas J. Cassidy

Arlington, VA

'What has it taken to cleave citizenship from “free white person”? ' American citizenship has been expanded from that qualification, but never "cleaved" from it. A "free white person" - i.e., one without an arrest record - will always get a fast green card and an express ticket to citizenship.

2 Recommend

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Steve Ross commented July 19

S

Steve Ross

Boston, MA

I'm white. My early childhood to age 12 was spent in a working class Boston neighborhood -- roughly evenly black and white. I'm first in my family to go to college. My mother was second, and it was because her black, female boss made it happen. For all that, when I was admitted to VERY WHITE Boston Latin in grade 9, I truly realized that poor and white was better than poor and black. All that said, I've enjoyed a great life and live in a small Harlem building where income and career status is not at all correlated with race and some black families have far higher income and status than I. Someday this will be normal, no matter how much today's Republicans hope otherwise.

6 Recommend

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Nigel commented July 19

N

Nigel

UK

As a white male brought up and living in the U.K. this article opened my mind to these issues in a way I haven’t come across in the U.K. print media. Thank you to the author.

2 Recommend

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D A KRAUS commented July 19

D

D A KRAUS

CANADA

The lines for flyers who qualify for early seating on a plane are now almost long as any other line. If you are a long time frequent flier, like I am, it is hard to discern where one line begins. And I too, like the offending white man, wonder how so many people qualify for early seating. Was his tone related to you, or just the overall situation?

5 Recommend

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DJ commented July 19

D

DJ

NJ

White privilege is a myth. People of color can get into a college with lower grades, have affirmative action programs galore available to them, are a protected class, usually cannot be fired because of the threat of being labelled racist, etc.

14 Recommend

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1 REPLY

David F. commented July 19

D

David F.

New York City

@DJ Even if we all agreed that the past cannot be referenced in conversation about the present, and could pretend that the history of America - how wealth and opportunity have been built and passed down within families and communities- did not contribute to the opportunities and outcomes in the lives of people of color, I would still beg you to re-read the article and re-evaluate that claim. The existence of programs that try to correct for a very real imbalance (however heavy-handed or misguided they can be) seems unfair when they exist to benefit a group that isn't yours but focusing on the thing someone else might get that you don't get is too narrow here. It's easy to say 'If white privelege exists' why aren't I farther ahead. Race politics in America is not about you though. Being White allows you to believe that anything and everything can be about you (me, us). "i didn't.." "my parents didn't.." "the Irish..." "Why should I.." etc . The major split right now in reckoning with this seems to be between people who are willing to understand that and people who can't. It's Ok. Part of it is that you don't have to while the Author does.

6 Recommend

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Tristan Roy commented July 19

T

Tristan Roy

Montreal, Canada

Very happy about it. Now I hope minorities will level up to the same privileges some day.

1 Recommend

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SGin NJ commented July 19

S

SGin NJ

NJ

What privilege?

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Peter York commented July 19

P

Peter York

San Francisco

I had a good laugh about this jet setting Yale professor sitting in first class obsessing over white privilege. It reminds me of the celebrities who fly private jets to climate change conferences. For the record, I wholeheartedly reject the premise that white male privilege explains any of the problems of minorities in the US. I also reject that my acknowledging any privilege will help anyone. You know who does have tons of unacknowledged privilege? First class flying liberal arts professors from Yale.

35 Recommend

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Jon commented July 19

J

Jon

Ohio

After reading this article and many of the responses I now know that I am missing nothing by not flying first class. Lots of unhappiness in our country. Very depressing.

7 Recommend

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Bald Eagle commented July 19

B

Bald Eagle

Los Angeles, CA

White male here. When asked about my white male privilege the first things I mention are the obvious ones, in no particular order; no fear of being stopped for "driving while white", being treated with suspicion or disrespect for no apparent reason, the priviliges during childhood of attending good schools in a safe neighborhood, never being groped or leered at while at work or on the street, the list goes on and on. This article bored me. I was hoping to hear what a series of white men would say, when asked directldy by the writer, what they thought (if anything) about their white privilege, such as "Hey, do you men realized you've just formed a separate line to be boarded for First Class?" I'd like to hear what all the men she encountered had to say about that encounter: did any of them say "oh, yeah, I see your point.. sorry!", how many of them gave defensive replies, how many expressed remorse, said they see a bigger picture. now.

14 Recommend

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FarOutWest commented July 19

F

FarOutWest

Denver

Ms. Rankine, Senator Warren, et al., all members of the class of the 'New Privileged'.

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Doug McDonald commented July 19

D

Doug McDonald

Champaign, Illinois

"Would they connect the treatment of the undocumented with the treatment of Irish, Italian and Asian people over the centuries?" This shows the bias of the writer. The cases are entirely different .. ther Irish, Italian, and Asians were not here illegally. Illegal is illegall is illegal, and illegal immigrants deserve one and only one treatment: immediate deportation. Its that simple.

11 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

CSK commented July 19

CSK

CSK

Baltimore

Asian immigration was outlawed in 1882 and maintained until WWII.

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George commented July 21

G

George

Porgie

@CSK But unlikely Blacks they don't keep arguing that laws a hundred years ago were somehow an impediment to their success NOW and they don't keep asking for reparations

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Dorothy Baker commented July 19

D

Dorothy Baker

Houston

How would the poet appreciate a colleague in the Department of Sociology offering a workshop on poetic forms? Out of his/her element? Oh, yes, I would agree.

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Anish commented July 19

A

Anish

Califonia

It's not white privilege. Its more like black subjugation that's the problem. Not being shot by police is not a privilege. Not being tailed in shops is not a privilege. Not being searched by TSA is not a privilege. Those are normal civil rights that in most of the developed world are taken for granted by all citizens and residents. The fact that being black in America is such a different experience is the shocking part. But you can't blame the average white guy for that either. Institutional racism is real and needs to be addressed. Peoples hearts and minds is a much harder objective and all the dense academic articles like this one will not make much of a dent on that.

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Millie commented July 19

M

Millie

Australia

As a woman of colour I was very interested in Claudine’s experience. Of course she is a brilliant writer however I felt NYT’s editors were reluctant to do their part in finessing the end result.

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sethblink commented July 19

S

sethblink

LA

If you want to have a discussion about race, a discussion where you educate me about the unrecognized benefits I've enjoyed and the insults and humiliations you've suffered, I have a suggestion. Let's find a word that encourages us to acknowledge these truths without at the same time protesting our personal exceptions to the these standards. I can't speak for all white males, but I know that I, and I suspect many others of my group would be happy to discuss White Advantage. It's something most of us willingly acknowledge. But when you call it White Privilege or White Supremacy, we feel a need to call attention to whatever hardships we've accomplishments that we take pride in thinking of as the product of our hard work. And then we hear about White Fragility. Privilege doesn't feel all that privileged when you share it with 200million other Americans, many of whom had far greater privileges than you had. At some point, you have to ask yourself, is your goal to make us feel ashamed (or to pretend to because that seems the desired response) or is it to spread enlightenment and help people be and do better?

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Jack commented July 19

J

Jack

Beaufort, SC

Grievance Studies are not legitimate academic pursuits.

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Casual Observer commented July 19

C

Casual Observer

Los Angeles

Statistical studies confirm significant disparities which show that white people with European ancestry enjoy more advantages and non-white people with non-European ancestry suffer more disadvantages. But identifying the causes are just speculations, the actual cause and effects are not confirmed. The reliable measures are averages for huge populations of people. So they do not describe individuals more than the odds about whether that person is likely to be better or wise off than another based on race. The white male privilege assertion simply ignores the reality and asserts if the average white male is better off, then all are better off, thus they all are privileged. The author then begins to confront all white males with their being privileged, disregarding the fact that likelier is not certainty.

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Keith commented July 19

K

Keith

Boise

Ask a young poor white male with limited educational and employment opportunities how he feels about his white male privilege. I saw Don Lemon tonight laugh hysterically at the idea a white person could ever feel discriminated against. Liberal identity politics--Trump's path to victory, again.

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James commented July 19

J

James

Perth

"each time he removed or replaced something in his case overhead, he looked over at me. Each time, I looked up from my book to meet his gaze and smiled" I'm pretty sure he was flirting, and you were responding. Claudia, people aren't normally taking things in and out of their overhead lockers on a short flight like that.

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Scott commented July 19

S

Scott

Normandie

Reading an article like this reminds me to be grateful I left the country and made my home overseas. People have a choice in how to perceive, feel, and welcome the world. You have a choice in how much to emphasize history and determined fates, and how much to emphasize today, tomorrow and the attitudes and approaches you can take to make the future a better place. You have a choice of which battles to fight. And the words we choose matter. Words paint reality. We can dwell on the white privilege, have classes about it and write essays, poems, and songs. We can make it the dominant force in our life. We can feel oppressed by it. But history is like the geological layers- dig a hole, analyze the soil, try to figure out how the land formed the way it did. You are studying dead things so that you can define the living accordingly. No change will be born of this process. I would like to see this energy put into creating a better future. Not just Claudia - higher education as a whole. Study the future. Claudia is right in everything she says. But I feel her choices of emphasis and chosen internal dialogue is everything that makes it wrong for our future.

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Rita commented July 19

R

Rita

San Francisco

When we talk about white men only being 32% of the population yet holding so much power it's important to remember that white elected officials changed immigration policy in just the 1960's which resulted in a far more diverse America. About 90% of the USA population in 1960 was white. The range of diversity found in Canada, USA and much of Europe is both new and unique. It was created by white majorities voting for more diverse societies. I think we are all richer people for it. But let's remember how new this change is how far we've come and how far we have to go.

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Maria commented July 19

M

Maria

Austin

As a caucasian female in the US I was recipient of similar treatment from US males in corporate and university settings, and lost jobs because of my protesting against the system. I think the US culture is toxic to most anyone with a moral conscience, not just people traditionally identified as oppressed by it. The author has achieved great privilege, no doubt through the pressure of over-achieving as an under represented person in her field. But her approach to criticism just reveals her participation in the system instead of really changing it.

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Alberto Abrizzi commented July 19

A

Alberto Abrizzi

San Francisco

It’s hard to tell 200,000,000 citizens they’re privileged. I think we too often mix up race with economic class, like U.S. blacks celebrating OJ’s acquittal. That had more to do with economics, he could afford the dream team of lawyers. Maybe there’s some epicenter of relative normalcy that more of us can (or do) share.

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Paula commented July 19

P

Paula

East Lansing, MI

Wow. This was an amazing column to read. It's painful and lovely, thoughtful and awkward. I hope Professor Rankine is able to relax more into simple conversations to find out who is this, this person sitting next to me? That, it seems to me, is one of the essences of white privilege--the lack of introspection and suspicion: the ability to have a casual conversation without pondering hierarchies and the relative power between the two people talking to each other.

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Mees commented July 19

M

Mees

Nijmegen, The Netherlands

The thing that people often seem to forget in this discussion is that we’re talking about averages. I wholeheartedly agree that black people have a harder life on average compared to white people in the US and many other western countries. However we mustn’t forget that these are averages. There are also a lot of white people who are way worse off because of different circumstances than their race than certain black persons. So I can understand the irritation if for instance a poor white man has to hear a well-off black man tell him that he should be glad that he is white and privileged, while the white man notices few privileges about being white.

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3 REPLIES

Paul Garber commented July 19

Paul Garber

Paul Garber

Oakland, CA

@Mees the generic or average or even less than average white man might be irritated, but that doesn't excuse them for their failure to imagine the many layers of hardships they've never needed to consider.

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Mees commented July 20

M

Mees

Nijmegen, The Netherlands

@Paul Garber You’re completely right, but I also think that the rich black man shouldn’t be excused for their failure to imagine the many hardships that don’t have anything to do with race the poor white man faces and don’t just see him privileged because of his race.

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J.C. commented July 20

J

J.C.

Michigan

@Paul Garber I'm irritated by your many assumptions about what hardships anyone has or hasn't had to endure just based on their gender and skin color... or your designation of "generic".

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FarOutWest commented July 19

F

FarOutWest

Denver

'I Wanted to Know What University Professors Thought About Their Privilege. So I Am Asking' Ms. Rankine- graduate of Williams College and Columbia University, continuing her life of ease and privilege at Yale University. A new privileged class has emerged, but dares not acknowledge or allow the recognition of this new privilege to the public; this group must continue to cry poor and oppressed. Leverage the immutable characteristics for economic and political advantage, contrary to the meritocracy required for opportunities by others.

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J.C. commented July 19

J

J.C.

Michigan

Honest conversations about race are nearly impossible in this country, and the truly elite and privileged are cheering us on as those of us who have seen our lives hollowed out by them attack each other instead of the source of our misery. I would not blame any white man for not engaging in the conversation this woman wants to engage them in (cue comments from white men who would LOVE to). She's not actually looking to learn anything. She's looking to have her pre-conceived ideas about white men confirmed and no one will escape the trap, even the "woke" white men. I don't run in the same elite circles as Ms. Rankine, and I have never flown first class in my life. If I did, maybe I'd see more of this privilege all around me. What I do know is that nobody who is struggling in life, regardless of color, wants to be accused of being "privileged", and no good is going to come from forcing that label on someone who doesn't deserve it. Nobody who has had a young man go to war and not come home, or come home with parts of his body or mind missing, wants to hear about their privilege. No white men who have stood in unemployment lines with their black brothers from the defunct factory want to hear about it. Nobody who has had their father die an early death from working in the coal mines wants to hear about it. And to deny one's own privilege is not the same as denying that racism exists and is a big problem in this country. The two thoughts can reside in the same head.

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5 REPLIES

lw commented July 19

L

lw

OH

Why do people feel so much guilt about being privileged? Acknowledging privilege - or the lack of any social impediments when EVERYONE else has them - does not make you guilty of anything. Many White people recognize this and have no qualms acknowledging their privilege. The question is why many don’t.

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sethblink commented July 19

S

sethblink

LA

@J.C. No man need fear the questions Rankine might ask because she doesn't seem to ask any questions. She experiences a situation, wonders what is going through the mind of the privileged white man she has encountered, comes up with her idea of what he might be thinking and lets it go at that. I too would like to hear how these men might respond to these questions, so it's a shame she never bothers to ask them.

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JPNYC commented July 19

J

JPNYC

Brooklyn, NY

Absolute best thing I have read here.

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Chrysta commented July 19

C

Chrysta

New Jersey

Thank you for this thorough and thoughtful piece on a difficult topic. I appreciated having the opportunity to listen and learn from the author.

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brian commented July 19

B

brian

Boston

I taught courses treating white privilege, race, gender and sexual orientation. Here's the thing. If you teach as I did in a largely liberal institution, what you'll find is a kind of "preemptive agreement" from the privileged. The sad part is, students of color, women and others seem satisfied with this kind of ritual admission. But here's the deal, you're not going to get preemptive agreement from blue collar white males, nor, frankly should it be expected. The literature of white privilege, is designed and executed for the privileged who maintain their privilege by nodding in agreement with whomever accuses them of anything. Those blue class workers-sure argue if you want that they are privileged by race. do not feel privileged, and in fact are often not, other than in an abstract academic way. The more I read the literature of the construction of whiteness, which I taught, especially Roediger's work, the thinner and more tendentious it appears to me. I feel I was taken in, and I think most who confuse preemptive agreement with a real conversation are too.

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1 REPLY

CSK commented July 19

CSK

CSK

Baltimore

You may have taught whiteness in history classes somewhere, but it doesn’t sound as though you understood it. This is all about power. I grew up and learned in the post-Civil Rights Movement era, when it was easy to absorb and agree with the need to eliminate the oppression of people of color. This is focusing on the impact of white supremacy, not its origins and structure. Looking at American citizenship and identity through whiteness flipped my learning, as a white woman; I wasn’t looking through a window anymore, but at a mirror. These lessons are harder, and they are more deeply personal and challenging, but they are essential to getting closer to the truth about American identity and power. If it feels uncomfortable, fellow citizens, then you are probably making some progress in your understanding.

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Josh commented July 19

J

Josh

43215

...should be titled "What PRIVILEGED White Men Thought About Their Privilege".

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MBC commented July 19

M

MBC

Wisconsin

As a white woman divorcing a "privileged white man" who never describes another human without adding "black" in front of who they are if they are African American. Years ago he met a friend of mine and said, "you didn't tell me she was black". But, he'll tell you he's not a racist. Just one of many reasons he is becoming my ex.

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Dymphna commented July 19

D

Dymphna

Seattle

The mostly female occupants of my floor in my office building would find ourselves waiting in line to use the single seater women's restroom while the men's room stood empty. I suggested to the building manager that if both rooms had locks on the outside door--as the urinal is not in a stall--they could both become all gender restrooms and therefore be more accomodating for all possible genders and also relieve the women's room back-up. He said he would look into it. Weeks later, nothing had changed. I asked him why and he said the one all male office had objected. I was flabbergasted, and then I realized, oh yes, that is privilege. The men did not see this as a more fair distribution of resources, they saw it as their exclusive access being taken away!

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1 REPLY

J.C. commented July 20

J

J.C.

Michigan

@Dymphna Men are always thinking what you think they're thinking, and for the reasons you think they're thinking that. What other explanation could there be?

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LT commented July 19

L

LT

Urbana IL

I reeeaaaallllly want to take this class.

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gemcheff commented July 19

G

gemcheff

seattle

This is a good read and strikes a nerve, stirs things up. I’m a 60 white male from Seattle. I grew up in Washington State and have led a conventional life – married, grandkids, white-collar job. I did some racist things as a youth, for which I got called out. I mistreated girls, joked about homosexuals, and made fun of others. I denigrated people who smoked or drank. Fear my wrath. What losers! I now recognize this imperviousness (or obliviousness), this unfettered freedom to speak and move about the world, as the antecedent of white male privilege. Yet my epiphany fails me. Now, increasingly, I’m privilege’s target – labelled and accused, examined and corrected – in the news, by interest groups, and, most recently, by a young friend’s outspoken girlfriend. Do we really need one more divisive fractal through which to examine an exceedingly complicated and angry world? Men are to blame. White people are to blame. Immigrants are to blame. The intelligentsia is to blame. Our founders are to blame. Can I give it back? The privilege? I didn’t want, take, or steal it. It was conferred. And who’s to blame for that?

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Kate commented July 19

K

Kate

Excellent, thought-provoking piece. As a white person, I know that unpacking my own racial biases, absurd stereotypes, layers of denial, and feelings about white privilege will be a life-long process. It's painful, complicated, and ultimately, heart-breaking. Thank you, Ms. Rankine, for your willingness to go deep.

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Dream Weaver commented July 19

D

Dream Weaver

Phoenix

At the end of the day we should be focused on bringing people up not dragging people down. Amen.

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paulo commented July 19

P

paulo

Australia

If you are in first class , everyone is privileged. if you are male, you are more than twice as likely to be a manager regardless of your colour The term is Bayesian or Conditional probability

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Mister Mxyzptlk commented July 19

M

Mister Mxyzptlk

West Redding, CT

No doubt I benefit from "privilege" - when I interact with a police officer and the criminal justice system, when I'm "just shopping" in a store and in assumptions made about me when I apply for a job or buy real estate. But I'm not white, I'm Jewish and I resent being lumped into some general category of "whiteness". This show a complete lack of understanding and historical perspective the professor is requesting. Jews were blocked from purchasing real estate in some areas (including exclusive areas in the Northeast, restricted in the professions they could enter, limited in admissions to the top universities and suffered the day to day indignities of casual anti-semitism well into 1960's. Through the early part of the 20th century, European Jews lived in walled ghettos and were subjected to government sponsored lynchings (pogroms). Not to mention systematic programs of extermination that are well known and documented. I am not minimizing the issues facing African American today in a society that is not as inclusive as it needs to be but the issue is not white privilege but extending those privileges to all in our society.

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1 REPLY

Jenna commented July 19

J

Jenna

New York

I understand this resentment as I am Jewish as well and initially felt this way. However, even as white Jews we have privelege in our day to day not afforded to people of color. If we walk into a room filled with mostly white people who don't know us, we fit in more easily than a person of color in the same situation. It doesn't take away from what Jews have experienced, but being Jewish does not mean that we don't have white privilege.

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Claire commented July 19

C

Claire

This is a wonderful article and I'm thrilled the NYT chose to publish it. I'm worried by some of the comments that amount to "but me, my experience, #notallwhitefolks." Individual experience doesn't disprove our shared reality, and no one should feel attacked or wronged by this article. Generally, people are unaware of the impacts of their own whiteness in the same way that you have a pretty fixed idea of what your voice sounds like, yet are always surprised when confronted with a recording of it. This article contains the gentlest of reminders to maybe consider this in your day to day.

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1 REPLY

Bucketomeat commented July 19

B

Bucketomeat

The Zone

Thanks for sharing an important insight. We overestimate our agency in these larger processes, yet are still accountable to them.

2 Recommend

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Jay commented July 19

J

Jay

Florida

I accept that White Privilege exists. So does white Anglo-Saxon privilege. That confers the privilege of origin and Christian religion. The whiteness of being a WASP is evermore so pure than white and being Jewish. Yet, because I am white and Jewish I can hide my detested religion and pose as purely white. And that does indeed confer real privilege. One segment of our family whose ancestral and well documented family name was Israel decided in the 1940s to change their name to Islin. They believed (wrongly in my view) that shedding their obviously Jewish name, they would gain greater status and acceptability. They were never really able to hide but they thought it helped from being too obviously Jewish and undesirable. Strangely too, when African Americans began their great struggle for civil rights in the 1950s and 1060s, I can recall my parents tell my sister and I that because we are white, we can hide our Jewishness and succeed whereas blacks cannot escape their blackness. So, did we really have a benefit of White Privilege? The answer is yes and no. No, my parents and grandparents could not escape the draft in WWI and WWII. Being white did not protect them. My mother enlisted as a Navy WAVE in WWI but was not protected against overt anti-Semitism in the Navy. My sister though brilliant was only accepted to a summer program at Harvard but not as a full time student. Discrimination, racial and religious bigotry exist regardless of color. There is no safe color.

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Richard commented July 19

R

Richard

College Park, MD

Stereotyping white people, or even just white males, is as bad as stereotyping members of any other group. The author's reverse-racism is helping to miseducate a generation of our society's elites.

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NAN commented July 19

N

NAN

Canada

The privilege of white men is by appearance only. White men do not have privilege in the way that it seems that they do, at first glance. At its best, the analogy I would suggest is "white collar slavery." These men think that they have it all, or some kind of purpose, but in reality they are bereft of something more fundamental... and it is not their fault. There has been a kind of evolving deception where the soft-arts have taken power a long time ago. Men now seem like the worthless rooster in a hen house that is really only designed to harvest eggs. Dumb men and women, of course, will have no notion of these ideas. Do not feel sorry for these white privileged men, feel sorry for yourselves for not understand the fragile reality that we have been burdening under. It is just too easy to point a finger at someone else, where ignorance in fact is everywhere.

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jaco commented July 19

J

jaco

Nevada

A class on "whiteness"? You have got to be kidding me? Probably another class where an A is obtained by agreeing with whatever the "professer" says.

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Maxy G commented July 19

Maxy G

Maxy G

Teslaville

The author lives under the tyranny of always seeing color wherever she goes. Sadly.

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NYC Dweller commented July 19

N

NYC Dweller

NYC

Enough with the white privilege!

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Harvey commented July 19

H

Harvey

Denver

“I don’t see color.” This is a statement for well-meaning white people whose privilege and blind desire catapult them into a time when little black children and little white children are judged not “by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” The phrase “I don’t see color” pulled an emergency brake in my brain. Would you be bringing up diversity if you didn’t see color? I wondered. Will you tell your wife you had a nice talk with a woman or a black woman? Help. OK...I made it to the end...this part really made me sad..what's the point of this dialogue ....where is the LOVE..? If somebody tries to be good they are looked upon with disdain? But....this following quote really blew me away...reminded me of the Nazis who would distinguish between germanic people and pure arians: “I couldn’t tell by looking at this man I was sitting next to, but I wondered if he was an ethnic white rather than a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant.”

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Kevin commented July 19

K

Kevin

Freeport, NY

Given how many flights this author takes I wonder if she is aware of her blatant American privilege.

36 Recommend

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1 REPLY

NAN commented July 19

N

NAN

Canada

@Kevin She is not.

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Alex commented July 19

A

Alex

Brooklyn

It's weird that this is basically a story about all the times the author didn't ask random white guys about their white privilege, after thinking about doing so.

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1 REPLY

Justaguy commented July 19

J

Justaguy

Nyc

Implying what their responses would be wihtout ever testing the hypothesis presented is just irresponsible

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ANetliner commented July 19

ANetliner

ANetliner

Washington,DC

I’ve read Claudia Rankine’s essay twice, and a great many of the comments. My conclusion: white privilege exists, but so do many other types of privilege, including— but not limited to— those conferred by gender, wealth, ethnicity, religion. good health, good lucks, athletic prowess and fame, to name several. While Dr. Rankine is entirely correct that white privilege exists, I suggest that it is a too narrow a lens through which to view the world. By all means, challenge society’s ingrained prejudices. But remember that most of us are members of both privileged and non-privileged groups. Treat others as you would be treated, judge others by their character and, whenever possible. be kind.

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EL commented July 19

E

EL

Maryland

I think the term "white privilege" gets a lot of backlash because, quite frankly, it isn't a great term. It is not a privilege, for example, not to be arrested (or questioned by cops) for merely walking around in your neighborhood. It is completely unintuitive to call THAT a privilege. Indeed, I think it is wrong to call that a privilege at all. To continue the example, it doesn't feel like a privilege not to be arrested for doing nothing illegal or wrong. I, as a white man, do not feel privileged for not being arrested or questioned by police for walking around my neighborhood after dark. That is just how people ought to be treated--people ought not to be arrested for doing nothing wrong or illegal. The problem is not that people of color lack privileges that other people have--the problem is that they aren't treated as people ought to be treated. Privileges AREN'T things that everyone ought to have: we don't think everyone should be the heir to a large fortune. Rights (ethical or legal) ARE things everyone ought to have: we do think everyone should be able to go about their business without police interference so long as they do nothing wrong. The term "white privilege" is a bad term because it confuses rights with privileges.

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4 REPLIES

Mason commented July 19

M

Mason

WA

it is absolutely privilege. you have the privilege to walk around with considerably less fear from the police. not everyone has that.

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EL commented July 19

E

EL

Maryland

@Mason You missed my point. A privilege is not the same as a right. A right is something everyone should have; a privilege is something for which it is fine if not everyone has it. Walking about without fear of the police is a right, not a privilege. Not being discriminated against on the basis of race is a right, not a privilege.

4 Recommend

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E.A. commented July 19

E

E.A.

Brooklyn

Privilege dictionary definition: A special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group. Something can be both a right and a privilege if it is a right that should be everyone's, but is granted to only a certain group, such as walking around your neighborhood at night without being questioned, which is a privilege that is granted far more to white people than it is to people of color. It doesn't matter if it "feels" like a privilege to you or not. Plenty of things don't "feel" like privileges simply because you've never been forced to exist without them. You're a white male who lives in America and is rich enough to own at least one device that you can write this comment on, and as such you benefit from many luxuries that you likely don't always consider. Whether or not you consider them privileges, they are there and you have the upper hand to many others because you have them.

3 Recommend

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RC commented July 19

R

RC

WA

Living in white skin, as I do, I thought this was helpful. What I took from it was how Ms. Rankine longs for meaningful conversation about the different experiences we have based on the systems we reaffirm day in and day out with our words, our works, our patterns and expectations - systems that distinctly privilege white experience. I long for that kind of conversation too. I wish I was standing in line next to her at a coffee shop (I don't fly often) and could strike up a conversation like the kind she sought with white men. I appreciate her honest discussion of how hard it is to actually open our mouths and say anything. I heard a lot of nuance in her inner dialogue, free of shaming, but eager for an experience free of a world where whiteness doesn't dominate. Thanks for this!

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2 REPLIES

RC commented July 19

R

RC

WA

@RC Last sentence was meant to say "eager for an experience of a world where whiteness doesn't dominate."

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Z97 commented July 19

Z

Z97

Big City

@RC, if you want to see a world where “whiteness doesn’t dominate”, there are many countries you could make an extended visit to, like India, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Algeria, etc. If you chose to live like an ordinary local, rather than a privileged tourist, you would probably soon find out why so many from non-white dominated countries are choosing to try to emigrate to those that are run by whites.

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ultimateliberal commented July 19

ultimateliberal

ultimateliberal

new orleans

It really bothers me that people think "I don't see color" is a racist statement. I have never seen "color" as a characteristic of any person's essence. I was, literally, raised by the women who worked as our housekeepers; my mother was an absent socialite. In our privileged upbringing, I saw others as my mothers; I saw their neighborhoods as mine. I lived at the border of segregated neighborhoods and crossed "customary lines" to play with children of darker complexions, questioning why they didn't attend the same school, a block away, as I did. I wanted them there."My Mama wants me to go to [the school six blocks away.]" All other neighborhoods in which I lived were well integrated with several ethnic varieties. No, I don't see color, and I don't hear other languages; I see humans. Yes, everyone has a unique visage. I have never met any people who "all look alike," not even the identical twins who, when I was a teacher, tried, in vain, to trick me. If I'd call police for neighborhood disturbances (usually blatant drug-dealing or domestic acrimony); the first question would be, "Race?" My standard answer was, "I don't know. He has black hair and a medium complexion," or "She has a very light complexion, but I haven't heard her speak; I do not know if she's Hispanic." And, although I have taught people from Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, I have never met a "black" person. They look brown to me. I'm "ecru"

13 Recommend

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3 REPLIES

E.A. commented July 19

E

E.A.

Brooklyn

"I don't see color" is not an inherently racist statement -- it just comes off as such because when white people say it, they have the privilege to not think about their race. Many people have to constantly consider their race. When a person of color is walking around at night, they have to think about their race because depending on the neighborhood they live in, they might be stopped or questioned for doing nothing wrong. When a white person is walking around at night, they never have to take their race into account simply because it doesn't matter in that circumstance -- they'll likely have a nice walk and return to their home with no incident and no situation that forces them to think about their race. Case in point: A white person's statement of "I don't see color" reflects on their innate privilege to never consider race, and subsequently their limited understanding of that privilege.

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lw commented July 19

L

lw

OH

Well said. And this is very revealing. Not seeing color is not just about how one sees others, it’s about how one sees how others will see them, — IE seeing your own color — and whether not having to consider that is likely to result in harm to them.

1 Recommend

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ultimateliberal commented July 19

ultimateliberal

ultimateliberal

new orleans

@E.A. Thank you. That's an interesting idea, not having to think about one's own color, or, possibly, having to live with the feeling that color places oneself in harm's way. You are correct, in that white people do not need to fear about "incidents" of police action while they walk around at night--regardless of the racial makeup of the neighborhood. I can understand the apprehension of some people of color when walking through predominantly white areas, particularly where there is a hostile environment known to and practiced by certain narrow-minded residents.

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KAB commented July 19

KAB

KAB

BOSTON MA

"We are seeing the deconstruction of the white-male archetype" is a true statement, but it's happening at an imperceptible pace.

4 Recommend

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JM commented July 19

J

JM

New York

"I was waiting in another line for access to another plane in another city as another group of white men approached. When they realized they would have to get behind a dozen or so people already in line, they simply formed their own line next to us. I said to the white man standing in front of me, 'Now, that is the height of white male privilege.' " Great way to break the ice! As a frequent-flyer, let me assure you that the "start a new line" thing happens all the time, and is instigated by all kinds of people. Having read this article several times, I've concluded that the author is over-thinking things way too much.

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Justaguy commented July 19

J

Justaguy

Nyc

White privilege is real. Assuming individuals actions are based soley on the perceived assumption they are doing it because they think they are entitled to because they are 'white' is another. Male privilege is the bigger culprit here. Not race. I find it hard to believe the author would expect any better treatment in a first class cabin of non-white males.

5 Recommend

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CK commented July 19

C

CK

New York

As I read the article on teaching a course in whiteness by a black woman, I became confused.Then I continued to read and thought maybe that first guy on the plane thought you were cute or pretty. Now that is a real problem for me as a feminism. Always an issue with all men. SIGH! Then you were on first class and everyone is privileged there including you. Lastly I work in a state university, even the dean can't afford first class. Do you have any jobs open at Yale? And to finish up my dissertation on humor is a good thing. Smile this is a great country and we have "come a long way baby." OOPs wrong commercial.

16 Recommend

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1 REPLY

CK commented July 20

C

CK

New York

@Kevin Yes and I love it. My parents were immigrants and happy to be here no matter how grim things got. They had the privilege of spending time in the real Concentration camps They also had the privilege of working in sweatshops and as a charwoman but they still wanted that American privilege as do I. Let's keep it going. It is still the best there is.

1 Recommend

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Andrew commented July 19

A

Andrew

Denver, CO

And, here I thought everyone flying first class was "privileged." Narcissim knows no race. I won't even dare expand on the thought of a middle-aged black woman teaching "whiteness studies" at Yale. The culture of American democracy is just lost.

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Rado Min commented July 19

R

Rado Min

DC

Races don't exist, but racism does. I don't think race can be "seen" in any objective way. The author herself writes about the construction of race ex whiteness (Celtic, Slavic and Mediterranean peoples). That's why statements as this one are problematic: “Because if you can’t see race, you can’t see racism.”

6 Recommend

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Conrad commented July 19

C

Conrad

New Jersey

Times Pick

Overheard in hip jazz space in NYC one night were two 40ish bearded white men talking about one's daughter who did not get accepted to the college of her choice because as her father put it' "she was not the right color". The assumption being that a lesser qualified person of color had been given preference. They appeared not to notice me, a black man, standing not 5 feet away from them. Why would they not consider that maybe the daughter was passed over by a lesser qualified white person? Why did they feel comfortable expressing these sentiments within my earshot? Were they ignoring me? Or maybe because in their minds, what I thought did not matter. Is this not an example of their expectation of white privilege?

244 Recommend

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19 REPLIES

Z97 commented July 19

Z

Z97

Big City

@Conrad, this is an example of their expectation of black, rather than white, privilege. Statistically, selective colleges accept black or Hispanic students with much lower SAT scores and grades. Maybe that man’s daughter had an academic record that would have been good enough if she’d been an underrepresented minority but wasn’t high enough to be admitted as a white. Given what we know about college admissions it’s a reasonable thought. Keeping perfectly logical thoughts quiet for fear a black person might hear them exacerbates rather than relieves racial division.

60 Recommend

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Z97 commented July 19

Z

Z97

Big City

@Conrad, maybe they just know that statistically, selective colleges accept black or Hispanic students with much lower SAT scores and grades. Maybe that man’s daughter had an academic record that would have been good enough if she’d been an underrepresented minority but wasn’t high enough to be admitted as a white. Given what we know about college admissions it’s a reasonable thought. Keeping perfectly logical thoughts quiet for fear a black person might hear them exacerbates rather than relieves racial division.

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Keith commented July 19

K

Keith

Boise

No, it's likely a legitimate a concern that many academic programs, obsessed with identity, target students based on race, rather than merit or economic disadvantage. Ask the young economically disadvantaged male about his presumed white privilege. These assumptions help explain their affinity for Trump.

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Jane Hunt commented July 19

J

Jane Hunt

US

Dr. Rankine, this white woman thanks you for honoring and exploring the exhausting complications of our racial bewilderedness, but most of all thank you for articulating this phrase: "the silencing mechanism of manners." I have dwelt within that phenomenon far too long.

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M commented July 19

M

M

Florida

The article was excellent. As a black male I have also experienced similar events while waiting in line for a first class seat. Unfortunately I did not take my fellow passengers to tasks to make them aware of their white privilege. However, when I was not served my drink appropriately I did write a letter to the airlines regarding this infraction. They were apologetic, which was understandable. When similar occurrences happen we should make it our duty to make others aware of it and promote further dialogue.

6 Recommend

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Eric commented July 19

E

Eric

TN

Dr. Rankine, thank you so much for this very well-written piece. It's the best food for thought I have read all day, and I would love to use it in the classes I teach.

4 Recommend

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White Guy commented July 19

W

White Guy

PA

First of all, I think the term “white privilege” is so jarring, is because it infers that everything good in a white man’s life came from being white (much the same way those with financial privilege are assumed to be in whatever position they are in thanks to daddy’s trust fund). White men in 2019 America undoubtedly have an easier go at life than a white woman or male person of color with otherwise the same exact upbringing, connections, finances, etc. But, there is an insidious belief that “white privilege” is a golden ticket to cruise through life without struggle, and success is preordained when you enter this world pale and male. It also carries a whiff of accusation - like each of us is responsible for the failures of our multicultural society, and for the actions of deplorable white men we’ve never met. I recognize that having the time and energy to feel slighted and hurt by the fact that others see your accomplishments as not yours, and struggles as not significant, comes with white privilege, so there’s a futility here in trying to make a point. But I will try. Can’t we highlight and acknowledge structural inequalities, and point out examples of insensitive or brutish behavior, in a way that is perceived as less hostile? “White privilege” is real, and needs to be addressed, but the use of those words is clearly divisive (it’s akin to being called racist by some); a rebrand might be helpful if the goal is to educate rather than embarrass.

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Iwrite commented July 19

I

Iwrite

Santa Fe

White privilege, white male privilege, old family white male privilege, old wealthy white male privilege. You can substitute female in a number of those categories, but there is a clear hierarchy. I believe there are better ways of feeling better about yourself and acting as if you are superior to other people. Life is not need to be a zero sum game requiring everyone else to feel worse or inferior

7 Recommend

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____ ___ commented July 19

_

____ ___

____ ________, ___

I am a _________ _________. I am privileged. I am privileged because I was brought up in a loving family. I am privileged because I grew up with neighbors who cared for me I am privileged that I have been educated in public schools. I am privileged because I have a spouse who loves me. I am privileged to have a job that pays me a livable wage. I am privileged because I have friends who are there for me in times of need. I am privileged because I was born in a country that offered me protection and services. I am privileged because I have access to medical care. I am privileged because I am healthy. I am privileged because my community has ample opportunities to volunteer to help people or a cause. I am privileged because when I walk into a room people smile back at me. I am privileged to have children with great opportunities to create a better world. I am privileged because I am not walking backwards with blinders on.

18 Recommend

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YMHahn commented July 19

Y

YMHahn

Boston

A very interesting article that required a commitment of time and attention to read, contemplate and understand. At some point I realized that this is another thing that those with white and other types of privilege resent-- the effort it takes to understand others who have been shaped by different life circumstances and experiences than theirs. They would prefer not to have to bother.

9 Recommend

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Evil Overlord commented July 19

E

Evil Overlord

Maine

Very few people have a "semi-circle of oak trees" in their backyard - let alone a backyard big enough for one, or a backyard at all. Very few fly first class. The author is only barely cognizant of the rarefied status she has. She says she hopes to recognize stereotypes of whiteness in her actions, but then proceeds to apply some, and imputes to a rude white man all manner of racial bias. There clearly are still big issues of racial discrimination and preference in this country. President Trump proves that on a regular basis, as does the fact that so many people continue to find ways to excuse his words and actions. However, the kind of approach the author seems to follow will not improve matters. It will resonate with a group of people who already believe - a classic sermon to the choir. It will not do anything to advance the larger discussion or reduce actual corruption. "I know Y was x-ist because I inferred x-ist intent behind their actions" is never going to convince anyone who isn't already on your side. There are plenty of statistics out there demonstrating actual, provable racism. Use those instead. PS I'd hate to be stuck on a plane beside someone who insisted on examining my privileges, just as they'd hate to have me examine, for example, their failure to be vegan or eco-friendly or bilingual or Jewish or anything of their privileges or choices.

27 Recommend

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Jim Sanders commented July 19

J

Jim Sanders

Carrboro, NC

Dr. Rankine's work on Whiteness reminds me of some of the writings of Early Twentieth Century sociologists with titles like "Social and Mental Traits of the Negro." It's just another elaborate exercise in characterizing hundreds of millions of people as a monolithic culture. After, presumably, a lifetime of being treated this way has Dr. Rankine decided that retuning this treatment in kind is the way to promote a harmonious society?

35 Recommend

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wvb commented July 19

W

wvb

Greenbank, WA

Your story about the group of men forming their own line instead of joining the existing line reminds me of an episode many years ago in Panama. I had spent a couple of weeks working in Panama and was returning to the US. At the airport I ran into a man and his wife I knew who were also returning to the US. We got in line to pass through the Panamanian exit immigration process. A couple of well dressed Panamanians came up and started to cut in the front of the line; something they probably regularly did. My friend and I both said something to the men about how the line formed at the end, and the men retreated. At the time, the mid 1970s, we felt that everyone should be treated the same, that there should be a certain fairness and equality for the people in the line. Obviously, the men in your story had no such sense of fairness - they thought they were superior and deserved to be at the head of the line. In Panama at that time, I was not surprised that there were people who considered themselves superior and deserving of special treatment. I'm disappointed that we have moved in that direction, but I realize we have.

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Pete commented July 19

P

Pete

Ottawa

I read with curiosity as to what exactly is white privilege. I approached the article with the prejudgment that it is pointless to ask a white man about his privilege because he has no frame of reference. Perhaps this is my own perspective. I know I am privileged but I could not tell you why or how and in fact could not care less. It does not affect me in my endeavours at all. On a separate plane, I have witnessed racism and bigotry and do find it offensive and do care (about opposing it). I think there is a subtle racism, however, built into our (my) culture and privilege that I cannot escape as it is native in me. So the article is useful as it does provide a very detailed and cogent perspective on a privilege that is real but perhaps invisible to me in my day to day. Thank you Claudia.

10 Recommend

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DT commented July 19

D

DT

Singapore

It just dawned on me: this article is missing something. We need to go deeper. Here's a suggestion. For her next article, the author docks her private yacht in Marina di Capri and asks fellow billionaires about their privilege. Indeed, this may be the only way to uncover white privilege. Honestly! If there’s a better way to make legitimate issues look like academic playthings of the elite, I don’t know it.

22 Recommend

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MBS commented July 19

M

MBS

NYC

having a handicapped child lifted the veil of "-isms" , and for the first time i could see not only the individual transactions, but the structural elements. it is difficult to see privilege until you are no longer privileged.

15 Recommend

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Tim Mosk commented July 19

T

Tim Mosk

British Columbia

You’ll never hear reasonable white men talk about privilege because the fear of saying the wrong thing, which can be as innocuous as a disagreement about the full extent of the privilege. This article validated that fear, as the author judged every action and conversation on the basis of race. So, what you’ll always get is a skewed sample where the biggest idiots among us are willing to speak, and the reasonable keep quiet. You’d have to be an idiot to not know white privilege is a thing. You’d also have to be an idiot to open your mouth about this subject as a white guy to anyone who isn’t a close friend.

28 Recommend

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Purple Patriot commented July 19

Purple Patriot

Purple Patriot

Denver

Times Pick

I attended high school in Alabama when the schools were integrated by court order and I served in the Navy when it was struggling with racial friction in the ranks. Because I was a southerner, I always assumed, I was summoned many times to attend the Navy's group discussions of race relations when others never were. I resented it because, while I knew plenty of hateful bigots in those days, I wasn't one of them. It seems like I've been involved in discussions of race, in various places and formats, for my entire life. All I have been able to conclude is that race in the US is far too complicated to be summarized in a phrase or attitude or set of assumptions about any person or group. The exceptions to every assumption are too numerous. In the end, the past cannot be changed and the people responsible for egregious past sins are long gone. Perfect justice is impossible and guilt for sins committed by other people is useless. So we can only go forward, alert to past injustices and individually committed to doing better. Ultimately, each of us can only control what we do today and tomorrow, and responsibility for what we do is entirely our own.

309 Recommend

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15 REPLIES

Meg commented July 19

M

Meg

Tennessee

@Purple Patriot Why are you assuming that only bigots could benefit from conversations about race? All of us carry around implicit bias and benefit from being challenged on our biases and assumptions. I think the flawed idea that only racists must and should talk about race is what prevents critical and honest dialogue. This is just "colorblindness" in another form.

37 Recommend

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me commented July 19

M

me

US

@Meg Suppose other people just don't want to "talk about race"?

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Casual Observer commented July 19

C

Casual Observer

Los Angeles

If you do not perceive things from the experience of being the victim of discrimination, you probably do not know what it’s like. If you know how bigoted people behave privately and publicly, you know that those who are victims of them do not understand bigots from those who are not until they feel the sting, because they lack that perspective. The big problem that persists is that people do not converse easily about race across races. They do repeat the same perceptions from the same perspectives, though.

11 Recommend

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O'Brien commented July 19

O

O'Brien

Airstrip One

When someone says, "I don't see color," they are not talking about the first moments of a first encounter where that person assesses the dress, appearance, body language, etc. of another human being. What is meant is that after dress/appearance/body language/color are taken in, and it is clear that the other person is not a threat, assessment moves on to other factors like intelligence, kindness, education, conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness to experience, religiosity, etc. Color is no longer a salient factor. Want proof? Yes, for a moment, I'd momentarily recoil from a small group of African-American young men coming toward me on the street late at night, because of the higher crime rate for that group. My recoil would turn to color blindness when I realized that the men were carrying books, and even more so when those books were Bibles.

11 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

ultimateliberal commented July 19

ultimateliberal

ultimateliberal

new orleans

@O'Brien Excuse me.....some of us do, genuinely, not see color. Most of the time, I merely see facial features to help me remember the individual neighbor so I can remember him/her at a later occasion. Some of my best friends are of other races....really! But I never refer to their races in conversations or in describing my relationships with them.

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Tnwilli commented July 19

T

Tnwilli

Virginia

Would your reaction be the same if it was a group of white males?

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jogo2001 commented July 19

J

jogo2001

ny

Capitalism encourages exploitation. In order to justify the attempted genocide and theft of Native Americans land and the enslavement of Africans to perform labor intensive activities for the economic benefit of whites it was necessary to promote the idea of racial superiority. Racism. The fact that native peoples and Africans were not Christians was a further justification of racial superiority. Capitalism and Christianity are the foundations of racism.

2 Recommend

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Aubrey commented July 19

A

Aubrey

NYC

a few things stick out. 1) the author seems very intimidated, despite being able to profess a class on whites. 2) she seems a bit confused as if her conversations are sort of flirting - "would he tell his wife" - irrelevant? 3) the phrase ethnic white, not WASP - is that another kind of birtherism? aren't we past that? you mean there are "real" whites and "other" secondary whites? 4) why would the last man in the story think about diversity if he doesn't see color - maybe because you can't exist in corporate america today without having diversity statistics, diversity workshops, diversity evaluations. whether one "sees" color or not, it's something that is constantly being measured and everyone is expected to participate in that. 5) so, what to draw from this? it isn't research. it does present a couple of vignettes, from a professor of whiteness studies who is married to a woke white man but afraid to speak to other white men, trying to have a few random, unprepared, non-systematic hit or miss chats or observations to find out what white male privilege means - as such, more illuminating of the professor's personal self consciousness than what she wanted to find out about.

19 Recommend

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BB commented July 19

B

BB

Wisconsin

So patronizing. And what, pray tell, is the correct answer to this passive aggressive question? And from what lofty height do you presume to disparage people who aspire to MLK's dream of judging people by the content of their character instead of the color of their skin? I'm sorry you've had to deal with some rude people, but if you're a Yale professor flying first class all over the world, you're privileged, from where I'm standing.

33 Recommend

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Meg commented July 19

M

Meg

Evanston, IL

All the comments saying this woman doesn't realize or appreciate her own privilege (to be flying first class) clearly have NO idea what it's like to be a woman, let alone an African American woman, in the United States. Understand that women often have to work harder than their white male classmates and co-workers to get the same recognition and still might be paid less for doing the same work. This pointing out of her "privilege" is most likely coming from white commenters and demonstrates ignorance of the concept of white privilege. Keep reading about it -- you'll get it some day.

6 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

OneView commented July 19

O

OneView

Boston

@Meg I dare say you have NO idea what it's like to be a working class white man in the United States so I fail to see the point you're trying to make. Understand that lower class white men have to work harder than their upper class white male classmates and co-workers to get the same recognition and still might be paid less less for doing the same work. Keep reading about it -- you'll get it someday. White men are expected to do well; their failure is their own to live with. You try and live with that.

26 Recommend

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DT commented July 19

D

DT

Singapore

@Meg Yes, I have no idea what it is like to be a professor at Yale, to be black, to be a woman, and to fly First Class. By that exact same logic, neither does she know anything about a SE asian man's life. Yet I can still read her writing and think about it, on the account of, you know, our shared humanity? The critique isn't that white privilege isn't real, or isn't an important topic, but the absurdity of it all. An extremely privileged person talking about privilege to other extremely privileged people.

10 Recommend

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Attila the Hun. commented July 19

A

Attila the Hun.

Wayne, NJ

I like Ms Rankine article, but the solution is a long way to go. With a little cynicism, when the Earth's population became evenly homogeneous light brown hue./it will happen, within a few thousand years/ Presently the same tension works among even the different shades of colored people. The present antagonism in the society, same as to be white, "short and bald, with weak English". Try to get a job for a large "good" company. Who is helping us? "Help yourself and the God will help you."

3 Recommend

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Sean commented July 19

S

Sean

OR, USA

Is human dignity really a privilege? I think this conversation has been poorly framed. Also, lumping all White men together is fallacious. It is exactly as fallacious as lumping all of any "race" together. It would be nice if white men could take the blame for every historical evil, it would mean that no one else bears any responsibility for the problems in their own lives. Can you imagine a "scholarly" article like this delving into the inner workings of the Black male? People would freak out. Anecdotes are not science. Cutting in line happens, Black people do it too. I thought equality was the goal? Do we have to tear one race down to elevate another? Is it currently possible for a White person to say no to a Black person without being a racist? Is that equality? Trump loves articles like this.

16 Recommend

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Gordon commented July 19

G

Gordon

Oregon

I have a simple response to this. You’re buying votes for Trump. There are those who want to make things worse so the “revolution” will come sooner. Are you one of them? I am white and older. Little that Trump is doing will harm me personally. But it will harm people of color. You are feeding the flames of racial division. I get what you’re saying. I even sympathize, but a lot of people are on the defensive and see you as attacking them. They will vote for Trump. I’m sure he loved your article and is salivating over the voters you are sending his way and will do everything he can to fan the flames.

9 Recommend

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Mr. Sullivan commented July 19

M

Mr. Sullivan

California

As an academic, I have taught in the last few years Douglass's "Narratives of a Slave", Coates' "A Case for Reparations", and Stevenson's "Just Mercy". If someone of any race were to read these three pieces of lit, one would easily ascertain a bleak history in this country for African Americans. It is crucial to recognize this history, absorb it, and wrestle with the demons of it. If your knee jerk reaction, is resentment of the topic, you've got some serious issues. We should be able to discuss the complicated and bleak history that we have evolved out of and where we are today. I would have loved to talk to this woman. I could talk about this vital topic for hours, because it is one of the most important issues we face these days.

3 Recommend

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4 REPLIES

J.C. commented July 19

J

J.C.

Michigan

@Mr. Sullivan Despite your attemps to sell yourself as a woke academic who has read the right books and understands the issues in a way that "those" white men don't, she still wouldn't see past your privilege and your well-intentioned whitesplaining.

8 Recommend

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Anton commented July 19

A

Anton

Leong

@Mr. Sullivan The conversation must include behavior. Although only 13% of the US population, African Americans commit 90% of the crimes. That informs opinions and perceptions.

8 Recommend

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Z97 commented July 19

Z

Z97

Big City

Anton, I’m not sure it is actually 90%. For homicide it is only a little over 50% (though that stat does not include all the “nobody saw anything” unsolved homicides, most of which occur in black neighborhoods)

5 Recommend

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Carl Ferrero commented July 19

C

Carl Ferrero

New York

As an Italian-American with quite a bit of melanin in their skin, I appreciated Ms Rankine’s questioning of the origins of whiteness. I also found this article to be thoughtful and without judgement. What seems to be rattling cages in the comments is the word ‘privilege.’ Ms. Ranking points out quite clearly that she believes a more accurate term is ‘white dominance.’ That will probably still make some folks upset, but they should understand that it’s not about money and class.

2 Recommend

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Jim Orlin commented July 19

J

Jim Orlin

Brookline, MA

My concern with the expression "white privilege" is that it doesn't resonate with most white persons (including myself) for the simple reason that they (we) live primarily in a white world. Many examples that are seen by others as "white privilege", I see as unfairness to persons of color. I don't think of myself as privileged by my color per se, but view others as living in a world that puts them at a disadvantage for their color. Admittedly, this is a minor concern. A more important problem is that many (perhaps a majority of) white persons, don't see either "white privilege" or "unfairness to persons of color." Even worse, many white persons mistakenly believe that white persons are the ones who are at a disadvantage.

4 Recommend

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Maxy G commented July 18

Maxy G

Maxy G

Teslaville

I can just say I’m very grateful to have gotten so lucky to be born a white male. It’s at the top of my gratitude list, right next to my health and ability to control my life using my mind.

3 Recommend

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LH commented July 18

L

LH

Brooklyn

Very grateful for this moving article. Let's keep listening to each other no matter how exhausting.

2 Recommend

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Meg commented July 18

M

Meg

Evanston, IL

What stood out most to me in this essay is her white friend, who is convinced he wasn't hired because someone needed to fill a race quota. He doesn't allow for the possibility that he wasn't hired because he was actually *less qualified* than the person who was hired -- who might even be (gasp!) a person of color.

4 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

JRC commented July 19

J

JRC

NYC

@Meg Yes ... just as the author seems to assume that if a white male gets hired instead of a black woman, it would have to be because of his privilege. Couldn't possibly be because of (gasp!) merit, right?

19 Recommend

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DJS commented July 19

D

DJS

New York

@Meg You do not know the specifics of the situation. Her friend may have known for a fact that the position went to someone who was less qualified. When I was in a masters program , a male student of color entered the program in the middle of the year. He wrote in a scrawl. He was permitted to submit his papers handwritten, while the rest of us were required to hand in typed papers. He could not write complete sentences. He did not make it through the semester, let alone through the program. This student had not been admitted based on merit. There are plenty of highly qualified individuals who happen to be persons of color , including our former President, a number of Senators, Congresspersons ,Supreme Court Justices, and any number of highly intelligent, well qualified individuals who happen to persons of color. The student who was admitted to my master's program mid-semester was not one of them. My guess is that the same is true of the author's friend. The author wrote :"I wanted to tell him that he needed to take a long view the history of the workplace, given the imbalances that generations of hiring practices before him had created. " , which suggests that she concurred with her friend's belief.

7 Recommend

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Gary Ward commented July 18

G

Gary Ward

Durham, North Carolina

The best example of white privilege is when Trump questioned Obama’s academic merits and asked to see Obama’s grades while covering up his own academic records.

9 Recommend

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Jason commented July 18

J

Jason

New York

All societies are still racist in favor of the majority. Apparently the US is substantially less racist than European countries. That is good, but not good enough. But the White privilege narrative is extremely unhelpful. Claudia Rankine is teaching African Americans that their failures are the result of their race. Given that racism persists, this must sometimes be true. And given that they are human, this must sometimes be false. What is certain, is that people who blame their failures on race or any other variable over which they have no control experience much less success in this world than people who own their failures. Claudia Rankine is teaching African Americans to be less successful, and simultaneously increasing racial animosity in our country. It is an unfortunate legacy.

21 Recommend

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1 REPLY

E.A. commented July 19

E

E.A.

Brooklyn

People's failures are not a result of their race. However, when you start out in life much poorer than your white peers because of complications resulting from centuries-old human bondage, and as such not having the same educational resources, more likely to be jailed for crimes you didn't commit because of your race, and less likely to be hired for a job because of your race, you might be more prone to failure and eventual poverty than your white peers -- it's just a fact. I wouldn't suggest African-Americans to "own" the failures that they had because of deeply ingrained problems within the American societal system, which basically forced them to try to win a metaphorical race when their white peers got a half an hour head start. It is, of course, possible for them to win the race, but unlikely. If someone in that situation loses the race, do you tell them to own their failure, or do you call unfair play and try to do your part in fixing the problems that led to the loss of the race? Your decision.

1 Recommend

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Matt commented July 18

M

Matt

Nevada

Times Pick

I was disappointed with this article as I was hoping to learn something meaningful about “privilege” and/or “white privileged”. Instead it was just about a professor acquiring information to use in and justify continuing her college course. “Because if you can’t see race, you can’t see racism.” So then is the statement “If you can only see race, you can only see racism” also true? Based on this article, I would say yes.

388 Recommend

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17 REPLIES

Maxy G commented July 18

Maxy G

Maxy G

Teslaville

“If you live your life as a struggle, it will be a struggle.” Not sure who said that but it’s darn true. Flip it.

22 Recommend

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F commented July 19

F

F

Massachusetts

@Matt Claudia Rankine, the author of this piece, is one of the world's greatest living poets and writers. Among many other accolades, she is a Macarthur Fellow. I recommend you read her celebrated book "Citizen" if you would like to learn something meaningful about white privilege.

61 Recommend

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Justine commented July 19

J

Justine

Cleveland, OH

@Matt I don't think the inverse "If you can only see race, you can only racism" is true; but it's also not quite relevant. The privilege to not see race is pervasive, and thus many people in our (white dominant) society are oblivious to the racial and racist foundations of our country, economy, and government. Those who "only see race," and presumably you are referring here to people of color, carry the burden of living in this white dominant society. This does not mean they only see racism, but rather they are constantly forced to experience and survive racism.

98 Recommend

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Steve commented July 18

S

Steve

Florida

This is some silly word salad, or to those of us who don't live in Ivory towers its basic confirmation bias.

16 Recommend

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Wade commented July 18

W

Wade

Dallas

Words are traps for any white middle class male (un)fortunate enough to stand in line or sit next to you. . .but you don't know me until you've walked in my shoes, been married to, had children with, not had children with, shared custody of children with a black woman. And until you've been a WASP and worked for a day, a week, a month, or three decades in a predominantly minority urban school and school district, you don't know me. So I say if race is a construct as you've built it, you will never be black like me.

10 Recommend

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mlbex commented July 18

M

mlbex

California

When and if the playing field becomes level, a few people of color will obtain a state of privilege, and the bulk will stay where they are. Why is that? Because the type of privilege granted to those or rank and status is a rarefied state available to only a few select individuals. This is unlike the white privilege granted to anyone with a white skin. At some point, the person of color who does not ascend the ladder of success will no longer be able to attribute it to their skin color. It will be because someone else outperformed and outplayed them. The fact that the author gets to fly first class is not a 'relative economic privilege', it is an enormous economic privilege. Most people white, black, yellow, red, or green do not get to do that now, and will not get to do it in the future. Maybe, just maybe, some of those white males the author sees in airports treat her differently because they suspect that she might believe that they don't deserve to be there, and that they're only there because they're white. But it's a rarefied position that most white males will never get to, and some of them no doubt worked just as hard as the author to get there. When all is said and done, if the playing field becomes level, first class will still be the domain of economic champions. Also-rans and second-tier players of any color or sex will only be able to look on and wonder why it isn't them.

8 Recommend

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Gregory West commented July 18

G

Gregory West

Brandenburg, Ky.

The Walter Cronkite Republican suggests the notion of white male supremacy is just a residual form hereditary aristocracy. Our nation was founded upon the rejection of hereditary aristocracy. Its flaws are amply documented in the tabloid press. White male supremacy, along with the notions of rugged individualism and the "invisible hand" of The Market are idolatries that corrupt the American Dream. The high priests of these false gods routinely manipulate the "free" market for the enrichment of themselves at the expense of the rest of us. As a democratic republic, if this is allowed to continue, we have no one to blame but ourselves.

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JoeG commented July 18

J

JoeG

Houston

Flying First Class, Wesleyan, and Yale? I heard of those things but I have no first hand experience with them. You must have mistaken me for someone else.

13 Recommend

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J Williams commented July 18

J

J Williams

New York

I am white and male. I worked in a non-attorney role at an in-house legal department. The lawyers were overwhelmingly white and split evenly by sex. The other professional and administrative staff were largely black and Hispanic. At one point I was the only male non-attorney in an office of sixty people. I was told upon hire that they were interested in fostering career development, continuing education, input from non-attorneys etc., which never materialized. I brought this up with my white, female boss. Her response was "well we can see what we can do for you, but obviously we're not going to offer it to someone like [named my black female peer]." It would be "irrelevant and a waste of time and resources." There would be social events organized for "the office", but non-attorneys were never included. I started to receive emails, privately, saying I would be welcome to join. Nobody but me was ever invited. It was clear any time I asked about the absence of my peers that the welcome for me was conditional on my being grateful and unquestioning. I just found it depressing and uncomfortable.The difference between my experience and that of my competent and worthy peers was unmistakable. I never saw a non-white attorney being treated poorly (I'm sure it happened), but I did see them distancing themselves from staff for fear of losing their own status - granted, as mine was, by the benevolence of the privilege distributors who are themselves, of course, white.

4 Recommend

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Karen J. commented July 18

K

Karen J.

Ohio

Professor Rankine, Probably 99.99% of the world's population could not afford a first class airline seat. Privilege is a relative term.

16 Recommend

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RD commented July 18

R

RD

Houston

I do think the white male/men trying to cut ahead of you in line are doing so first and foremost because you are a woman, then a woman of color. Men usually use the intimidation factor of their gender first, I believe, then the provocative "justification" of race as a way to manipulate a situation to their preference. Would the "line cutters" have tried that if you were, instead, a man of color of equal or greater physical stature and dressed in an upper-middle class manner? I bet not. I mention how a person is dressed because that is, also, used as a "justification" to assume, then treat someone as if they are inferior or undeserving.

2 Recommend

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1 REPLY

DJS commented July 19

D

DJS

New York

@RD I'm a white woman who has had white woman cut ahead of me in line.I attribute their cutting in line to a lack of manners .Men have not cut ahead of me. Why have you assumed that an individual who teaches at Yale, who was flying first class was dressed in any other way that in a middle class "or upper class manner ?

9 Recommend

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WK Green commented July 18

W

WK Green

Brooklyn

Speaking as a white person in America, that's like asking a fish what it thinks about water. It first requires an awareness of what we are swimming in. Further contemplation is likely to instill existential angst for some and panic at the thought of what we would do without something that's always been there.

4 Recommend

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RSW commented July 18

RSW

RSW

Hollywood, Florida

I hope someday, in her lifetime, the author doesn't have to do the tremendous self-talk, mental and emotional adjustments to make the world bearable. Certainly that's white male privilege in a nutshell: to live unthinkingly and without consequence for doing so. I was vicariously exhausted just reading this article and I'm sorry it has to be this way (for now).

3 Recommend

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Denise commented July 18

D

Denise

Boulder

"Over the years, I had come to realize that I often did not share historical knowledge with the persons to whom I was speaking. “What’s redlining?” someone would ask. “George Washington freed his slaves?” someone else would inquire." This is why all this crucial knowledge should be incorporated into "mainstream" courses rather than marginalized in "black studies" and "women and gender studies" programs. Those who enroll in these programs are usually studying themselves--their own histories. Those who belong to majority/dominant groups (e.g., white males) don't enroll in these courses. And since the "mainstream" courses they take exclude the contributions of those who are not members of majority/dominant groups, they come away with a very skewed view of history.

5 Recommend

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Jean Campbell commented July 18

J

Jean Campbell

Tucson, AZ

I feel I need to qualify "who I am" before my comment: an older, white, woman. I've seen a few sides of this divide: as a white person, privilege; as a woman, discrimination; as an older person, feeling economically marginalized. The problem with all of these race & gender divisions is they don't always account for class. The white men who are angry fall into two classes: the successful, privileged ones who are enraged anyone would suggest taking away what they've (in their minds) earned, and the poor, working class white men who haven't lived up to the hype and promise of their privilege. This article won't convert either set, because most people (white or not) don't think too deeply unless they have a problem to solve. It is human nature to fear having something taken away far more than worry you might never get it and that is universal, beyond race. I like that this author wants to start a dialogue by asking questions and listening. These white men aren't evil or necessarily narrow minded, but they, too, have been dealt a blow in the economy of billionaires. They are products of their unique, individual experience just as we all are, and they've never been asked (or had a need to) think deeply.

5 Recommend

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Barry Schiller commented July 18

B

Barry Schiller

North Providence RI

I wonder if other folks have a sense that "male privilege" is a more powerful force than emphasizing race. I think how women of all races are so often restricted as to where they can safely travel due to male threats, the prevalence of domestic abuse in all races, the restrictions n reproductive freedom of women of all races. I'm reminded of Shirley Chisolm's comment ( a pioneering black female Congresswoman) that she faced far more difficulty being a woman than being black. I'll note black men got the vote before white women, and we elected a black President but never a woman. Finally, I'll note in informal groupings of all white men, my experience is there is far more disparagement of women than disparagement of other races.

9 Recommend

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B. Rothman commented July 18

B

B. Rothman

NYC

We get a face full of white male privilege everyday in the form of one Donald Trump and his Republican Party. His latest diatribe against four legislators who had the audacity to express their Constitutionally guaranteed right to hold and express any opinion, is the prima facie case of male white privilege (or dominance) in the nation. And has any white male not gone along with this criticisms? Perhaps a few . . . less than a handful from his own party. Mostly he is met with silence. Is this because so many Republican legislators recognize both the ignorance and the biliousness of the comment and agree or because they lack the courage to oppose it? The increase in the percentage of people who agree with him amongst his own party rank and file shows the depth of Constitutional ignorance . . . literally these people are ignoring the right to free speech in favor of DT’s personal male privilege. And once again, it doesn’t say much about the masculinity of a man whose main targets are the weak, the vulnerable, minorities and women. It also says a lot about the unspoken simmering bias of these ordinary voters and their own unacknowledged “privilege.” (Only the views of male white legislators are acceptable?)

1 Recommend

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1 REPLY

DJS commented July 19

D

DJS

New York

@B. Rothman Many white males have spoken out against Donald Trump. The Republicans who have not spoken up are not "ignoring their right to free speech in favor of DT's personal male privilege. "They haven't spoken up because they support his agenda, & /or because they are protecting their own positions and privilege at the cost of failing to protecting the country and the world from the President who would be King.

2 Recommend

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frank livingston commented July 18

F

frank livingston

Kingston, NY

Whites cannot accept their privileged (dominant) self-designation unless they accept their abhorrence to their own mortal despair, and the necessity of having oppressed point[s] of reference to fulfill them. That need can never be recanted, otherwise whiteness would fall as fast as an opioid death, which I do not glamorize or celebrate but would never weigh against the killing of an unarmed black body whom is used as a crutch against that same falling.

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JOHN commented July 18

J

JOHN

PERTH AMBOY, NJ

I am white. I am Polish-American. My grandparents came from a country that was also enslaved by external powers, reducing its people to serfs in their own country. My grandparents left and arrived LEGALLY. They went to work. They did not bellyache about "WASP privilege," about discrimination against Slavic Americans that American entrepreneurs wanted from brawn, never looking at their brains. Their kids got to college by working for good grades at times when colleges felt they should serve their local communities, not pursue some will-o-the-wisp totem of "diversity." (BTW, Europe has produced far more diversity on a small continent than anywhere else). Now I am supposed to step aside for women, minorities with points added, and the next set of confused people who think there is some infinite spectrum between men and women? No thanks. I do not acknowledge I was "white privileged" and will not engage in the ideological self-flagellation that this professor and the peddlers of reverse apartheid in America's universities have now fixated upon. TIme to stop this nonsense. That's why I'll vote to reelect the President, not the cast of incompetents trying to replace him.

9 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

DJS commented July 19

D

DJS

New York

@JOHN "That's why I'll vote to reelect the President, not the cast of incompetents trying to replace him." You view Donald Trump as competent ?!!! A goldfish would be more competent to be President than is Trump. (My apologies to goldfish.)

1 Recommend

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JOHN commented July 19

J

JOHN

PERTH AMBOY, NJ

@DJS The President may be crude in his approach but his end policies are sound. The Democrats may be smooth in their approaches. but their end policies are insane.

6 Recommend

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Janggeum commented July 18

J

Janggeum

Dc

Couple of years ago I went to Guggenheim to see a popular exhibit. It was winter and there was a long line at the coat check. Everyone waited at the slow moving line and 2 young white men approached and decided to skip the line and headed to the front. I was shocked at their brazen plan and looked at everyone all looking anxious and clearly upset at the scene playing out in front of them. No one wanted to say anything- that. was weird. I darted to front and yelled at the young men to go to back of the line and they cannot cut in front of everyone. I said also is this you guys displaying white privilege?! They went to the back of the line where they belong but kept the smirking looks and as I went past them as existing i made more remakes about they horrible behavior. The coat checking person and people in line all showed appreciation for my stepping up and policing the situation. I am still puzzled why no one wanted to point out the clear bad behavior. What are we afraid of? You never know who they are letting into museums these day

3 Recommend

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1 REPLY

J.C. commented July 19

J

J.C.

Michigan

@Janggeu Your puzzlement is borne of not understanding that your female privilege allowed you to say whatever you wanted to those men without fear of getting into a physical altercation with them.

5 Recommend

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Still Waiting for a NBA Title commented July 18

S

Still Waiting for a NBA Title

SL, UT

Some of this no doubt does have to do with race. But take the example of the business men at the second airport gate she mentions. I would proffer they would have done the same to anyone including other white people, which she acknowledged were also in the line she was standing in, aside from perhaps their boss. Some people do feel entitled and superior to others. Usually people like that tend to be born into wealth. I think the fact more white have generational money is why you see more white people act this way. But the same dynamic plays out the world over in other places where there are not very many white people but there is generational money. I am not trying to argue that in a society which has more white people and has for centuries, being white doesn't give me any advantages. It obviously does and that definitely could be defined as privileged. But as someone who has lived overseas in a country which is not predominately white (I grew up speaking both languages, lived in both growing up, am citizen of both nations, and also lived there as an adult), I find wealth and generational time to acquire and increase that wealth is much bigger factor in people who act privileged. And the privilege of being of the majority skin shade and facial features is enjoyed by whoever is in the majority. Sure there exceptions such as places like S. Africa where there are more POC, where the benefit is uneven at best. But go to Japan as a blue eyed white guy.

6 Recommend

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Danielle commented July 18

D

Danielle

Midwest

What a captivating article. I often wonder what people mean when they say "I don't see race". It's impossible not to. America is a pot, but there's not much melting happening. Many of us still live in homogeneous communities. My community is 90% white. As "woke" as I try to be, I'm still shaped by growing up in this community. Everywhere I go, I'm surrounded by white people and anyone with a different skin color is first and foremost defined by that in my mind. Just as someone in a wheelchair or someone missing an arm would be defined by that. I do not doubt that that man would describe their conversation as being with a black woman, not just a woman. And while I think this sense of the "other" occurs in minority communities as well, the reality is that the spaces where a person has any amount of power are dominated by white men. The government, corporate boards, well-off neighborhoods etc. But I do have to disagree with calling white privilege "white dominance". Although it's more accurate, it ultimately will not help us reach equality. If white fragility and male fragility is on full display in reaction to the idea of experiencing privilege, imagine how much more resistance you would meet if they were met with the term "white dominance". While it would be justified to call it like it is, and write off anyone who doesn't get on board, it's not an efficient solution. Unfortunately if you want the opposition to come around, you have to baby them. Really great article.

1 Recommend

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Kathryn commented July 18

K

Kathryn

Cohoes ny

Thank you for this writing/thinking/teaching. I'll be printing and using the titles referenced for independent study.

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Bjh commented July 18

B

Bjh

Berkeley

Would the NYTimes run an article by a white man exploring black people playing the victim and race cards? Doubtful. But well-meaning people have had enough of that - hence Trump and his soon-to-be second term. Keep it up NYTimes - feed the fire - nice work.

24 Recommend

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Helene commented July 18

H

Helene

NYC

I agree with some comments that the author doesn't seem to appreciate her own privileged stance, and the first class airplane dynamics are distracting. BUT! this is a beautiful essay and I loved the introspection she shares with us.

2 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Al commented July 19

Al

Al

New York

This authors is married to a white man. I wonder why does she dislike white privilege when she made a life commitment to one. In addition, she went to Columbia University, I’m sure Affirmative Action helped there. Talking about privilege...

6 Recommend

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J House commented July 18

J

J House

NY,NY

America fought a Civil War in which more Americans suffered and died than all the other wars in American history combined....to end slavery. Americans peacefully fought for civil rights for all Americans, and have nearly won that battle...we aren’t at the top of the hill yet. No, I will stand with Dr. King and his vision of America...that we will march forward together and judge one another by the content of our character, not the color of our skin.

13 Recommend

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Alex commented July 18

A

Alex

London

Perhaps the author should consider not everything in human experience is about race and examine some of her own cognitive biases and assumptions. Is it really healthy to judge every negative experience in life through the prism of race and identity? Won’t this just result in reinforcement of her existing narratives? Must life consist of others having to pass puritanical tests set by the author into “wokeness”? Isn’t there more joy to be found in the world than focusing on identarian politics?

22 Recommend

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Peter Blau commented July 18

P

Peter Blau

NY Metro

I wonder why Ms. Rankine does not ask any white females to confront their "privilege?" Are not white females the beneficiaries of the same higher family wealth that -- in aggregate -- whites have over blacks? Does being female somehow erase the responsibility for slavery, Jim Crow laws and discrimination practiced by white Americans over history?

7 Recommend

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3 REPLIES

ARL commented July 18

A

ARL

New York

@Peter Blau Consider the timing of the 15th Amendment vs the 19th Amendment and you'll have your answer. The author of this essay is following suit in declaring a caste system.

1 Recommend

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Why? commented July 18

W

Why?

USA

@Peter Blau Because straight white cis-men are at the bottom of the new social hierarchy that people like the author want to create -- we will never be able to apologize or atone for all our intersecting privileges! By merely existing, straight white cis-men oppress all the rest of humankind!

10 Recommend

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Peter Blau commented July 19

P

Peter Blau

NY Metro

@Why? This answer is the best I've seen! Thanks for explaining the new hierarchy of collective guilt.

7 Recommend

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Ms. Pea commented July 18

M

Ms. Pea

Seattle

I am a white woman, and I would never approach a white man and ask him about his privilege, especially in the time of Trump. I tend to avoid speaking to men these days because I know it's possible many of them are armed and can hurt me, and I am afraid of them. Even when they're wearing suits. As a black woman, the author took a huge chance in speaking to white men. Some blacks who have done this have ended up dead, so I salute her bravery.

6 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

mlbex commented July 18

M

mlbex

California

@Ms. Pea: What part of the world do you live in, where men are seen as armed and wanting to hurt you? Have a few bad actors tainted your perception so badly that you don't realize that the bulk of men would risk their lives to protect you from those? It might be true that some blacks have asked about white privilege and ended up dead, but I'm equally sure that none of them were well-dressed and well-spoken black women starting such conversations in the first class section of airports or airplanes.

13 Recommend

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Richard commented July 18

R

Richard

Bellingham wa

@Ms. Pea. This is where identity politics has gotten us? People with other identities are dangerous because “many” are carrying guns and if we practice our right to free speech, we may get killed? I know Ms. Pea is talking about white males, but why can’t this be expanded to all identity groups? There seems to be a Cold Civil War going on in parts of the United States, about to turn into a hot one, if enough people think like Ms. Pea.

9 Recommend

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Ek commented July 18

E

Ek

planet earth

It's a shame that being treated as a human being of equal value and worth to other human beings is considered a privilege.

7 Recommend

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Jeff commented July 18

J

Jeff

USA

"I wanted to know what white men thought about their privilege. So I asked" Except the author didn't ask. Out of minimal wordless interactions, she decided she knew others' motives with certainty. She assumed the worst about many people she never spoke to. She interpreted everyday inconveniences (a forgotten drink, someone cut in line) as if they can only be explained by racism. And when she finally did get around to "asking" a few men, she wasn't really asking. She was telling them what their experiences were and waiting for them to deviate from her script so she could tell them they were wrong. This article is abhorrent for many reasons, but none more so than the author's gross lack of self awareness and lack of respect towards she was purportedly trying to listen to.

41 Recommend

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David P. commented July 18

D

David P.

New York City

A clarification: The phrase "consent not to be a single being" does not simply find its origins in the work of Édouard Glissant. The phrase is not an active agent. Glissant originated the phrase. Give proper credit where it is due.

5 Recommend

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A Thinker, Not a Chanter. commented July 18

A Thinker, Not a Chanter.

A Thinker, Not a Chanter.

USA

“It’s hard to exist and also accept my lack of existence.” Professor, you travel the world, you go on Safari, you teach at Yale. You are the 1%. First, ponder your own privilege. Then, with that frame, we can discuss whether you are the right person to ask about the privilege of another. Maybe you are, but it is ironic for one person of privilege to obsess about the privilege of others.

32 Recommend

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Joseph F. Panzica commented July 18

J

Joseph F. Panzica

Sunapee, NH

Times Pick

Perhaps we’re stuck with the term “‘white’ privilege”, but the tangible persistence of racial oppression (white supremacy) requires we also look at how it is problematic. Is it really a “privilege” to be not assaulted, not be raped, not deprived of property, not legally “manslaughtered” on the street or in your own home or yard? In this dimension of white supremacist oppression, shouldn’t we really be talking about “rights”? Shouldn’t we really be talking about “oppression”? Should we really be talking about “supremacy”? But to move to another dimension, is it really a “privilege” not to be suspected, not to be ignored, not to be insulted? Certainly the term “privilege” does touch upon feelings of entitlement that may or may not be conscious? But isn’t any sense of “entitlement” also a claim (legitimate or not) to a certain type of “right”? There is one dimension where the term “privilege” certainly does apply to our racial structures in the US. And that is the “privilege” of receiving unearned benefits of inherited wealth and property, which because of white supremacist racial laws and polices, have been denied in large measure to most black families - often in the most outrageous and violent ways possible. But many “whites” also have received little or no unearned inheritance in terms of tangible property. What they have inherited is a toxically comforting sense of “entitlement” that actually blocks the way to more justice and security for everyone.

172 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

Sean commented July 19

S

Sean

OR, USA

@Joseph F. Panzica I deny the existence of a "toxically comforting sense of entitlement." The only entitlement is economic which translates to social and political entitlement. Education is how we address that issue.

11 Recommend

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Bryan commented July 19

B

Bryan

Kalamazoo, MI

@Joseph F. Panzica So are you saying there is a kind of level of white citizenship that automatically contains different rights than black or minority citizenship, which is then a kind of second class, or caste? I think you might be onto something here!

5 Recommend

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Steve Tedder commented July 18

S

Steve Tedder

Tulsa OK

It’s possible to overthink anything.

19 Recommend

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Solon commented July 18

S

Solon

Durham, NC

As a longtime academic myself, let me ask the author of this piece whether she has ever "interrogated" herself about the "privilege" she enjoys as a Yale professor to turn her identity issues into a course she gets paid to teach? I can certainly assure her that the working class white guys I encounter who struggle every day to keep their heads above water (and whom she probably does not encounter in her "first class" line at the airport) would be enormously impressed with her acute sensitivity to their "privileged" situation compared to the terrible afflictions she has to deal with.

35 Recommend

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Warcraft commented July 18

W

Warcraft

Azeroth

What about being White And Latino? I have no privilege from either, but I have been able to observe from both sides of the aisle (Mostly the Latino as my native language is Spanish). I will tell you. I have experienced that in this country, no matter what your race is, everyone is equally racist. The obsession America has with race, ethnicity, sex and religion is sickening. And no doubt, it comes from all sides.

14 Recommend

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Allen commented July 18

A

Allen

Philadelphia, Pa.

One day, in a saner, fairer-minded world, "whiteness studies" will be seen as what it is: race-baiting of the highest order and of the lowest moral caliber.

25 Recommend

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Hi Neighbor commented July 18

Hi Neighbor

Hi Neighbor

Boston

I am so sick and tired of listening to people of any color trying to make anyone who is born white, feel guilty for being so. If you are uncomfortable with what you feel to be white privilege, move to a place where it does not exist.

14 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Waste commented July 18

W

Waste

In A Hole

To be fair, if you feel sick and tired, you might also consider leaving. But, this narrative of leaving, which Trump is also loudly tweeting, is really a silly thing to be bringing up. It’s at the level of a grade school insult. Life is more difficult than that solution warrants. People are more complicated. Let’s welcome all attempts to discuss. It’s relatively painless.

4 Recommend

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Wednesday Morn commented July 18

W

Wednesday Morn

NY

I’m only going to say that the writing in this piece is atrocious.

19 Recommend

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J W commented July 18

J

J W

La Jolla

This is the most racist article to date hating on being white. Call everyone a racist and it begins to lose its power. I have had NO advantages getting to where I am in life today!! Here by the hard work, self paid education and brain in my head. Not one thing has been given to me because I’m white. None! If anything less deserved people are benefiting based only on their skin color. Disgusting and wrong. Wrong when whites did it and it’s wrong that poc do it.

15 Recommend

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sethblink commented July 18

S

sethblink

LA

So when do we get to the part where the author asks white men what we think about our privilege? I was intrigued by the title of the article. I would love to read thoughtful exchanges about privilege between its beneficiaries and those who are denied it. I'm still waiting. At no point during this exploration does she make much of an effort to find out what they think and share it with us. Here is a woman of color who through her frequent first class travel has great access to white men of great privilege. And yet, every time she has the opportunity to ask these questions, she instead waxes poetic about what she imagines their answer to be. One seat mate intercedes on her behalf to help her get a drink from an incompetent flight attendant. Rankine suggests the attendant likes him better than her, which he seems to blushingly interpret as an indication of attraction rather than racial or gender preference. Great opening, right? No. Especially on a lengthy flight with an affluent white man open to conversation. But privilege is not discussed, nor is apartheid in the nation they both just visited. This is not my first encounter with Rankine's brand of self-obsessed inquiry. A couple of years back in these same pages she penned a piece about Sabrina Wiliams that ended up being about Rankine's feelings about Williams with nary a quote from the presumed subject of the piece. A modest suggestion to author Rankine... if you want to know something, ask. We'd like to know too.

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Pete commented July 18

P

Pete

Sherman, Texas

I'd like to think my two white boys understand their circumstances. I heard of another father who summarized that situation quite cogently. (Apologies for not remembering the source.) "Boys, you already won four lotteries. You are male, white, reasonably well off, and live in a more or less functional country." Not so sure about the latter these days, but even three lotteries would be remarkable.

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Michael commented July 18

M

Michael

London

"...one day in New Haven, staring into the semicircle of oak trees in my backyard, I wondered what it would mean to ask random white men how they understood their privilege." I was confused at first as to whether this article was meant to be satire. A glimpse into the mind of a person who is in the 1% of the 1%, who is obsessed with making others understand how privileged they are. I really think it is not helpful to see every single event in one's life through the lens of race -- everyone encounters rude people (of every race) at airports, cutting in line. This tortured effort to make it a vindication of the perception of innate meanness in a certain race is concerning, and the way all comments seem to agree is even more so.

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anonymouse commented July 18

A

anonymouse

seattle

I think we're missing the word "male" from this article. Here's a reality from working in a Fortune 50 company, a reality whispered by everyone in late-night-at-work conversations: African American men got promoted first. Whether they were ready or not. While men got promoted next. When they were ready. White women only got promoted after they had been doing the job for years. They were more than ready. African American women? They never got promoted. It was all one big food chain with a clearly defined pecking order that had nothing to do with results and all to do with race and gender.

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Troglotia DuBoeuf commented July 18

T

Troglotia DuBoeuf

provincial America

The ultimate in privilege is to have the resources to pay tens of thousands of dollars to sit in a class (or is it an indoctrination program?) at Yale pondering the nature of "privilege." If my child wasted his college years reciting liberal incantations instead of acquiring useful knowledge, parental tuition assistance would end immediately.

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Chris commented July 18

C

Chris

Midwest

There is something sad about Ms Rankine’s situation. Because she is an academic studying race she seems to see too much that goes on around her as being black or white. Without negating her ideas about white privilege, the world, relationships and people are far more complex and gray than she allows herself to realize.

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Tricia commented July 18

T

Tricia

California

Amazing piece in every way. Thank-you so much for the most meaningful read of my week.

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Frank Brown commented July 18

F

Frank Brown

Australia

We tend to reside in our comfort zone of unquestioned prejudice - and feel discomfort when someone from outside our comfortable prejudice challenges our lifetime assumptions. today I was chatting with a Brazilian woman who came to Australia speaking no English, and a year later is happy she can converse despite a strong Portuguese accent. She was very happy that I was 'patient' and listened and understood her, and said many strangers in the street would not give her the time of day if she asked directions, or would say they couldn't understand her. I suggested that my studies in language, communication and music allowed me to listen and interpret - and others who appeared impatient might be lower education and not familiar with trying to understand strangers. I once spent a day with a visiting black woman - mostly listening as she poured out her story of life difficulties - and she later described it as one of the most meaningful experiences in her life. So I like to listen - I learn a lot more that way.

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DA commented July 18

D

DA

NYC

I work under mayor deblasio. Hiring is against whites and Asians. I’ve seen many situations where white or Asian people already working at the place apply for a promotion. If the circumstances were colorblind they would have gotten the job. However, because of deblasio’s mission, only a black or Latino minority may be hired. He calls this equity but it’s the farthest thing from. It’s open discrimination.

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5 REPLIES

Anton commented July 18

A

Anton

Leong

Then you for sharing. This will be 8 years of the biggest NYC quality of life setback. We need to elect a mayor that will rollback policies that propelled the city from the horrors of the 70s and 80s.

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Momo commented July 18

M

Momo

Berkeley

So often, discussions about race and racism omit Asians. I have never felt more self-conscious as an Asian woman after living in the US for over 50 years as I do now in this world of Trump. We're definitely not white, but we're also definitely not black or brown. Thank you for your comment.

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Meg commented July 18

M

Meg

Evanston, IL

@DA. I can’t help but wonder how much this makes up for decades and decades of hiring people simply because they were white but not more qualified than other candidates of color.

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Erbium commented July 18

E

Erbium

NY

Having white privilege does not mean that you didn't work for what you have. It means that a person of color in the same circumstances wouldn't likely fare as well as you did. As a white person, I am often given the benefit of the doubt.

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2 REPLIES

David commented July 18

D

David

Virginia

@Erbium" It means that a person of color in the same circumstances wouldn't likely fare as well as you did." Which means it is not about one person's privilege, but about discrimination against a second person. A privilege would be what is meant by the military expression RHIP. Officers of a certain rank have privileges others do not. A privilege is not raising your arm and having a taxi actually stop to take your money.

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Ace commented July 18

A

Ace

New Jersey

@Erbium And a male, and taller, thinner, more socially adept, nice hair, bright ‘white’ straight teeth, athletic....and so on.. aren't these unexplored ‘privileges? And why not! I’m sorry, I am what I am, but too bad. I treat others as I would expect them to me. But your posit is that I do not. Who cares what you think!

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Glenn Thomas commented July 18

G

Glenn Thomas

Earth

Are there any people in the entire world who has not benefited from their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, etc., if only once? If not directly, say by someone they know, someone owing a favour, etc.? How about instances where a relative from many generations before you - someone who received some benefit that was significant enough to change one's course, unexpectedly and inordinately afford you some benefit later through the generations? We all have, in some way, been "lucky" and received undeserved benefits, if only once. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa! Satisfied?

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60s Civil Rights Activist commented July 18

6

60s Civil Rights Activist

Maryland

Professor, you are invited to come back to the cheap seats and talk to me, a white male who helped integrate his home town in the early 1960s. Back then we fought discrimination so all would have the same privileges regardless of color. I don't fly first class with the swells. It's a little cramped in coach class, but the people are nicer and more representative, if your research takes you beyond anecdotes. "After you" are words frequently spoken by many of us. I know you can afford first class; so can I, but I donate the difference, anonymously, to charities that fight inequality. I think you're hanging with the wrong crowd.

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Tara commented July 18

T

Tara

Arlington VA

The problem is that these privileges aren't about what did happen to you, but about what didn't. You didn't get passed over for a job that you were next in line for (you did get jobs you qualified for). You didn't get weird looks and police attention just for walking down the street (you were just walking, after all). So, yes, you worked hard for everything you got. But, you didn't get a lot of barriers thrown in your way. That's really hard for people to to understand.

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kiki commented July 18

K

kiki

nj

Reading these comments highlights the authors aside that "white priveledge" should have been termed "white dominance". I don't know if dominance is right either, but the word priviledge is certainly triggering a lot of defensive responses. It seems to distract people from considering the inherent systems that have built up over years that gave white people an advantage over POC.

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Charles Adamo MD commented July 18

C

Charles Adamo MD

Annapolis, MD

This is an outstanding article. Thanks for bringing it to us. Thoughtful and considered in it's presentation of a difficult subject. Bravo!

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William Case commented July 18

W

William Case

United States

Census Bureau shows that Asian Americans are America’s most affluent racial group. The median household income for Asian Americans is $81,331. Whites are a poor second at $68,145. Blacks are third at $40,258. However, African Americans are by far the world’s most affluent large black population. The income gap between the racial groups shrinks when the factors such as the number of single-parents households vs two-parent households are factored in. https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/visualizations/2018/demo/p60-263/figure1.pdf

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JFR commented July 18

J

JFR

Yardley

Obliviousness explains a huge piece of this complex sociological puzzle. Obliviousness explains why suggestions that someone has benefited from white privilege can get you in trouble and accused of racism. Obliviousness explains why the argument that Trump is racist and therefore his supporters are racists just strengthens their belief that we are wrong in opposing him (because they are oblivious to their racism). Obliviousness explains why Black Lives Matter and #MeToo (and every other issue we're soon-to-become woke to) push so many people away from the just and moral side of the issue (and there is only one just and moral side to these issues - if one doesn't see that, then one is being Oblivious). And in Trump we have a president who is the absolute embodiment of Obliviousness. He is the Dunning-Kruger poster boy of what it is to be Oblivious. I truly hope Trump's absolute Obliviousness doesn't lead the country into an unrecoverable Oblivion.

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3 REPLIES

Marty commented July 18

M

Marty

Jacksonville

@JFR, I agree with a lot of what you said, but I disagree that "Obliviousness explains why suggestions that someone has benefited from white privilege can get you in trouble and accused of racism. " A suggestion that someone has benefited from white privilege can be a racist suggestion if the person making the allegation doesn't know the person they are talking about, and if all they know about that person is that they are white. Because at that point, the suggestion is solely based on the person's race. And that is edging pretty close to the definition of racism. Sort of like if I saw a black person and said, "they must be a good athlete because they are black." That is a racist statement, because all I know about that person is that they are black. I am making a statement based solely on a person's race.

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JFR commented July 18

J

JFR

Yardley

@Marty Right you are. I was referring to the anecdote the author described in her piece (set in Plainfield, Ind).

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JP commented July 20

J

JP

New Orleans

@Marty White privilege is a social construct that exists. If you are active in the world around you and you are white, you experience white privilege, period. That statement is not an allegation, nor is it racist. You don’t have to do anything bad or be a bad person to experience it. It is simply in the air we breathe.

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Mike Edwards commented July 18

M

Mike Edwards

Providence, RI

Three comments. 1) I wonder if an airport or an airplane is the best forum to undertake a survey about race. Air travelers typically have a low level of tolerance - for anything. 2) I would never have imagined that a college offers a course in "whiteness studies" and that such a course becomes "Constructions of Whiteness". Aren't those titles just a tad inflammatory? 3) Why do so many commentators think that their opinions need to be prefaced with details of their age and race?

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JN19 commented July 18

J

JN19

Philadelphia

As a white male, I read the essay with interest. I don't deny a range of white male privilege exists based on one's background. But, the author wants to have a conversation with a white male about privilege, yet doesn't try or only makes small talk with a few men flying first class, then assigns all sorts of meaning to these few interactions. I don't think these few interactions represent valid data points to draw any broad conclusions about "white males" as a monolithic group or even those who fly first class. I expect more from academia, especially an ivy league professor who studies and teaches on the topic of race and "whiteness".

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Barry Knight commented July 18

B

Barry Knight

USA

As a 70 year old white male who came of age in the mid to late 60's, when the fight for civil rights, the drive to the war in Viet Nam and 'sex and drugs and rock 'n roll' all collided with traditionaist America, I see this era somewhat differently. I see us as being in a sea change where, in particular, old white men are scared to death of the prospect of a non white America and, to a lesser extent, a less patriarchal America they need to share with people not like them. Where I see renewal and the beautiful melange of a multitude of colors mingling, they see a loss of power. Where I hope they fear. From hanging onto their power by their fingertips they have rallied massively to institutionalize white privilege, patriarchy and dominance. Where I see a scarily possible dystopian future under Trump, they see righteousness. If Trump is reelected, welcome to South Africa.

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Jake commented July 18

J

Jake

The Hinterlands

By the middle of the 21st century, demographers project that non-whites in America will outnumber the white population. And from that point forward, the whiteness in America will become more and more a historical construct. What then of presumed privilege? It will still exist but it will be less obvious; because skin color will not be the distinguishing factor that it is today. Ms. Rankine’s first class seat in an airplane in 2019 speaks volumes. I hope that a little girl who is today making her way to America from El Salvador will some day have the same privilege of a first class airplane seat as Ms. Rankine does today.

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1 REPLY

Ant commented July 18

A

Ant

NYC

@Jake Behavior, “content of ones character” will reign. It does today but we mask the issue as racism.

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Marty commented July 18

M

Marty

Jacksonville

Interesting column and I'm glad I read it. But I am wondering, if racism can be defined as explaining people's behavior as being a result of their race, in other words, saying things like "he is that way because he's black..." then isn't the author edging awfully close to racism or sexism when she ascribes the behavior of the various white men she encounters as being because they are white and/or male? It seems like she is trying to ascribe all sorts of behaviors to white male privilege, when in fact she doesn't even know the people she's talking about. Maybe the guys that broke in line did it because they're obnoxious, for example. Or drunk. I understand the history behind her inquiry, and I like the column she wrote, but I think the author needs to be careful that, by this constant examination of every situation in terms of white male privilege, she doesn't make racist or sexist assumptions herself.

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TKW commented July 18

TKW

TKW

VA

I was having a conversation about white male privilege and mentioned it goes further back. All the way to having a white mother who got great health care while pregnant and during delivery. White male privilege starts a generation before.

2 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Raindrop commented July 18

R

Raindrop

US

@TKW. There are white women — especially rural poor white women — who do not get great prenatal care, or good health care of any kind. Such people are often dismissed as “poor white trash” or “hicks.” Hardly privilege there. Also, what is the impact of educated middle to upper class white mothers on their children, including multiracial children? In my local school district, multiracial children (including those who are black and white) have better test scores than children identifying as only African American. The school district claims to be trying to overcome this achievement gap, without much success. Why are schools unable to overcome disadvantages such as income level and education level of parents, so that the levels children enter at, are usually the levels they leave at?

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Wayne commented July 18

W

Wayne

New York City

To me the root issue is that American blacks have a culture and identity that is as old and as inherent and as valid a US-specific culture and identity as that formed by colonial English and everyone who immigrated here. And yet as a whole the nation wishes black identity would go away. It’s like being in a family that denies one or two of its children even exists, except to criticize or demean them. This is a fundamentally different experience than coming here as an immigrant, like the vast majority of Americans and their ancestors. Nearly all immigrants can still identify a place where their culture is known and acknowledged. They can choose to come to this nation, or not. They can often choose to go back home. That provides a foundation for making sense of one’s experience, and an escape valve against discrimination. American blacks, descendants of slaves, were never immigrants. With very rare exceptions they lost all connection to a prior homeland. Their identity is from this soil and these streets and is rooted here—nowhere else. The US is their home, and they have a natural right to live in it as they see fit. To the degree that as a nation and as a people we have denied that blacks are as inherently American as can be, even if blacks choose to be different in their own particular ways, we have been untrue to our own ideals. No other group in America faces this. We have not yet fully accepted their right to simply exist here, as humans, in their native land.

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2 REPLIES

Raindrop commented July 18

R

Raindrop

US

@Wayne. Also, immigrants grew up with a broader idea of what they could achieve, and fewer stereotypes that (say) black people couldn't be doctors or scientists. They grew up seeing some successful people who look like them.

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Wayne commented July 19

W

Wayne

New York City

@Raindrop Thanks. I’d agree that’s often the case, but not for all immigrants.

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JM commented July 18

J

JM

NJ

I firmly believe that part of the problem with attempting any discussion of this issue is the word “privilege.” Because people who grew up poor don’t feel that they were raised with privilege, regardless of the color of their skin. And if there has to be an explanation of what “privilege” means in this context before the discussion can even start, it will bring progress to a dead stop. Maybe another phrase is needed that’s less charged and also recognizes that whole white skin may provide societal benefits, being white in and of itself doesn’t mean someone is “privileged.”

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Stephen Lalor commented July 18

S

Stephen Lalor

Ireland

Would the public policy aspect of the problem be better addressed by referring to it as ‘the white ascendency’? No white person, such as myself, could reasonably deny being part of the ascendency and it would make its point while undermining any purported justification for personal animosity on the part of people of whom the accusation was made.

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John commented July 18

John

John

NYC

Talk less; listen more. It's the essence of this authors thoughts and comments. We are all human beings; Black, Brown, Yellow, White and Red. Yes there is color; and yes there is race, and to each we bring all the usual human foibles, tendencies, bigotries and emotions. It's endemic to our nature. Especially so when that other human being is a stranger. But even so we can insure we see each other as part of the same species by doing as stated. Talk less. Listen more. It's that simple. And yes, it is that hard. John~ American Net'Zen

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1 REPLY

David commented July 20

D

David

Monroe Township, NJ

@John Amen to THAT! Two ears and one mouth: YOU! do the math.

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JP commented July 18

J

JP

MidMo

Thanks for this thought-provoking essay. I think Richard Pryor said it best when talking about his trip to Africa- Now I know how white people in the US feel, comfortable.

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Dejah commented July 18

D

Dejah

Williamsburg, VA

My father was a WASP, my mother Italian. When my grandfather graduated from law school at the turn of the 20th century, he broke the color line at his WASPy Newark, NJ law firm. Back in 1920, Italians were "not white." But by the time my father and mother married in the 1960s, they were. It never occurred to my mother that she wasn't white. However, my brother had swarthy skin and curly frizzy hair. He looked like what, as a teens, we called a "greasy Italian"--a Guido. Meanwhile, I was the spitting image of my father's WASP mother, with pink-white, fair skin and unruly wavy hair. It never occurred to my brother and I that we weren't white. We grew up steeped in the 400 year history of my father's family which includes ties to four Presidents and Aaron Burr. Yet, starting when he got his driver's license, my brother was treated differently by the police. He was pulled over more often, treated poorly, arrested. One time, in his late 30s, he was even involuntarily committed to a mental institution. The judge wouldn't believe that he was a highly paid computer programmer who worked for the Federal Reserve (who had also worked for NASA) with a girlfriend in Australia. They thought he must be delusional. They didn't even bother to verify his story. He nearly lost his job. Unlike my peers, I was about 19 when I realized that I had white privilege and my brother--quite obviously--DID NOT. He thought he was white. Our whole family was white, but HE... was not "white enough."

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Rufus commented July 18

R

Rufus

NYC

I have also had the experience of people pushing into line ahead of me, but this isn't something only white people (or, more ominously apparently, white men) do. Standing in line at a McDonald's years ago three young black men (late teens/early 20's) inserted themselves into line ahead of me. I said something to the effect of, 'Sorry, we're in line here.' One of the men turned around, slowly moved very close to me, and asked, 'Do you know how black people speak?' I told him that I thought I did, at which point he paused and more slowly asked the same question. This time he raised his fist to within a few inches of my face, making clear what answer he expected. There are other times in my life that I have been physically threatened, and even assaulted, by 'people of color' (given such experiences I find this author's idea about "space itself [being] a privilege of whiteness" ironic, even if such a privilege exists in some way). Yet it has never occurred to me to draw any conclusions about an entire racial group based on these (unpleasant) experiences. To do so would be racist, and I don't see that stereotyping lighter skinned people as a group is less so (even when racism exists within that group). I will have to take this author's word about what life is like in the first class cabin, but maybe back in economy things are a little different. Either way, I'm not going to start drawing broad conclusions about any group of people based on the behavior the group's rudest members

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2 REPLIES

Anton commented July 18

A

Anton

Leong

Finally the behavior comments are coming. This is what informs so many, not just skin color. But how the person acts or statistically will act. Violence, theft, etc..

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Rufus commented July 19

R

Rufus

NYC

@Anton To be clear, my point was not that what I related informs my conception of the world nor any group of people in it--I was advocating the opposite in some ways, and certainly the opposite of what this writer seems to have described for herself. She apparently has preconceived notions about people based purely on past experiences stereotypes, and she allows confirmation bias to determine her responses and ideas. IMO this is not a good (nor possibly even healthy way) to understand the world.

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St. Thomas commented July 18

S

St. Thomas

NY

Ant this is the phrase that cuaght my attention.." By the 1940s, according to David Roediger, “given patterns of intermarriage across ethnicity and Cold War imperatives,” whites stopped dividing hierarchically within whiteness and begin identifying as socially constructed Caucasians." I dated a black woman who is still my friend after we both married others. While we were together she said... "Everytime you and I walk into the meeting at work( we worked at the same firm) I am aware of being black and different and you just sit down and start to talk. You can make mistakes I can't." To this day I remember it. I think it's also the way we white boys are raised. I was raised among lot's of different immigrants and brown people. I am hoping that our kids will be different although given what I see on all sides it is hard to judge.Maybe a little more love and compassion.

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Marc Savoie commented July 18

M

Marc Savoie

Paris, France

Thank you very much for your article. I wish I were in your class!

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Mel commented July 18

M

Mel

NJ

All the stories told can be accepted as true without confirmation. But when and where does this stop being a person’s obsession, that race becomes the only lens one looks through? That life itself is continually uncomfortable and anxious and angry? How and when to find peace, and happiness in life without the need to ask for every injustice to be fixed? Obviously first class flight status is not enough.

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1 REPLY

J.C. commented July 19

J

J.C.

Michigan

@Mel "...where does this stop being a person’s obsession, that race becomes the only lens one looks through?" Maybe when her comfort and status no longer depends on it.

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DT commented July 18

D

DT

Singapore

"That I was among them in airport lounges and in first-class cabins spoke in part to my own relative economic privilege, but the price of my ticket, of course, does not translate into social capital. I was always aware that my value in our culture’s eyes is determined by my skin color first and foremost." Truly? I do not agree. Your "value" in contemporary America is first and foremost determined by how much money you make, then gender, then race. There's plenty of evidence for this. R. Kelly got away for a long time, didn't he? Here's what I see in this article: a wealthy person talking about issues of race. A person flying first class who just happens to be black. Perhaps sometime you could ask some black folks who cannot afford first class tickets if they agree with your perspective.

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KPH commented July 18

K

KPH

Massachusetts

I think the thing is that the privilege comes with the whiteness. We can’t take it off anymore than we can change our race. We all struggle at times, some more than others, we may have additional advantages or disadvantages but that doesn’t change the fact that if you are white in America (and in most of the world) you have white privilege. If you can accept that, it’s a start. If you still reject it, I’d say look into it more. I plan to read some of the cited books to try to understand it better.

2 Recommend

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ZT commented July 18

Z

ZT

Brooklyn NY

“Privilege” is simply the wrong word for something that should be called “advantage.” White people are at a great and unfair ADVANTAGE in our society. A “privilege” is something granted, something conferred by an authority, which is not the way this advantage arises. There is no outside authority responsible for it; there is only all of us and all of our conscious and unconscious biases. That includes the biases of people like the author as well as all the white men she observes. We all participate in the creation of our social reality; it is in the deepest sense “systemic.” The framing of “privilege” and “entitlement” (another term that implies a nonexistent authority) and “white fragility” - it’s all counterproductive to the conversation about injustice, because these terms essentialize skepticism about the social and emotional substance of the advantage held by white people. They imply that white people have something IN EXCESS. But the substance of so-called “white privilege” is for the most part a basic underlying sense of security and confidence, which is in fact desirable and ought to be the baseline in a healthy society. I think the skeptical framing arises from the intrinsic humiliation in having to constantly acknowledge that you are being MIStreated by society; there’s a certain reassurance in reframing as “well, maybe white people are actually being treated TOO well.” But this ultimately does nothing other than normalize deprivations that should be deplored.

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Evan commented July 18

E

Evan

Rehoboth Beach

A very interesting, valuable discussion. Would love to hear the Professor’s views on class and privilege. Perhaps a few discussions with white men waiting to board a bus or getting a meal at the local food bank would expand the analysis.

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Josh Hill commented July 18

Josh Hill

Josh Hill

New London

I found it telling that you were complaining about the privilege of others as you were riding in first class. This is why these conversations make white people uncomfortable, and why they tune them out. There are white people who are living on the street and eating in food banks. You are not. "White privilege" is a misnomer -- a privilege is something that is granted. And you will get a very negative reaction to it from white people who have struggled. If you want to address these issues, you can speak of bigotry, systemic racism, the social legacy of slavery and Jim Crow. But don't use this inaccurate and racist term, particularly when your own personal "privilege" far outweighs that of the vast majority of people in America and the world.

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Gary Ward commented July 18

G

Gary Ward

Durham, North Carolina

Why wait for airplane trips to ask your questions, couldn’t you ask about white privilege at Yale or would you be ran out of Yale immediately? Why as a solitary black woman would you think that interactions are about you? I ,as a black male, have never had interactions with others while traveling that I wasn’t accompanying except for quick niceties, orders, or instructions. I assume that is the same with others. I do recognize privilege accorded to whites but my concern is their concept of their white victimization. A 12 percent Black population in the United States could not enable us to keep 50 percent of White people out of the schools that they desire to attend or the jobs that they think should hold. I know that there are also Hispanics, but I have never seen whites competing with Hispanics for opportunities. Asians are even less of the population than Blacks so could they really be holding Whites back. But it seems many White people think that minorities hold them back or reduce their opportunities. Their attitude is the world would be fair if those few minorities who are successful would step aside because they know their success is undeserved. How many thousands of White people is the author hindering with are position at Yale. That is the White man’s burden. Then to further the burden, minorities are an ungrateful lot because they won’t acknowledge the benefits that they have received from being in a White society.

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David Bartlett commented July 18

David Bartlett

David Bartlett

Keweenaw Bay, MI

I am a White man. Apart from that, my background, childhood circumstances and heredity should have nothing to do with how others "see" or judge me. Even the fact that I am White should, honestly, have absolutely zero bearing on what kind of a person I am inside or how I treat others---that is, I treat each and every person I meet with respect and cordiality. Having said all that, I must also confess to being old-fashioned, particularly when it comes to dress. Since this article centers largely on the author's experiences in airports and on board airplanes, I thought it relevant to pass on an anecdote. Being old-fashioned, whenever I fly I am, what is considered today, 'dressed up'---khaki or flannel trousers (with cuffs), white or blue button-down shirt, blue blazer, polished loafers. It is important to note that I dress this way because, one, this is the way every civilized person used to dress when flying---Black, White, young, old---and I want to keep this nearly extinct tradition alive because, two, I strongly feel that society needs such formalities back. To make a long story only a bit longer still, I was so duly comported on a flight back from Paris to Chicago recently, flying Business Class. In the companion berth next to me, a White guy in what I'd guess to be his 40's, looking at me with disgust (he in jeans, collarless tee). "Why do you dress like that," he said, unsmiling, shaking his head. Even my 'White Privilege' attire makes me a marked man today?

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Kathryn Temple commented July 18

K

Kathryn Temple

Arlington, VA

What an amazing essay and what a courageous woman. Thank you.

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PrWiley commented July 18

PrWiley

PrWiley

Pa

Very good article, thoughtful and thought-provoking. The next step for the author would be to wander into a working-class bar in New Haven and start asking the same questions.

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Hpower commented July 18

H

Hpower

Old Saybrook, CT

What academics and theoreticians seem to miss in this conversation are two realities. First, privilege is relative depending on one's perspective. The child whose parent is alcoholic and abusive might rightly consider the neighbor whose parent is sober, employed, and attentive as privileged. The person of color who didn't go to college and attain professor status might consider the author of this column privileged. The only place where privilege is not going to be conceivable is in the abstract world of academic thought. Second, most people, most of the time are simply trying to get through life the best way that they know how at the time. They make choices, they work, they love and engage with life in front of them. Few operate from a theoretical framework of academics. White privilege is a generalization similar to generalizations that would characterize all people of color as underprivileged. This is not to suggest that common courtesy, respect, justice and rectitude are not important. What counts is behavior. Call out the behavior. Labelling it White or Black or Islamic, or Jewish or whatever just opens the door to continued ad hominem criticisms, promotes defensiveness and does little to advance the reality of daily life.

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2 REPLIES

AKM commented July 18

A

AKM

Washington DC

The point of privilege is to not have an advantage, but to not be at a disadvantage. When she talks about white privileged, it is the fact that while all people try to get by, work, raise a family, black people do this under a cloud of mistrust from white people. This is what leads to police viewing blacks as a threat (and ipso facto, if I am scared for my life [because he is black], then I can kill him in self defense even though he doesn’t have a gun). This leads to white women calling the police because a black person is just living his/her life in a place that makes the white woman uncomfortable (as in, I thought this park/dorm/building was mine, why are you here)? There is other privilege, sure, but that doesn’t remove white privilege. The fact that poor uneducated whites are disenfranchised in this society does not remove their privilege, that when they get pulled over by the police, there is likely not one hard near the holster.

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Anton commented July 18

A

Anton

Leong

Many are more interested in the behavior of others as they try to get by in life on a daily basis. There is no mention of this elephant: behavior.

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J.A. commented July 18

J.A.

J.A.

Iowa

I am an academic and was initially intrigued by this. The more I read, the more haunting the similarities between Dr. Rankine’s approach and the evangelical culture I was raised in. Asking strangers about their privilege is pretty close to asking someone about their original sin. It pretty much ensures some hostility, which satisfies a self fulfilling prophecy of persecution. I grew up hearing urban legends about converting a stranger on a plane, and it strikes me that Dr. Rankine seems to have a similar expectation: some stranger might hear her and repent of his callous indifference. So much of her language is the language of conviction of sin, the first part of the conversion sermon. But that kind of sermon ends with a call to grace, which I don’t find here. I distrust the evangelical impulse as a rule, but I find it especially sinister when it emphasizes judgement and moral superiority.

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Mr Pb commented July 18

M

Mr Pb

Monw, UT

As an old white man I would be happy to have this conversation. I can’t initiate it because to do so is clearly racist. I want to have that conversation but you, my other-looking fellow traveler, are not a representative of all who superficially look like you. You are just another human with your experiences and stories, all colored by the way you appear. I am not all white men and you are not all black women. I only hope I am able to listen. In reality one of us will open the conversation as the plane starts to descend. Maybe we’ll get to hear each other and enjoy the company of a stranger for a moment before we debark and go our different ways.

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Fred commented July 18

F

Fred

Henderson, NV

I grew up white and Jewish and there has never been a single moment in my sixty-plus years when I've felt the slightest breeze of discrimination, the smallest roadblock to my social or career choices. I've been fortunate to have squandered my potential all on my own.

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Ramon.Reiser commented July 18

R

Ramon.Reiser

Seattle / Myrtle Beach

I have met VERY few white people, a few who were peaches and cream, and, as my three year old Armand and five year old Cymene proved to me by taking out two crayons from their 48 box: beige and white. We have a beige problem of folks who somehow have created the myth that they are ‘white’. (Those who few I have met who are white were Irish and Scottish and Norwegian. And those even when I was young were not considered ‘honorary white’ in the 1940s and 50s. That was reserved for the Anglo Saxon English. French were not allowed in the white orphanages in Vancouver Canada in 1971! “White is pure, without stain” was the refrain. Yet somehow it had to have lots of money and land and be Anglican and maybe Presbyterian or Methodist.

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WOID commented July 18

WOID

WOID

New York and Vienna

Interesting, isn't it? The only white men the author even considers to exist are those who share her class privilege. Come to think of it, her own privileged class status seems to be taken for granted--that's the elephant in the room.

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2 REPLIES

Stephanie Wood commented July 18

S

Stephanie Wood

Montclair NJ

The problem is that HER privilege isn't taken for granted - THEIRS is.

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WOID commented July 18

WOID

WOID

New York and Vienna

@Stephanie Wood By which you mean to say that the fact that she's privileged should be taken for granted? Therefore, that Privilege in itself [let's call it "Good Privilege"] is of the natural order of things, consistent with the reigning ideology's attempts to impose its view of the world as natural. You know, like: Yale?

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ExhaustedFightingForJusticeEveryDay commented July 18

E

ExhaustedFightingForJusticeEveryDay

In America

What matters are empathy, understanding, kindness, graciousness, caring, listening and sharing. The problem is some selfish pivileged White men on one side of power and some victimized, and also perpetually needy, Black people on the other side. Nothing moves forward. Perpetual anger on one side and cold dismissive distance on the other. As a highly educated Brown woman, married to a highly educated White dude from a harsh working class family, we worked out our difference with talking, arguments, counseling, love and team work. We couldn't afford to be fighting each other. I had to learn and change, and Mark had to learn more and improve. Though Huntington's Disease stole him from me...we tried to spend the best years as a team. People forget that. We are all part of a team folks. We are all part of one fragile world, one nation and one love. We can't afford to be fighting each other.

19 Recommend

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ExhaustedFightingForJusticeEveryDay commented July 18

E

ExhaustedFightingForJusticeEveryDay

In America

What matters are empathy, understanding, kindness, graciousness, caring, listening and sharing. The problem is some selfish pivileged White men on one side of power and some victimized, and also perpetually needy, Black people on the other side. Nothing moves forward. Perpetual anger on one side and cold dismissive distance on the other. As a highly educated Brown woman, married to a highly educated White dude from a harsh working class family, we worked out our difference with talking, arguments, counseling, love and team work. We couldn't afford to be fighting each other. I had to learn and change, and Mark had to learn more and improve. Though Huntington's Disease stole him from me...we tried to spend the best years as a team. People forget that. We are all part of a team folks. We are all part of one fragile world, one nation and one love. We can't afford to be fighting each other.

4 Recommend

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Larry Derfner commented July 18

L

Larry Derfner

Modi'in, Israel

I'm a white man, and I read this article mainly for a hate fix. I have zero sympathy for a Yale professor who flies first-class talking about how hard her life is.

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1 REPLY

McQueen commented July 18

McQueen

McQueen

Boston

@Larry Derfner That's not what she's talking about. With all the historical and current examples of harm done to black Americans, she is trying to understand how white people think about the clear advantage they have from never being subject to that grotesque unfairness. Everyone white knows they would never want to deal with that kind of poor treatment or violence or limitation on their own equality and rights.

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Mitchell commented July 18

M

Mitchell

Oakland, CA

Baldwin was wrong. America doesn't think of itself as a white country; those mired in "whiteness theory" THINK America thinks of itself as a "white" country -- a legacy that goes back to slavery, long before the ancestors of most "white" people arrived here -- many of them destitute, facing bigotry against their own ethnicity Remember Obama's "no Black America, no White America"? Obama was right. This entire article is one long exercise in confirmation bias. Once the author begins to recognize that, she might begin to lose the chip on her shoulder. She might see me as something (or even someone!) other than "white." She might start to get beyond "color" and "whiteness," and start, however slowly (like all those immigrants) to join one, multi-ethnic America that formed the core of Obama's vision. Now, that would be TRULY "woke"! As it is now, she'd probably rather lecture me on my "privilege," big-shot Yale professor that she is. Fortunately, I have a bitterly ironic sense of humor -- but it's wearing thin.

28 Recommend

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5 REPLIES

McQueen commented July 18

McQueen

McQueen

Boston

@Mitchell The point she is making by describing the history, the writing, and the treatment she and others receive is that she cannot join. Black Americans aren't holding themselves apart--they are being forced into this position continually and are always treated as outsiders who deserve less.

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Jeff commented July 19

J

Jeff

USA

@McQueen This essay doesn't support your point at all. This top 1% Yale professor flits from 1st class lounge to 1st class lounge, goes on Safari, lectures students on "whiteness." I'd say she "joined" regardless of whatever over-caffeinated egos she meets in 1st class.

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Mitchell commented July 19

M

Mitchell

Oakland, CA

@McQueen Growing up, all of us confront ostracism and bullying of all sorts -- treated as outsiders who deserve less. We're forced(!) to develop the self-esteem and determination to find another role in life, another way to contextualize our existence. We learn to define ourselves. "The point she's making by describing the history, the writing, and the treatment she and others receive is that she cannot join"? Not really. As I've pointed out, her article is one long exercise in confirmation bias: "the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories." Ironically, however, she HAS joined: her determination has led her to a niche her academic enablers have created: the most professional of professional victims. She does the job well. Those are the terms she accepted in joining. In return, she gets to fly first class (along with a lavish spread in the NY Times to hawk her wares). I'm a little jealous -- especially of the platform she has. Then again, at age 69, I guess it's time for me to get over it. Bitter irony, all around!

1 Recommend

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Rustamji Chicagowalla commented July 18

R

Rustamji Chicagowalla

New Delhi

Listening to this poet discuss the privilege of one "race" (a construct, we're told) in a particular country is like sitting with a fantasy baseball fanatic on a red-eye flight: she knows a heck of a lot, about a little thing, in one place, at a particular point in time. She will always be correct - who can doubt her zeal! - but does she understand larger truths?

26 Recommend

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John Burris commented July 18

J

John Burris

NYC

Dear Ms. Rankine, I read your article and enjoyed it. Thank you. I write to you as a person with White Male Privilege. I apologize from the start for my lack of education on Whiteness for it is a topic I have not studied. I also write to you as a former academic who studied math, the physical sciences and plenty of computer science. While entertaining, I found your article somewhat naive. You are an academic. You are literally paid to think about a topic really deeply and bring your realizations to our society to expand our view. Now with this arsenal of thoughts you approach some random white men and ask them about whiteness. Then you seem somewhat surprised that they do not understand. Just by their behavior they will obviously not follow. They probably do not want to follow. There is no upside to them. What you are bringing to them is a deep topic and one that ventures deep into human psychology. There are many facets of guilt affecting white men, be they aware of it or not. First arising from the fear of the lack of knowledge. The US has never conclusively even put a figure on the cost of slavery. What has slavery cost you? I mean you personally. A per capita figure is necessary to bring this conversation to the mainstream. White people, as most people, care about money. Money will get people's attention. Quantifying whiteness is important. Instead you bring it forward in a language that is not easy to follow. I mean this as an academic critique. out of nyt words.

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Mike commented July 18

M

Mike

New England

I am a white male. In my profession and personal life I have been able to achieve everything i have ever set out to do, with little resistance from anyone or anything. This is my reality. I have no idea how my life would be different if I was not a white male. To suggest otherwise is an insult to anyone who is not a white male

14 Recommend

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1 REPLY

J.C. commented July 19

J

J.C.

Michigan

@Mike You also have no idea how your life would be different if you were any other white male but you. To suggest otherwise is an insult to any white male who isn't you.

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James commented July 18

J

James

Alexandria, VA

Great artical. Also a white male here--privileged enough to not worry about typing my uninformed opinions anywhere. But since I have that privilege, I will do so, without fear of my race being blamed for it. Or worse, me being the only acceptable member of my race because of it. I never knew what white privilege was until a couple years ago--and I agree, maybe it should have been called something else, because I did not come from a privileged background. But I have never felt singled out, positively or negatively, because of my skin color, and that is truly a blessing. Sure, I worked hard to get where I am--my family was broke. No money. Parents in and out of prison. Parental drug abuse. On welfare. No health or dental insurance ever. I laughed at the thought that I was privileged, but I realized later I was did not understand the privileges that I had. Mobility: everywhere I turned, people gave me a chance. I believed that anyone, anywhere who tried to achieve could do so. I eventually went into the military to get money for university, got accepted to the university, got good grades, blah, blah... Now I work a good job, have insurance, am not in jail, that kind of thing. I have a daughter and she'll never experience the kind of stuff I did. But her and I will always have that same privilege so long as we live in white majority countries. Of course, she will not have the white-male privilege which is obviously the top notch in white majority countries.

7 Recommend

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Ann commented July 18

Ann

Ann

California

Dear Prof. Rankine-I am grateful for your op-ed and the risks you've taken and write about. Sitting with a work colleague at lunch -- I was surprised at how much alike our experiences seemed alike. We both had experienced discrimination; she chalked hers up to race, I chalked mine up to my lower-class background and upbringing. I think racism is one of the outgrowths of white male privilege rooted in classicism. And every one who's benefitting from it wants to think there's someone lower than them and less deserving.

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GANDER-FIR commented July 18

G

GANDER-FIR

NY

"White male privilege" exists only in the minds of the people who reflexively grant that privilege upon a random white man irrespective of his intellect, achievements or character and not on any other member of a "marginalized group". And in my opinion most of the people guilty of bestowing a random white man an unearned privilege (an undue / unearned respect, courtesy, servility ) are so called "people of color" and "fellow white women". Check out on-line dating apps, walk into any "minority owned " business establishment or "life" in general and the most ardent practitioners/bestower of "white male privilege" are POC and white women. Ironic indeed.

5 Recommend

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Mike Oare commented July 18

M

Mike Oare

Pittsburgh

I experienced white man’s privilege in the ‘60’s as a not upper class white in a farm/industrial community outside of Pittsburgh. The Vietnam conflict was raging and the draft board was composed of WW II vets. They trolled for eligible 1A draft age kids but not from privileged families. My brother was “captured” and spent a year long vacation in Vietnam. I escaped with a 1H deferment (college). This mentality exists today in that community, still hate the community for it.

4 Recommend

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Bob T commented July 18

B

Bob T

Colorado

Most of the items on the checklist were simply white 'majority' not priviliege. But this list is a good idea if the questions are in functional terms. Fpor example: 'I can thoughtlessly open a bag of snack food off the shelves while at the supermarket, confident I will not be charged with shoplifting before I can pay for it at checkout.'

5 Recommend

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alec commented July 18

A

alec

miami

My white male privilege ... started in public housing, then led me to join the Navy to escape low middle class expectations... then I worked two jobs while I went to college after the service. So .. still waiting on my privileges ... because everything I have is due to my hard work and determination.

24 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

James commented July 18

J

James

Alexandria, VA

@alec It shouldn't be called privilege... because it is misleading what it means. I had the same situation. Exactly. But I benefitted very much from being white and male. I think if you examine the situation, look beyond the lousy usage of 'privilege' you'll see what they author is trying to convey.

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alec commented July 18

A

alec

miami

@James ... point taken and I agree with the misleading term of privilege as many white folk would agree they don’t have it

2 Recommend

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Bee Hat commented July 18

B

Bee Hat

AZ

This topic is certainly socially relevant, but I also wonder if some of kids who take classes about “whiteness” at extremely expensive universities later complain about high student debt? Maybe they might focus on studying something more transferable to making a good living?

8 Recommend

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Robert Henry Eller commented July 18

Robert Henry Eller

Robert Henry Eller

Portland, Oregon

Professor Rankine: I'm a 70 year old White male. I don't get around on planes much anymore. I've only travelled first class rarely, when an employer paid for me to do so. I mostly get around these days on mass transit in Portland, Oregon. Still, I hope I get to run into you some day. I hope I get to have such a conversation with you. I hope to have such a conversation some day, any day, with anyone like you.

6 Recommend

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Jonathan Katz commented July 18

J

Jonathan Katz

St. Louis

Privilege? They need SAT scores a couple of hundred points higher than those of certain other people to get into Yale. Other people become "diversity" hires; they have no chance. That's negative privilege. The author should ask if she wants it for herself. The Chinese and Indians are treated even worse. But that's no excuse.

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Tim Mitchell commented July 18

T

Tim Mitchell

London

Wow. Excellent. Deeply thought provoking. Beautiful. Sad.

4 Recommend

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Rick commented July 18

R

Rick

LA

Great piece. Wish there were more people like you out there making conversion and opening up peoples minds.

5 Recommend

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Person commented July 18

P

Person

Planet

I'm a White woman, and every single day I see examples, not only of inherent White male privilege, but of the privilege they abrogate for themselves without even thinking about it. It's like an invisible yet lethal territory they are constantly seeking to expand.

7 Recommend

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1 REPLY

J.C. commented July 19

J

J.C.

Michigan

@Person Every day I see white women doing the same. Funny that. It's almost like human nature applies to everyone.

2 Recommend

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Dave commented July 18

D

Dave

Vermont

Lately I've sunk into this exact same realization, voiced so succinctly below, about myself. "He joined all the 'woke' white men who set their privilege outside themselves — as in, I know better than to be ignorant or defensive about my own privilege. Never mind that that capacity to set himself outside the pattern of white male dominance is the privilege." I've long accepted white privilege as a given, but until recently, I'd never followed that tangled ball of yarn to its very end, a place of being entirely unable to ignore how my very existence is part of "the kingdom, the power and the glory" that is foundational in a white middle-class American life like mine. Before teaching me, my father departed from the views of his father, which would have erred towards ignorance of white privilege. This happened via his inherent curiosity, sure, but also via his exposure to new ideas at an excellent university attended almost entirely by whites. To get there, he attended a good high school in a white suburb. Thus, my ability to reach this very conclusion about my own white privilege can ultimately be traced back to the very same institutionalized privilege. "There's no outrunning the kingdom, the power and the glory." Instead I turn and face it within myself, but that does not feel like enough. In fact, it feels utterly minimal, leaving me with a hot mental ache that I don't yet know what to do with.

4 Recommend

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jrb commented July 18

J

jrb

Bennington

After reading the article I felt the Author didn't "ask" white men about their privledge as much as project onto their responses what she wanted to hear.

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Zoe commented July 18

Z

Zoe

Alaska

A lot of the comments here are very defensive. I see the same with articles about male privilege. And many of the commentators don’t appear to have read the whole article.

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Michael commented July 18

M

Michael

Brooklyn

It's quite possible that middle-aged white businessmen who fly first class do not represent the attitudes or beliefs of white men across the board. But I'm happy to play a caricature of myself, and bury the truth and complexity of my own story, in service of someone else's ideologically constructed narrative. Let's do this!

26 Recommend

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Lisa commented July 18

L

Lisa

NYC

Stop calling it a 'privilege'! I don't consider it a privilege that someone's opinion is taken at face value and not challenged or brushed aside. I don't consider it a privilege that most white folk are not followed around in a store, by security. We are looking at this all wrong. What we are calling 'privileged' treatment is simply people not being MIStreated or unfairly judged, and solely on their skintone, religion, gender, etc. Instead of being 'angry' at people who can go about their lives without being treated or viewed unfairly, we should instead be 'angry' that so many others Are treated and viewed unfairly. That's where we need to focus our energy. What can we do to fix this problem? But for white men to go through life without issues based on their race...that's not a problem per se. If only everyone on the planet could go through life that way....

8 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Robin commented July 18

R

Robin

Wisconsin

@Lisa It is a problem when white men can go through life without issues based on their race, because without drawing attention to that fact, we enable white people to live their lives without even THINKING about race. And if you don't think about your race, or how it affects the way you move about in the world, you don't think about anyone else's. It's what the author referred to in Robin DiAngelo's book "White Fragility," (which is a good read!) - if you don't see race, you don't see racism.

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Peter Gilbert commented July 18

P

Peter Gilbert

New York

“I was always aware that my value in our culture’s eyes is determined by my skin color first and foremost.” Although I agree with the predominant theories governing racial discourse-that whiteness offers ascendant privileges historically rooted and out of step with black Americans—isn’t it a reductive assumption to claim that skin color is always the first thing that assigns one’s cultural value? It also presumes a degree of de facto moral high ground in any interaction with a white person, as well as removes the latter word in the conjunction socioeconomic. Your rhetorical slant deepens the cleavages that pit the issues of race and class against each other. Although being black in America does come freighted with disadvantages, there is no primary governing characteristic of a person that can be said to assign their societal value. It’s too complex a problem, and your insistence that skin color is predominate in pigeon holing ones social status undercuts your credibility as a researcher and academic. It’s a construct that is being played too often by establishment liberals. It only partially described the political problem, not fully, as your wording suggests.

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M commented July 18

M

M

Toronto

The word "privilege" is very hard for many white people to swallow. There is an edge to this word that makes it an accusation. In fact, it is a technical term denoting forms of "advantage." "Advantage" is a fluid term, easily applied and easily understood and easier to use than the word "privilege" and denotes the same attribute. It is impossible to dispute that white people have an "advantage" over racialized minority individuals that accrues from their being white and ditto for men and women etc.. The word "privilege," though eminently justifiable and accurate serves to undermine discourse, whereas the word "advantage" opens the door to analysis, introspection and conversation. When paired with the corollary of "disadvantage," "advantage" includes both conceptualization of privilege and the conceptualization of the lack there of.

8 Recommend

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Peeka Boo commented July 18

Peeka Boo

Peeka Boo

San Diego, CA

I’m a white female and was aware of my privilege, but it was further made clear when I had a medical emergency. My husband had given me a mislabeled medication (Mucinex DM instead of plain Mucinex) for a cold, and took my regular medication the next morning, which resulted in Serotonin Syndrome. My behavior was abnormal, definitely “high” and unpredictable. A bystander had called the police, who took the time to look for my medical bracelet and contact my husband, who explained I was having a dangerous medication reaction, and the police contacted medical services. I ended up in the hospital getting life-saving treatment, but I often wonder whether the outcome would have been tragic had I been a female or male of color. Would my abnormal behavior have been viewed as threatening? Would my inability to follow basic instructions be considered resisting arrest? Would I have ended up dying in jail due to my untreated medical crisis, or perhaps been killed for seeming erratic and (potentially) violent? I know personally that White Privilege can sometimes be as simple as getting the benefit of the doubt when your behavior could be questionable... and that can save your life.

12 Recommend

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J A Bickers commented July 18

J

J A Bickers

San Francisco

"I stood in line for a flight across the country, and a white man stepped in front of me... “Excuse me,” I said. “I am in this line.” As a white female of a certain age, I've lost count of the number of times this has happened to me in various situations. Sometimes, I receive an apology, but more often, an excuse that they didn't see me. Unlike the patient and polite writer, I remind the offender that I'm not invisible! My example is a minor humiliation compared to those described and experienced by the writer and non white people.

3 Recommend

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Robert Henry Eller commented July 18

Robert Henry Eller

Robert Henry Eller

Portland, Oregon

Dear Professor Rankine: Thank you for a worthwhile read. I have a hope for you: You seem to have an appreciation for collecting as much data as possible. Further, I believe you also well understand that, the more questions you ask, the better you get at asking questions, and the richer the value of the answers your questions produce. Therefore, I hope that you might see your way every more clearly and confidently to ask your fellow White "travelers," on planes, in airports, or otherwise, about that they think about who they are. Ask many more White travelers many more questions. I had some trouble, while reading your piece, determining if your inner thoughts were taking place before, during or after your encounters with the men you spoke with. But if you're thinking the much during your encounters, may I please suggest you spend more time speaking, asking, listening, interacting, with these White men. You're going to surprise most, if not all, of them. People surprised do not respond the same as people unsurprised. So, take as much time as possible to interact. Collect as much experience (data) as you can. Pay as much experience to your own reactions as to theirs (These are conversations.). Then, please come back, again, and yet again, and tell us about what you heard, what you learned. Thank you.

2 Recommend

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Kay Walsh commented July 18

K

Kay Walsh

Sacramento

Most of us go about our daily lives never thinking about the color of anyone's skin. This writer is making trouble where there is none. My children and grandchildren do not see race, they see the person. I live in one of the most diverse cities in the country and quite possibly am in the minority now. I do not believe in white privilege. It is nonsense. Some are born rich and live a privileged life while others work their head off to become well off. It is more about getting an education and making a success out of ones self. We should help everyone out of poverty no matter what their skin color is. This author is living in 1965. No one else is obsessed with their differences like she is.

9 Recommend

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Larry commented July 18

L

Larry

Fresno, California

I have a college memory I would like to share, even though it is a 50 year old memory. I can tell you that in the 60's, there were black college freshmen who were very surprised at how hard white students studied. Put differently, some black students apparently had expected that white students would do well academically, simply because they were white. But being a college student then was hard work, and those of any race who weren't up to the task did not graduate. I think this also helps to explain why many white people who have worked very hard in school and at work resent the notion that things were just handed to them, because that is so far from their truth. If "white privilege" is more about how one navigates day to day, then this navigation/social interaction definition can be accepted across the racial divide. But if white privilege is defined as you white people didn’t work hard, and you don’t deserve credit for what you have accomplished, then a very different problem arises. And by the way, I do a fair amount of flying, and I have never observed the boorish cut-in-line behavior described in this piece. Not once.

14 Recommend

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Helena commented July 18

H

Helena

Germany

I wish that this article, and others on the theme, started to make some differentiation between overt racism and the more subtle difficulty of human beings from different circumstances being able to understand each other. I am a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. I was attacked by the black lives matters movement in New York, fortunately in a way that did not escalate. It was white people who started pushing and shoving me, and a white man who yelled at me "there are people here whose children have died!" It was only at this point that I even realized what the protest was for: I had run into them in a freak coincidence as we both rounded the corner on Brooklyn Bridge. The protesters had embarked on an illegal extension across the bridge, and were using the bike lane instead of the pedestrian path. We were going in opposite directions. At some point you have to be willing to admit that white people can be just as kind as people of color, and that all these different ways that people misunderstand each other they all need a place. This discussion, of the subtleties, I think, should be made separate from the discussion of overt racism (e.g. there are statistics, and specific cases, that are quite convincing on the point of police violence against blacks, and something should be done to change this).

1 Recommend

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Al Phlandon commented July 18

A

Al Phlandon

Washington, DC

The privilege that the author describes in this essay is alien to me. No doubt it exists but in degrees that align with a person's economic situation. Having been born and raised in a lower middle class family yet surrounded by a diverse neighborhood of African-Americans, Latin Americans and recent Vietnamese immigrants, my sense of that privilege is a bit different than most. I do not ever treat anyone differently because of their ethnic heritage yet I am perceived to do so by those who don't know me simply because I am what they call a "white man". I was taught this by my father, a cop in a small suburban town who was raised with classic 20th century racist attitudes but who fought against his upbringing especially while on the job. As far as I can tell, I have done a good job of internalizing his lessons. I think he'd be proud. The privilege I experience is not one that I either create nor condone. It is simply the fish tank into which I was born. I control that which is within my control and nothing more, which is to say very little of the types of behaviors she and others encounter. What I can do, and what I have done, is to raise my children to be citizens of the world armed with only those rights and privileges that they earn as such.

6 Recommend

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Linda commented July 18

L

Linda

Washington state

One of the most insightful and thought-provoking articles I have ever read in the NYT. Choosing to write about this topic from a personal rather than purely academic slant made it all the more powerful. Thank you.

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2 REPLIES

Linda commented July 19

L

Linda

Washington state

@Linda Having now read some of the other comments (which I hadn't before leaving my own), I am embarrassed to admit feeling surprised by the amount of denial and defensiveness expressed. I have the sad feeling that Professor Rankine was probably not surprised, however. The tone and content of most of the reactions to her piece only serve to confirm the accuracy of her premise. Us white folks have a long, long way to go to even begin to understand the impacts of racism, much less the benefits we receive from it and our (usually unconscious) role in perpetuating it. This doesn't make us bad people - and Professor Rankine never once says we are. She, in fact, offers hope in real human contact and the willingness to listen, learn, and change. If you didn't actually read the entire article, I encourage you to do so. If you did, try reading it again. As I said in my original comment, I found this one of the most insightful and thought-provoking pieces I have ever read in the NYT. I will be sharing it.

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J.C. commented July 19

J

J.C.

Michigan

@Linda "She, in fact, offers hope in real human contact and the willingness to listen, learn, and change." When you begin a conversation with the premise that anyone who disagrees with you is in denial, you have no reason to hope for real human contact, nor are you willing to listen, learn, and change.

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Angela Dancey commented July 18

A

Angela Dancey

Chicago

The majority of commenters here are misunderstanding the concepts of white privilege and male privilege. Privilege in this context refers to unearned advantages and rights given to people based on skin color, gender, and other categories of identity. Unearned is the key word here—unlike the earned rewards for individual hard work and achievement, privilege is based on qualities over which we have no control. No one is saying white people should feel guilty for enjoying these privileges, but to simply acknowledge that they exist and impact our lives. A poor white person, despite their lack of wealth, still enjoys privileges based on their skin color in certain situations (such as the justice system, public education, and other institutions).

3 Recommend

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1 REPLY

J.C. commented July 19

J

J.C.

Michigan

@Angela Dancey "enjoys privileges based on their skin color in certain situations (such as the justice system, public education, and other institutions)."l It's interesting that you chose those two example, because all evidence shows that it is white women who enjoy the most privilege in the justice system and public education.

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judgeroybean commented July 18

judgeroybean

judgeroybean

ohio

I'm a 66 year old, white male, born in 1953. I hit the life lottery being born white and male, in America. I have two sons, both white, born in America. I told them that they, too, hit the life lottery. None of us, father nor sons, have a right to complain one bit about our lot in life. If we are lacking in our achievements, we have only ourselves to blame. We were born at the top of the food chain. Most are not that lucky.

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HS commented July 18

H

HS

Seattle

My father and step-father have both said to me: ‘ “Not me,” he said. “I’ve worked hard for everything I have.” ‘ I finally realized that they legitimately do not understand what privileges they have been fortunate to have. Both have worked very hard, found success and also survived very difficult times. Where do you even begin to widen someone’s perspective? Such an interesting article and I find myself wishing I could hear the author lecture.

6 Recommend

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Rachel Dann commented July 18

R

Rachel Dann

CA

I think this worthy experiment would be much more effective and relatable to the vast a majority of Americans ( who do not, nor will ever have the opportunity to fly first class) if it were conducted in a more egalitarian context like a library, coffee shop, amusement park, etc where a more economically diverse set of white people ( and all people) congregate. It was surprising that an obviously otherwise intelligent, thoughtful professor didn’t think of this.

10 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Samuel commented July 18

S

Samuel

Brooklyn

@Rachel Dann The vast majority of Americans have never been inside a library in their entire lives. If she did this experiment there, people would be complaining about how snooty she is, for only talking to people who read books.

1 Recommend

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M commented July 18

M

M

Toronto

I enjoyed reading this thoughtful article. However, I wonder about the efficacy of the term, "privilege" as it seems to make people, white people in particular uncomfortable. It seems that the word "privilege" is heard as an accusation rather than a statement of fact. The problem with many forms of privilege is that privilege cannot be renounced - one cannot change one's race for example. One can only try to understand and be sensitive one's own advantage and the other's disadvantage. And to recognize that privilege and the lack there of determines so much of our day to day lives.

1 Recommend

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comicsgod53 commented July 18

C

comicsgod53

Oregon

I don't know what white privilege is or is supposed to be.Everyone I knew was white so it didn't give me a leg up over anyone.We took one family road trip in the mid 60's and on the way pulled into a small town in Northern Nevada.I saw an older black couple sitting at a table in a small cafe being ignored and even at my young age something told me this was wrong.I didn't experience what that was like until I went to Maui by myself and bought a few items at a small grocery store.The cashier was friendly with the locals and treated me as if I was invisible except to take my money.I always take people at face value and try not to make judgements based solely on appearance.

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2 REPLIES

Samuel commented July 18

S

Samuel

Brooklyn

@comicsgod53 On that family road trip, were you ever pulled over and harassed by the police because they assumed your car was stolen or because you had driven through the wrong neighborhood? That is white privilege. It's not about getting everything you want in life, or having easy success. It's about never even having to consider problems and concerns that people of color have to deal with on a daily basis.

1 Recommend

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J.C. commented July 19

J

J.C.

Michigan

@Samuel Do you assume that every black family who ever took a road trip had that happen to them? Are you also not aware that there are places in this country where they will pull over and ticket anyone under fall pretenses in order to fund the local police department? Some only see what they want to see.

1 Recommend

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Carl commented July 18

C

Carl

Davis, CA

It is remarkable I survived the first 10 years of my life. It was remarkable I could run away from home at 14 and not only survive but to to get into college at 15, get a scholarship, and build my own foster care program. I've been lucky to find a way to lead a normal life--to learn to trust, to no longer be terrified of hunger, to complete an education, get a job, save money, find love, buy a home and raise terrific kids. I also benefited from incredible historical & geographical privilege. White trash though I may be, but I was born in the United States in the 20th century and entered the work force the same year the personal computer and MS-DOS was released. I was also lucky to have lost an engineering job, scrambled and landed a new one across the country in Silicon Valley right at the dawn of the information age. I was lucky to be sufficiently motivated by my youth to work very, very hard for a long time. I'm also privileged to have hired and worked with a diverse group of people. It has been an honor. Somewhere in there is white privilege to be sure, as is male privilege. I never tried to calculate it. I've tended to be empathetic to people who have struggled. I've been there. The people that try my patience are the ones who hurry to judge other people so they can feel morally superior. They usually have never missed a meal in their life and are dreadful to sit next to at dinner.

8 Recommend

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Kelly RP commented July 18

K

Kelly RP

New York

While I applaud the author’s thoughtfulness on the subject, I find it very jarring that she chooses to focus on her experiences flying internationally in first class. She is literally paying for the privilege of being separated from her fellow passengers and getting additional benefits they cannot afford. In a small way, this is similar to the very experience she is examining- what happens when people who have become accustomed to expecting better things than other people. The author expects to have her orange juice delivered and is annoyed when it is not done so promptly. Would she be as upset in economy class? How would the author respond if someone from economy class (who she likely boarded the plane in front of) came into first class to ask her how she felt about her income privilege buying her additional benefits at the expense of others on the plane? The problem with privilege is that it becomes a race to the bottom - who has had it worse, and who gets to complain. There will always be someone from and with more difficult circumstances. I’m not convinced the construct of privilege changes the mindset of the privileged - it would be interesting to see if the author ever flies internationally in economy in the future.

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Jonathan M Feldman commented July 18

J

Jonathan M Feldman

New York, Stockholm

I’ve always seen Yale as a bastion of privilege for teachers and students alike. But homelessness, unemployment, and alienation can’t be reduced to race, a myth that the upper classes believe. Racism is real but the privilege notion is a linguistic displacement system used to obliterate larger realities tied to class, economic systems or various forms of capital. It’s not surprising that Ivy League universities promulgate this idea among future leaders.

10 Recommend

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Person commented July 18

P

Person

Planet

Powerful, with beautiful illustrations. Thank you Ms. Rankine.

1 Recommend

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Me commented July 18

M

Me

Here

I'm envious of all the students privileged enough to take a class at Yale or anywhere else with Ms. Rankine. She is a fearless thinker and writer. Her writing makes me think AND feel. I'm grateful for this article, which feels like a mini version of a class. If I'm not mistaken, Ms. Rankine thinks that education is one thing that might help us better understand each other, and this article educated me. Brilliant. Keep asking difficult questions, Ms. Rankine, and keep writing about them. We need your voice now more than ever.

16 Recommend

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Skip Bonbrightq commented July 18

S

Skip Bonbrightq

Pasadena, CA

The label “white male privilege” is the problem. It implies a lack of merit. That white males or any one else who benefits from an advantage doesn’t deserve it, because they only receive this advantage because of their chance inclusion in a group with a shared characteristic that they have no control over. In other words, they didn’t earn what they enjoy. A much more constructive and collaborative approach would be to acknowledge that the Constitution grants certain rights and privileges to all citizens, but that certain citizens aren’t enjoying them, and are in some cases being actively denied them.

8 Recommend

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1 REPLY

SMS commented July 18

S

SMS

San Francisco

@skip - I understand your comment in principle. However, the point is in fact that white males do enjoy privilege that have nothing to do with merit. You can walk into any space and be treated with an expected level of dignity and respect that others do not. Why should oppressed people feel the need to collaborate in order to articulate this fact? This is not a conversation about the hard working white guy who provides for his family. This is a matter that goes to the root of BEING. To move freely in society with the same dignity as is afforded white males for something they did in fact in fact not work for. No one is trying take his away - others just want to be afforded the same level of dignity, safety, respect and opportunity.

2 Recommend

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Susie Q commented July 18

S

Susie Q

Bay Area

Thank you, thank you thank you for describing so many elements of my lived reality as a black, educated woman who has been in many privileged mostly white spaces. After reading this I commit to having more courage to speak about 'whiteness' and what it means to me and others.

4 Recommend

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Matthew commented July 18

M

Matthew

NYC

I really enjoyed this article. I agree with Rankine and other commenters that the term "white privilege" is inapt. It connotes something undeserved, and everyone deserves to be treated with respect. Given that most people in the United States do not have college educations, or even good high school educations, and might not know the history of the term (do university students even understand?) perhaps a more neutral sounding descriptor might be helpful. Which is why I would like to suggest, as a replacement for the term white privilege: white benefits. I think this might work better, since the word benefits denoted something extra that is usually owed to a person (think employment benefits, the benefits of exercise, etc.), and there is clear injustice when others who are just as deserving do not receive those benefits.

4 Recommend

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Fleming commented July 18

F

Fleming

Reading

I found this a very uninspiring treatment of an important and fascinating subject - far too self-referential to contain much in the way of universality. What I learned was that race remains a minefield and the author spends too much time having meta conversations in her head. What I hoped to learn is what comes next; defining privilege is all well and good but how do we change it, remove it or move beyond it?

8 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Lafayette commented July 18

L

Lafayette

Brooklyn

How to move forward? Read one book by one of the many authors she quotes in her article. I found her stuck in her head a lot too but she’s a poet more so than a sociologist. I recommend Robin D’Angelo’s: What Does It Mean to be White.

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Chris commented July 18

C

Chris

Kansas

That was insightful and helpful to this white male who has also said, "I don't see color." I think what I mean after reading this is I don't want to see color. I know what it's taken to become who I am as a white male and it disturbs me when I consider what it would take to have become the same me with a different skin color. That makes me grateful for my privilege while at the same time sad that it exists at all. But it shouldn't surprise anyone as to the why of it considering the worlds theological history.

7 Recommend

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Paul commented July 18

P

Paul

California

Privilege is a complicated topic. For some, it's about money. For some, they don't realize they have it. Many feel they don't. So many anecdotal stories, so many statistics. Sometimes, I think about the issue as to whether someone has worked hard or sacrificed something, vs having it handed to him/her. Sometimes though, I think people like to talk about others privilege, but generalizing. So it becomes an opinion. Most privilege is just for a few; perhaps born wealthy, or a token to be given a hand up while his/her friends are left behind. Talking to people at airports is...a privilege. Drawing conclusions about airport conversations that are included in the papers is privilege. I feel privileged to write these comments.

7 Recommend

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rl commented July 18

R

rl

ill.

I'm a white (old) male. How did I get my privilege? I grew up in a garage house----big enough for two cars---with outside plumbing----well water and an outhouse. I tarred roofs during college summers and finished three degrees before law school. My grandfathers worked fields, in steel mills and underground digging coal on hands and knees. My father worked in hell holes of a steel mill. My mother and grandmothers worked just as hard to keep their families healthy, safe and fed. Almost all of my large circle of friends came from similar roots. That's how most of resented America became privileged.

45 Recommend

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5 REPLIES

Alice's Restaurant commented July 18

A

Alice's Restaurant

PB San Diego

@rl It's about Marcuse Cultural Marxism--you're Western European, that's enough. But that's okay--50th Anniversary of Apollo 11. Explains both the hate and the envy of the cultural ethos that took us there and brought us back.

2 Recommend

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SMS commented July 18

S

SMS

Germany

My father is a hardworking old white male whom I respect very much for his work ethic among other things. He and my black mother have been married for 45 years. My blue collar parents sent me to law school and provided me and my brothers with solid moral footing. It sadly doesn’t change the fact that my brothers are still frequently stopped and questioned while walking to the store or the park in their mostly white neighborhood. It also doesn’t change the fact that, in spite of my accomplishments I can’t walk into a department commensurate with my salary without being followed around by a security guard. My father, or my white husband, don’t worry about such things. Rather than subject our children to such indignities and the danger that comes without the safety and privilege of being white in America, I opted to leave my home country of the USA to Europe. That is the importance of white privilege. It has little to do with work ethic and everything to do with dignity, safety and respect.

7 Recommend

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Alice's Restaurant commented July 18

A

Alice's Restaurant

PB San Diego

@SMS Has nothing to do with "white privilege"--having European lineage--which I should point out Obama does and there are many more like him. However, your quibble is with the cultural use of Bayes' theorem. How to change that is the problem.

1 Recommend

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AB commented July 18

A

AB

Bergen County, NJ

It is astounding that a Yale professor wrote this article. The article is simply a discussion of her experiences and interpretations without any formal study. I was initially hopeful that there were would be a fundamental discussion of "white privilege" to help me further understand the construct beyond the basic concept that just by being white one is privilege despite the diversity of people who are "white" from a religious, cultural, ethnic, socio-economic, educational, and profressional perspective, etc. In addition, the concept of "white privilege" is in and of itself an overtly racist concept and deminishes the experience of one person over another (yes - we are all people and created equal). However, it is not politically incorrect to say anything other than you acknowledge "white privilege" even if the concept itself is illogical. Quite frankly, the examples she provided are not indicative of white privilege, but rather of inconsiderate people. There are examples of individuals and groups of all races who have exhibited such behavior. To determine if "white privilege" as a construct truly exists and what it actually is, the personal experience of the person conducting a research study needs to be separated from the study. One could argue there is "black privilege" too, but in America today, you will be damned if you ever challenge the construct of "white privilege," which is why her discussion with "white males" on the topic was so disappointing.

34 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Lafayette commented July 18

L

Lafayette

Brooklyn

She is a professor of poetry at Yale. And an essayist. This is what she supposed to do: write essays so that people can think. She’s not a sociologist/historian. The authors that she mentions in her article are those kinds of people. Now what you have to do is check out those people. They are the experts on race and privilege. I think you’ll find a lot of good info by reading one of their books. My favorite: What does it mean to be white? by Ramen D’Angelo.

2 Recommend

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Michael W. Espy commented July 18

M

Michael W. Espy

Flint, MI

It is simple white people, do not take white privilege personally. It is a fact and you did not create it. It was created with the founding of this country. Do not feel guilt, it is not your fault. The next step is to just see the reality for what it is and be aware and reach out to those left behind, so we can all move forward to a place of Justice.

22 Recommend

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ANetliner commented July 18

ANetliner

ANetliner

Washington,DC

Yes, white male privilege is still a problem, and requires ongoing recognition, understanding and correction. But if this piece is any indication, Professor Rankine appears unable to relax in many interactions with people of other races. This worldview appears exhausting in the extreme.

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F. Jozef K. commented July 18

F

F. Jozef K.

The Salt City

“As a black woman...”. Sorry but any of those indentity qualifiers is immediately when i stop paying attention. Seen, heard, read way too much of that stuff these past few years....

30 Recommend

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new yorker commented July 18

N

new yorker

Brooklyn

This essay blatantly displays your own biases more than it displays the biases of anyone you wrote about. Especially the part where the guy told the flight attendant she forgot your juice. He was sticking up for you when your own attempts failed; whether or not she was ignoring you due to race is irrelevant to HIS identity and HIS actions. He was doing a nice thing for a stranger, and somehow you still turned it against him. He literally did nothing wrong. This essay does nothing but reveal your own deep resentment, mental gymnastics, and your inability to look past race and gender in any situation. This kind of mindset is a big reason why people are rapidly losing respect for higher education.

55 Recommend

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Jack Lee commented July 18

Jack Lee

Jack Lee

Santa Fe NM

This is an interesting topic. It's nonsense, of course, because privilege is an illusion. Aside from the fact that race is nonsense, the truth is that some gene pool or another is bound by mere logic to be dominant, and therefore, "privileged". It would appear that I, with my pale pinky/yellowy/bluey skin, am one of those people who, through the passage of time and the combination of my DNA, size, intelligence and geographical location have, thanks to how well my attributes have sat with the local geography, politics and beliefs over the many thousands of years that my DNA has survived along its journey to me being myself. I, pinky/yellowy/bluey skinned me and pinky bluey yellowy skinned members of the gene pool that spawned me, seem to have been to some extent the dominant gene pool (or at least the larger gene pool, not the smaller gene pool, which is the subset working class, go-and-fight-for-your-King-and-country gene pool), but that greater gene pool or pinky/yellowy/blueish skinned people who evolved in Europe over the last several thousand years. Can we be brutally honest about all this nonsense? If it wasn't "white" people, it would be someone else. If it wasn't British white people, it would be some other "white" people. We are the product of our DNA, our environment, our beliefs, our education, and all the things that make us who we are. And someone, like it or not, is going to be the dominant species, sub species, and gender. So don't take it personally, eh?

10 Recommend

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Agilemind commented July 18

A

Agilemind

Texas

I just watched a privileged young black man on CNN say that he will vote for Trump again because he is conservative and is a business consultant and he likes the economy. Black people now may officially stop whining about white privilege.

8 Recommend

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Ken Jackson commented July 18

K

Ken Jackson

San Francisco

Black privilege is being able to make large generalizations about white men simply because of their skin color, but claiming racism when a white person does that to her. Throughout the article, all she does is point people out by their skin color. If the same article were written by a white female talking about black men in the same way, it would be considered racist.

43 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Anon commented July 18

A

Anon

Anon

Except, in our society, White people still generally are more often to be the ones in power -- politically, economically, and in many other arenas. That power and the history and legacy of power -- power often unjustly attained whether via slavery or bias -- makes a big difference when referring to the "other."

1 Recommend

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ted commented July 18

T

ted

ny

The author of this article is promoting a corrosive ideology. The fact that she is paid to indoctrinate college students is a travesty. These indoctrinators, including infamous purveyor of "white studies" Robin DiAngelo, are doing as much as Donald Trump to cripple our about to have reasonable discourse. The NYT should not be giving these people a platform.

24 Recommend

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Erik commented July 18

E

Erik

Westchester

This phony and destructive "white privilege" concept is drummed into the heads of every college freshman during orientation week. Result? White heterosexual men feel guilty, and those on the "lowest" rung of society (I guess a gay black female) both sad and angry, which will increase the likelihood that any failure win life will be the fault of others. Here's a better idea. At college orientation, profile the black gay females (and the other groups that have no privilege) who started out with nothing and became incredible successes. A slightly better idea than today's victimhood indoctrination. And leave the white male heterosexual kids alone. No guilt is needed.

18 Recommend

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P. Lamar commented July 18

P

P. Lamar

Atlanta, GA

“If only skin color didn’t have such predictive power.” So what you’re saying is that skin color does have predictive power? That belief is the definition of bigotry.

14 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Samuel commented July 18

S

Samuel

Brooklyn

@P. Lamar bigotry noun big·ot·ry | \ ˈbi-gə-trē \ plural bigotries Definition of bigotry 1 : obstinate or intolerant devotion to one's own opinions and prejudices : the state of mind of a bigot overcoming his own bigotry 2 : acts or beliefs characteristic of a bigot racial bigotry will not tolerate bigotry in our organization Just making up a definition for the word doesn't actually mean anything. Recognizing the fact that people are treated differently based on the color of their skin is in fact, not bigotry, by definition.

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P.S. commented July 18

P.S.

P.S.

New York

And then I’d had enough of this narrative from a paper that I used to love. Bye bye!

10 Recommend

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WorkingGuy commented July 18

W

WorkingGuy

NYC, NY

The author has a paradigm-her collected set of assumptions-which is her biased world view. We all have paradigms. The author, however, can articulate and cite these assumptions very well, as she does in this article. Her bias is that she lives in a world of White Privilege (WP). Victimology is in the waft and weave of the fabric of WP, the whole cloth she sees as wrapping, shrouding, or even fashioned into a tailored fit up there in First Class. As an academic, how could she not see the faultiness of her selected sample group? If only she could disabuse herself of WP & not inculcate her students with this bias. From the article: “And then came the realization that we were, in fact, in the midst of a discussion about the perceived loss of white male privilege. Was I implicated in his loss? Did he think so?” The realization is no verity. Affirmative Action (AA) is at its essence a hiring program with the discriminating factor being race. ( Or fill in any one of the protected minority classes under federal law, I think now up to 18.) If you are an able-bodied cisgendered straight white middle aged male, you are most likely to be discriminated against-all other things being equal-in favor of one of the 18. The author could only see a lamentation on a loss of WP and not a fellow traveler who now shares a common experience of discrimination in hiring. RE: Therapy. Get another therapist. A therapist helping you figure out what other people are thinking is malpractice.

10 Recommend

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Marathoner commented July 18

M

Marathoner

NYC

Articles like this one make me feel a bit worried about matriculating at an Ivy League school next month. I am “white.” Perhaps I should buy a whip now and start practicing self-flagellation.

20 Recommend

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Seth commented July 18

S

Seth

New York

Wow. And liberals are wondering why Trump is so well supported by working class white men. I guess when they are being told by the left that they are “privileged”, when many are struggling simply to make ends meet.

20 Recommend

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Plato commented July 18

P

Plato

CT

Having to live with the audacity of White Male privilege - happens all the time. To Asians too. It takes the form of misspelled names, mispronounced names, looking at their white colleagues when addressing Asians, unreturned voice mails, unacknowledged emails, and much much more. And Nope! I ain't going back to my country. I am American too.

6 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Rufus commented July 18

R

Rufus

NYC

Misspelled and mispronounced names as a white assault on Asian dignity? It never would have occurred to me to look similarly at Asians misspelling and mispronouncing (ok, let's be accurate: butchering) my name. But I am not trying to invent reasons to be offended. And neither are other reasonable people--unfortunately we have enough real racism that should be addressed. Unintentional mistakes with names, whether made by whites, blacks, Asians, or any other ethnic or racial group virtually never have anything to do with racism. Let's collectively get a grip and work for equity and equality, not fixate on pretend problems.

6 Recommend

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Michael Eliopoulos commented July 18

M

Michael Eliopoulos

New York, NY

862 Comments on this magnificent piece. 4K+ on 'racist tweets.' We love shock, awe, tawdry, seamy, salacious headlines. No one grasps or perhaps cares that - in lieu of a scandalous murder trial for the summer - we have a man occupying the Oval Office who thrives on ratings and every summer since the 'Gold Star' parents to 'The Scaramouch' to this Summer, will do everything to keep his lapdog media cohorts attentively affixing him atop the headlines. Ratings. Ratings. Ratings. Amusing Ourselves to Death. SAD! This article stirs in me the sadness of loving Black Women yet guilt-driven non-pursuit. WMP, knowing my unworthiness as a Meditteranean inheritor of the CRM- Caucasian Racist Mantle: "By the 1940s, according to David Roediger, 'given patterns of intermarriage across ethnicity and Cold War imperatives,' whites stopped dividing hierarchically within whiteness and begin identifying as socially constructed Caucasians." I only hope that all racism - from all sides brown, black, white, yellow and red - do not exist some day. To paraphrase Paul Simon's 'The Cool Cool River,' "I believe in the future we shall suffer no more. Maybe not in my lifetime but in yours I feel sure." My ignorance was my bliss for so long and now all I can do is attempt to - keep living color 'unblind' and help the process. Oh, and The Commodores. One of my all-time faves. ...'talk to me so you can see what’s going on.’  LOVE this lyric, this song, this country. Let's keep it growing! xoME

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marian commented July 18

M

marian

Philadelphia

It seems to me the overall premise of this article is too narrow and therefore flawed. By concentrating on white males flying in first class, it overlooks the overriding trait of these people is wealth. If you truly want to examine white male privilege, I would think you need to include white males of all economic strata. Otherwise, it seems it’s more about rich male jerks who happen to be white. I would also suggest similar articles on rich males who happen to be black. Not sure you would see that much of a difference in privileged behavior between the races.

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not my ancestors commented July 18

N

not my ancestors

Canada

Some of the comments seem to mistake the concept of privilege with the idea of a life with no problems. This is wrong-both white and black experience problems. Privilege is what happens to you when your problems interact with systemic racism. For example: my mother is white. She is also bipolar. When it took 6 policemen to wrangle her into an ambulance when she was in a violent psychotic state none of them drew a gun, or choked her, or reacted in any way that endangered her life. If she was black, especially if she was a black male, she would be dead. Of this I am certain. This is what white privilege looks like.

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4 REPLIES

LB commented July 18

L

LB

Germany

Thank you for clarifying the concept of white privilege a bit more. It seems that many people got offended by the article. I can tell also from the comments that the majority of NYT readers are white men :) (many of whom are trying hard to ‘protect their white assets’).

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ANetliner commented July 19

ANetliner

ANetliner

Washington,DC

And on the other hand, a white, psychologically disturbed, alcoholic woman died in the Phoenix airport some years ago, after a struggle with security officials. Yes, white privilege exists. Yes, Eric Garner was killed during an arrest at least in part because he was black. Racism is despicable. But life is not always decided by matters of race.

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J.C. commented July 19

J

J.C.

Michigan

@not my ancestors What you're describing isn't white privilege at all. It's female privilege. A white man would have likely ended up dead too.

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Rachel Kreier commented July 18

R

Rachel Kreier

Port Jefferson, NY

there is definitely white privilege, and there is definitely male privilege, too -- but I really wouldn't want to end up sitting next to this woman on a plane (not that that would ever happen, since I have never flown first class). You expect chit chat, and end up walking through a minefield -- not fun.

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William Stuber commented July 18

W

William Stuber

Ronkonkoma Ny

Many of the whites who work hard for a living must have been behind the door when this privilege was handed out. Instead of publishing articles like this the NYTs should instead try to unite people and recognize that there is more of an economic class war than race or gender. It is great I am sure to gain civil rights, but not so Greta if all races suffer from an unequal economy. Perhaps there should be more articles describing what problems working people have in common instead of dividing us on artificially imposed lines.

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Carrie commented July 18

C

Carrie

ABQ

White men in first or business class are the rudest people I have ever encountered in airports and on planes. They absolutely resent us women and especially women of color invading "their" space.

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David commented July 18

D

David

California

This article is an excellent example of a horrible idea, stereotyping, racism, sexism, and of course scapegoating. If non white Asians dominate the elite high schools of New York and Boston to the exclusion of Hispanics and African Americans, whatever the cause and remedy, it is certainly not the fault of "white male privilege." Please stop stereotyping and trashing white males.

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Erik commented July 18

E

Erik

Westchester

Did you speak to a white coal miner in Kentucky? Obviously he is oozing with privilege.

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Cassandra commented July 18

C

Cassandra

Earth

Ugh. Next time I want to chat with a black person, I'll have to remember that with every breath they're holding me responsible for centuries of oppression against every non white person on the planet. I guess I never realized how much they all hate me, but in the most respectful and thoughtful way possible.

16 Recommend

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tanstaafl commented July 18

T

tanstaafl

Houston

How the heck does a Yale student not know that George Washington freed his slaves? That fact is literally in my son's "Step Into Reading" second grade book about Washington.

6 Recommend

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Marathoner commented July 18

M

Marathoner

NYC

What bothers me about this article, and others like it, is lack of agency that the author seems to believe Black people have. This implied position is insulting and reductive. The author is herself quite privileged by any normal standard. She has a “seat at the table” as a tenured professor at Yale who can afford first-class world travel and publish articles in the NYT. Part of what that privilege means, or what it should mean, is that she should take responsibility for herself.

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Susan commented July 18

S

Susan

Oak Park IL

I first encountered the term "white privilege" in an article from the 1960s by John Watson, editor of the Inner City Voice, Detroit’s black revolutionary newspaper, and also of the South End, Wayne State University's newspaper. The article (from the South End) was titled “White Privilege and the Horatio Alger Myth.” I quoted it in my novel Grand River and Joy: “It was nonsense,” Watson had written and someone had underlined, “to say that anyone could pull himself up with hard work. Whites come into the world with a full array of resources and privileges—many of them flowing from the washed-out color of their skin, their built-in bootstraps.”

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3 REPLIES

Nightwood commented July 17

N

Nightwood

MI

@Susan --"many of them flowing from the washed out color of their skin," Loved that description and that could be why so many whites, myself included, rush to the beach or swimming pool just to get a tan. (A slight tan with the awareness of the sun's harmful rays these days, but we still want to darken our skin.) I wonder why that is.

7 Recommend

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IV commented July 18

I

IV

MI

@Nightwood Because tan these days is a sign of social status. When most working class people worked outside (hence "rednecks") the leisure class was careful not to tan. These days the peasants sit in offices and tan became a symbol of leisure lifestyle. That is all that is to it. These is no subconscious desire of "washed out" white people to look darker.

8 Recommend

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Nightwood commented July 18

N

Nightwood

MI

@IV Well, there is for me. I do not like my winter like pale skin. And i have all the status anyone would need.

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ProudNewYorker commented July 18

P

ProudNewYorker

NYC

I've read and thought about white privilege a lot, but I keep coming back to the view that it's not a very useful way to educate people or change their minds, simply because many white people see their lives as a constant struggle and resent being called privileged. My view is that white people get treated like full citizens with all their rights protected under the Constitution, whereas blacks' rights are not honored or respected by the police, the justice system, and by many white people. I think the real problem is discrimination and systemic racism against black people, not the "privilege" of white people to be treated the way anybody should be treated in a free society. But that won't fly with a lot of "woke" progressives who want to feel guilty about being white and want to pass that guilt on to others.

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O'Brien commented July 18

O

O'Brien

Airstrip One

The greatest privilege that I have from my skin color is that like most whites and Asians who live outside impoverished areas, I am through no action of my own part of a group that has a far, far lower crime rate than do either the African-American or Latino community. As a result, people and the police are mostly not suspicious of me in in public places or shops because of their contextual knowledge. To be sure, the chances of a crime happening at any time are moderately low, but they are significantly lower from those of Asian or white skin color. Meanwhile, the devastating effect of crime on individuals and the social fabric puts people on automatic guard. The next two greatest privileges that I have through no action of my own have nothing to do with skin color, but to have been born to two parents married to each other and who have stayed married to this day, and to live in the United States of America. Both are enormous lucky blessings.

7 Recommend

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Endarkened commented July 18

E

Endarkened

Submarina

It's always hard to take this kind of "academic" work on privilege seriously. Mostly because white men (the supposed pinnacle of privilege) are actually a pretty diverse bunch. We run from being the majority of CEOs of major corporations to the majority of people in prison. The majority of homeless. The majority of Members of Congress. The majority of murder victims. And yet, from articles like this, you would presume it's all just awesome to be white and male. You know what does seem to help? Pretty much universally? Money. Not a lot of rich people in jail, or homeless, or murder victims. Try looking at class rather than race. The results would be far more interesting and enlightening.

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mmk commented July 18

M

mmk

Silver City, NM

Mesmerizing reading.

6 Recommend

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Carlyle T. commented July 18

C

Carlyle T.

New York City

I am white and grew up living among great wealth and schooling at Fifth Avenue & 73rd street in the late 1940's ,attended the famous "wealthy" P. S. 6 and as a "bad" Catholic St. Ignatius Loyola on Park avenue. Fast forward this .. my mom & dad who worked for wealthy people bit the hand that fed them ,we lost our apartment and income ,moved to the Queensbridge Houses when I was 12 years of age. Living in the projects one who was white had no status ,no privilege based on race ,you became the minority and quickly learned to fight other kids who preyed on your whiteness or else become a victim yourself. It was a tough bringing up.

7 Recommend

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Samuel Tyuluman commented July 18

S

Samuel Tyuluman

Dallas Texas

White privilege - or is it diminishing non-white opportunity. White men secured power first and are terrified of losing it. To keep it, many methods a number of which are now illegal. "Privilege" is valued, emphasized, and protected among "white men" - less they allow their privilege to vanish... To steal a phrase, "It's good to be king".... Thank you for this article - a pleasure.

6 Recommend

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Joe Thomas commented July 18

J

Joe Thomas

Naperville, Il

I’m an older white male and yes some white men - and women - seem to behave like they are privileged; but most of us do not. In fact, many of us - maybe unconsciously - purposely try to defer to minorities during the course of our everyday interactions with people; guilt, manners - not sure why. I can tell you however - that some people - black, white, Asian, whatever - are just plain rude. I think it would be difficult - as a person of color - to distinguish between an act of white privilege and just plain boorish unmannerly behavior. But the way, a black lady cut in line in front of me at the grocery store the other day..... it was not black privilege- just good old fashioned rudeness.

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Washington Reader commented July 18

W

Washington Reader

Washington, DC

The media war on white people is in full swing, as this column and others like it in The Washington Post and other media outlets hammer ad nauseam. I am exhausted. I think a subscription cancellation is warranted. Enough. Identity politics is destroying what was the greatest nation. For the record, I don't care for Trump. I have been homeless, twice sexually assaulted, and discriminated more than once in the office for who I am.

9 Recommend

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Robert Taylor commented July 18

R

Robert Taylor

Dallas

White male privilege to a white male is like water to a fish. It’s part of the environment we grew up in. And it takes mindfulness to understand we didn’t earn it.

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2 REPLIES

Angelus Ravenscroft commented July 18

Angelus Ravenscroft

Angelus Ravenscroft

Los Angeles

Three sentences for what takes me a graph or two. Right on.

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J.C. commented July 19

J

J.C.

Michigan

@Robert Taylor You also didn't earn being born an American, which comes with even more privilege. It takes mindfulness to understand that.

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Simon Taylor commented July 18

S

Simon Taylor

Santa Barbara, CA

The author’s methodology seems problematic, interviewing white men while “crisscrossing the United States, Europe, and Africa.” I have been on a plane twice in the last decade, both times within the US. I am poor, and I spent the better part of the last 3 years living in a warehouse, with no bathroom, heat, or running water. I don’t dispute that white men still dominate corporate America, but that kind of work never interested me. I wanted to work in a museum, an academic context, a library, careers with strong affirmative action preferences. For the last 15 years, I’ve been traipsing around thrift stores and garage sales, buying books to sell online. I AM a beneficiary of white male privilege, but it is pretty limited. I got pulled over recently by a cop for making a rolling stop at a STOP sign (so he claimed). I was polite to the officer, and received a warning. Perhaps if I was black, I might have been given that $800 ticket, or maybe even put in a stranglehold and died like poor Eric Garner, but I got a warning, instead. I have never made more than $40K, always worrying whether I can pay the rent, teeth rotting in my mouth. Last year, my net earnings were $16K. The Feds expect me to pay about $2000 in taxes, but I have a little over $6 in my bank account. I have resigned myself to the fact that I will die prematurely. I understand this Yale prof's indignation dealing with wealthy white males, but I take umbrage at her stereotypical thinking.

8 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Jude commented July 18

J

Jude

US

@Simon Taylor Oh man, that your teeth are rotting sounds painful. I can't imagine. Dental health is the beginning of all health. Perhaps there is a dental school that could give you low-cost care? Or at the very least, a dental hygiene program that could give you free or low-cost cleanings?

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Thomas commented July 18

T

Thomas

Lawrence

Seems like blaming “privilege” is just an excuse for not succeeding on your own merits.

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Richard K. commented July 18

R

Richard K.

Evanston IL

If all white men are privileged (what about white women?), a concept she never defines or defends, why did she marry one? To take advantage of his privilege? To cure him? If you want to elect Trump, keep running articles like this.

6 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Kathy commented July 18

K

Kathy

NY

@Richard K. I agree , what about white women? It's not a good idea walking up to strange white men in stressful airport environments, asking questions that serve only to agitate and provoke. Airport aggressiveness works against people who dress down and appear older, powerless and vulnerable.

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Matt commented July 18

M

Matt

California

There is always the claim from certain black academics that the entire black community is consumed by attempting to deconstruct whiteness. They always make sure to note that this is not primarily out of interest or curiosity — this would grant white people another privilege. They will say it is what is required to survive under, depending on the level of militance or professional comfort, white supremacy. Was it Baldwin who said no one knows a white person like a black person? Never mind we all notice things about other people they seem not too. That’s a two way street that might lead to a real conversation. Something Ms. Rankine clearly has no desire for, despite her strident efforts to maintain how easy going she was with these people...locked on a plane...already anxious for other reasons...in a conversation they could not escape. Race being the minefield of minefields, where intentions are frequently deemed irrelevant — yes, why not have that conversation there? It is also surprising that someone who works within spitting distance of some of the best psychologists in the world would not understand how any white person would see accusation coming down the barrel, when approached by a black woman on the street asking them about their privilege, apropos of nothing. A psychologist might even wonder aloud if the author was externalizing a conflict from her own marriage. See, I can speculate about other’s thoughts and thought crimes too.

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Parker commented July 18

P

Parker

Huntsville al

Anecdotal and as an observer it seems profiling was a prominent feature of the article. Solutions I did not read.

7 Recommend

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frank commented July 18

F

frank

los angeles

i come from another country, Canada, where feelings about race aren't as fraught as they are in the US. it was quite a shock to me to discover how angry black people were toward me when i first moved here and it took me a long time to come to terms with that. this article was really worth reading and made me ask myself a number of difficult questions about my place in the world and the place of people of color. bias and prejudice exist everywhere i have lived (4 different countries and i have been a minority as a white person in one of them). the only difference i have seen between these nations is that some work hard at trying to understand the minority perspective and making sure their minority citizens feel accepted and some just seem to be angry and incapable of walking in the other's shoes. there doesn't seem to be any easy solution except to listen to your neighbors and co-workers and try to understand a different view of the world. while i would put the US in the angry category, conversely i find Los Angeles to be trying very hard to build bridges. we certainly aren't perfect here, but we are trying.

4 Recommend

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Paul commented July 18

Paul

Paul

Ithaca

Each and every day I think I'm one of the luckiest people in the world. I've had many opportunities that I've cherished, and many rewards that came from them. I'm 61, white, and male, and am keenly aware that these 3 things have helped my advancement. I'm also keenly aware of how fragile privilege can be. 30 family members, many of them more privileged than I, were murdered by Nazis. The increasingly bold and open racism that is rearing its ugly head in the US today frightens me. The common lack of awareness of white male privilege that Rankine cites is just the tip of the iceberg.

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Patricia Thomas commented July 18

P

Patricia Thomas

Naples

To paraphrase someone I am sorry I don’t recall, “ When all you know is privilege , equality feels like oppression “. White males need to meditate on that. Thank you for helping.

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MJ commented July 18

M

MJ

Northern California

If people of whatever color skin would stop cutting in front of other people of whatever color skin, the world would be a better place. It's pretty useless to try to figure out motivation, such as "white privilege" because you can never be sure. And oftentimes the party feels personally attacked, so will refuse to listen. But bad behavior is bad behavior, and can almost always be called out for what it is. That goes for all sorts of things, from job hiring to police practices to housing to voting and on and on. Love your neighbor as yourself. That would solve a lot of problems.

6 Recommend

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KateF commented July 18

K

KateF

Chicago

I recognized that my race protected me during a routine traffic stop with a rogue cop in Vernon Hills, IL three years ago. He was big, intimidating, rude and mean and then screamed at me as I fumbled through documents, trying to find my registration. I finally started to cry (out of fear) when he threatened to take my license and I think my tears stopped him. When I got home, I was shaking. The first thing I said to my husband was that if I’d been black or Latina, I would’ve been arrested. It was that clear to me. I reported him but have no clue if he’s still on the force. I fear for my country under this president. I fear for those less fortunate than me, my children, family and community. I fear for every one of us as this evil man stirs up all the hatred he can muster.

7 Recommend

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Casey commented July 18

C

Casey

New York, NY

Mom, who fought the original battle in the Mad Men Era to be taken seriously in NYC Real Estate, once said to me "you have two great advantages....you were born white, and you were born a he". This has stuck with me throughout my life and career and I have worked to recognize it at all stages.

4 Recommend

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Renegator commented July 18

R

Renegator

NY state

Sorry, but i find the author to be inconsistent in her analysis. It seems to me that she is as blind to her biases as she says whites are to theirs. If all i have done is live in a world that usually doesnt treat me too harshly, am i to blame for the injustices faced by others? I did not design the system. I have not manipulated the system. I have not tried to take afvanrage of others. And i have no means of changing the system. I am a small cog in a very large machine. If you want me to join you in truing to change the world, dont treat me like i caused these problems. I am as powerless as you. I dont care what color your skin is or who you sleep with. I want all of us to be free to pursue our dreams. I donate a fair bit of my income to progressive politicians and organizations. But if you blame me for being born white into a racist system, what do you think i am going to do? Yes, i will feel defensive. If we are going to be effective allies, there needs to be a better understanding that i didnt cause your grief.

4 Recommend

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Anonymous commented July 18

A

Anonymous

United States

If I were looking for a job as a professor in liberal arts, I would much prefer to be black than white. As to white privilege, I think some 55 years of affirmative action, where race isn’t “a factor,” but often is the only factor has more than leveleled the field.

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2 REPLIES

Sydney Kaye commented July 18

S

Sydney Kaye

Cape Town

In the apartheid days in South Africa there was an expression "go for white". This applied to people of mixed race who passed as white to avoid the negative aspects of being black. Now the expression is "go for black" for those with darker skins and applicable features. That is because now there is a black government and whites are in the minority ( as they always were), black privilege is the order of the day. Apart from access to jobs that means access to ( often crooked) government contracts or the opportunity to be a silent partner ( doing nothing but receiving dividends on free shares) in a white owned firm to access that work, and to be free to make derogatory remarks about other race groups , which would be regarded as racist if made by a white person about a black one.

3 Recommend

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Clare commented July 18

C

Clare

Virginia

Spoken as only a white person could. That is privilege. In Two Nations, Andrew Hacker reported: “When this parable has been put to white students, most seemed to feel that it would not be out of place to ask for $1 million for each future year they would be living as a black American. And this calculation conveys, as well as anything, the value that white people place on their own skin. Indeed, to be white is to possess a gift whose value can be appreciated only after it has been taken away. And why ask for so large a sum? Surely this needs no detailing. The money would be used, as best it could, to buy protection from the discriminations and dangers white people know they would face once they were perceived to be black.”

1 Recommend

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Daniel commented July 18

D

Daniel

Martinez, CA

“These phrases — white fragility, white defensiveness, white appropriation — have a habit of standing in for the complicated mess of a true conversation.” My experience with talking about social issues throughout college is that students accusingly believe that the privileged ought to shut up and listen to the oppressed and marginalized. In that kind of environment, how could one even expect anything close to a true conversation?

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Marty commented July 18

M

Marty

Pacific Northwest

Even I, far from the wokest person in the room, find the defensiveness in many of these comments simply breathtaking.

10 Recommend

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Candy Neville commented July 18

C

Candy Neville

Eugene, Oregon

I know there is white privilege and the resentment towards people of color is evident like a stench. I also know the author was a victim of male privilege of which I am far too familiar. I have been displaced from my view at a football fame when a huge white man sidled into my space physically edging me out. I wish I had that moment to live over. Male privilege is so astronomically rude that I cannot fathom adding hatred and arrogance to the mix. One person of male privilege was a black professor who engaged in a conversation with me on a subject he knew nothing about and literally yelled at me when I didn’t agree with him. White privilege or male privilege is gross.

2 Recommend

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roseberry commented July 18

R

roseberry

WA

This writer is privileged to be able to thoughtlessly destroy our planet to avoid the petty discomforts of flying coach. I dislike her and everyone else acting like her, regardless of their race or gender.

1 Recommend

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Doug commented July 18

D

Doug

Jackson, GA

This is white privilege personified. I was in a store parking lot at 3 am with a friend of mine who was crying. I’m 45, while & male, she’s 28, white & female. A cop pulled up to ask why we were there so late. I gave him my ID & told him that I am an attorney for an oil marketing company. The cop drove off without asking anything else.

5 Recommend

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DD commented July 18

D

DD

LA, CA

The class-race nexus is tricky. I’m treated well as a white man, but nothing like, say, Denzel Washington. And it’s nice to know the author gets to travel first class as a Yale professor. She’s definitely treated better on planes than I am in the main cabin. Glibness aside, an intriguing article.

4 Recommend

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Hexagon commented July 18

H

Hexagon

NY

I am Jewish. Except for my grandparents who luckily emigrated from Greece to the USA before WW2, all my maternal family was killed. They were not Aryan. They did not have white privilege. I grew up in an area with few Jews and was the only Jewish kid in my grade in elementary school. I was harassed by many and had pennies thrown at me almost every day. Even though I live in NY, I am one of two Jews at my workplace and the other one hides it. She doesn't want people to know. Yes, I guess I am considered white, but it is complex and I could go on and on about the privileges I don't have and didn't have growing up. This idea of a monolithic whiteness is false. Racism exists and is pervasive, but people's experiences in life are rich and at least for me are not defined just by the race someone else ascribes to me.

5 Recommend

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J.C. commented July 18

J

J.C.

Michigan

"...I thought, I must have dirtied up his narrative of white privilege..." While simultaneously confirming your own narrative of white privilege? Ms. Rankine, you have a serious confirmation bias problem. It's the main theme of this piece, though you surely didn't intend it to be.

14 Recommend

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Marcus Brant commented July 18

M

Marcus Brant

Canada

With respect, this columnist has an opportunity to write eloquently in her self advocacy based on her gender and her background. White men, I mean ordinary, white, men, rarely have that experience, so I’m taking mine here, although doubtfully as eloquently. Ultimately, the history of western civilisation has been written by whites of the masculine persuasion. It’s an accident of evolution, politics, conflict, geography, socioeconomics, climate, human nature, natural selection, tribalism, the list is endless. With such a list, it’s disingenuous to point to white man’s guilt inasmuch as he once viewed it himself as a white man’s burden to be superior. After all, he was descended from Caesars. My great grandmother worked herself to death in a textile mill, her husband gassed on the western front. My grandfather dodged Nazi fighter planes that would strafe his ammunition trains as they ran from tunnel to tunnel for cover. My uncles worked the coal faces of Derbyshire, my cousins followed in their footsteps becoming mine rescuers, descending deep into peril. My dad served in Palestine and Malaya, my mum nursed burn victims. I fought Irish terrorists before policing the streets of London, then emigrating and becoming a product of my class as a union man in Canada. I don’t feel white man’s privilege, none of the men in my family ever did. Ours was a struggle against the wealth and the power of an establishment out to protect and enrich itself regardless of the colour of our skin.

4 Recommend

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John G commented July 18

J

John G

Boston, MA

When I walk through first class on my way to my economy seat, I am always amazed at all the riffraff that I see there. Perhaps the author should travel with those who are not so obsessed with their comfort.

3 Recommend

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Jason commented July 18

J

Jason

NC

Fascinating! I am a middle age white male. I know I'm "priveledged". I know that being both male and white guarantees me countless social advantages. I read this article because I was interested in how the author would approach such a sensitive topic. I enjoyed the read and it offered tons of perspective. I wouldn't expect anything less from a Yale Professor. What fascinates me is how general Ms. Rankin is about white men. I had no idea we were all just a bunch of pompous honey badgers. The mental assumptions Ms. Rankin made about white men at each encounter scares me. It makes me wonder if these same assumptions are being silently thought during every cordial conversation I've ever had with a stranger who is black. I don't think this is this case just like I don't think all white men walk the earth with their nose turned up. My advice, Ms. Rankin.. Never, ever begin your conversation on this topic, with a stranger, where the word "privileged" is used within the 1st 15 minutes. The word is too often used today to describe bad behavior, i.e., spoiled kid, trust fund kids, etc. You're a super smart woman. You know that it will either offend or shame. Neither reaction will get you or your class closer to "waking" the world.

3 Recommend

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J House commented July 18

J

J House

NY,NY

Racial identity politics is the perfect wedge issue for our foreign adversaries to exploit in their information operations going into the 2020 elections. If Yale wasn't teaching it, the Russians would have had to invent it.

5 Recommend

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J commented July 18

J

J

Arlington, VA

If you really want to see white male privilege, just go to an elementary school. There are some great male teachers, but there are some not so great ones that walk on water just for being a guy. It use to be the male PE teacher, eventually became the principal. It still happens some places, but it is changing....I hope. Loved your article. Thank you!

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1 REPLY

J.C. commented July 19

J

J.C.

Michigan

@J Wow. Elementary schools are a bastion of white male privilege? In the metropolitan area I live in, most grade schools don't have a single male teacher.

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Michel Forest commented July 18

M

Michel Forest

Montréal, QC

If your expectation of the world is that white males are privileged, you will see privilege everywhere and in every situation. Same way communists see economic inequalities everywhere, hardcore feminists see sexism everywhere or libertarians see socialism in everything. One thing strikes me here: the author of this article seems to lead a pretty privileged life herself. She teaches at an Ivy League college, she travels widely, etc. Good for her, but I get the feeling her life is much more fullfilling than a lot of white males, or white females, for that matter... In other words, the grass is always greener, etc., etc...

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Jim Brokaw commented July 18

J

Jim Brokaw

California

"Would they react as the police captain in Plainfield, Ind., did when his female colleague told him during a diversity-training session that he benefited from “white male privilege”? He became angry and accused her of using a racialized slur against him. (She was placed on paid administrative leave, and a reprimand was placed permanently in her file.) " And he probably still doesn't see it...

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1 REPLY

J.C. commented July 19

J

J.C.

Michigan

@Jim Brokaw Nor does she.

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Harvey commented July 18

H

Harvey

Denver

My relatives are Jewish. We have white skin. My grandfather told me that during the 30s help wanted adds said “gentiles preferred.” Bigotry is wrong. Broad brushstrokes that asks all white people to feel guilt and as having some privilege cuts against Martin Luther King’s message. My family was living in ghettos in Eastern Europe when slavery ended. We have white skin but did that keep millions from being slaughtered? I was raised to respect everyone...skin color is irrelevant. I find this discussion divisive and wasteful of human energy.

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Ash commented July 18

A

Ash

NY

It’s clear from the comments that ‘White privilege’ is being confused with economic privilege i.e., being born with a silver spoon, family money etc. White privilege essentially is (few examples) - being able to be yourself and not be judged by your skin color - Assumption that anyone with an Anglo Saxon name is good at English - Your resume being placed at the top of the pile because your name sounds Caucasian - being assumed that you are non-threatening (whether it’s when being stopped by the cops or in a elevator alone with a woman) - getting priority / special service ( e.g., drinks served first like in the article, having your needs accommodated with much ado ) - generally being assumed that you are rich ( regardless of your wealth) - feeling at ease in most environments (be in airports , restaurants etc..) - your behavior being excused or written off as lone error (cutting in line, being loud on the phone..) Note if this was a behavior of any minority, the whole community would be labeled with a stereotype. Just being white gets you a lot of bonus points automatically, this is what you need to acknowledge and see how it affects others (non-whites) who bear the heavy burden of proof they must almost always provide to “show they are good” , “belong at a place” etc etc...

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Brian commented July 18

B

Brian

Here

Two privileged people, BF/WM (first class lounge value judgement, sorry) speaking for the first time, with one of them believing that the other didn't really do anything to earn this privilege. And frankly looking for the other to spontaneously admit that they don't deserve this in the first place. Okay. Now, let's reverse the races and sexes of the two speakers, but start off with the same points of view. Because - both of them start from a prejudiced place - the same one the author is looking to illuminate, while she solicits racial and sexual guilt-think in the first class lounge. Imagine our howls if the demonstrable point of view of the white male as questioner was "you know, you didn't actually earn your way to your Yale degree, which eventually paid for your first-class ticket. Because - you were an affirmative action attendee in the first place." Both are equally appalling. And unrevealing about the questionee, though incredibly revealing about the questioner. Prejudice is real, and horribly oppressive. Looking for unsolicited admissions of original sin among fellow high-achievers is an unrevealing snipe hunt. Worse, it does nothing whatsoever to lower the real barriers that racism and sexism present.

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JDoubleu commented July 18

J

JDoubleu

SF, CA

The writer needs to visit India, Bangladesh and similar countries with people of many hues. There is bias and sorting of colors everywhere. Fair? No. But world-wide reality. Some of the 31 percent holding more than 60 percent of elected positions here are trying to pay-back opportunities afforded by inherited wealth. (Kennedy family...) You can’t run for the Senate (Beto) unless someone is watching the kids and paying the mortgage. She has a therapist, but still seems very negative and has a need to share personal injustice she has faced. Why in this article? U.S. history on slavery and oppression of blacks starts 100 plus years BEFORE there was a U.S.A. It starts with Portuguese ships, Spanish ships, French ships, and British ships. Why start this research after the Constitution was ratified? How is this preparing Yale grads for life?

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Unconventional Liberal commented July 18

U

Unconventional Liberal

San Diego, CA

"White privilege." A middle-aged black woman in first class wonders about it. How can she make it part of the class she teaches at Yale? Maybe she should have asked the junkie about his white privilege, not the man flying with her in first class. Maybe she should ask the homeless white man who lost his job and his family. "White privilege." It's an awful way to look at people: by skin color only, and you think you know who they are. How is that not racism?

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Victor Victoria commented July 18

Victor Victoria

Victor Victoria

Albury

Just want to simply say, thankyou for this article.

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JMM commented July 18

J

JMM

Dallas

Perhaps the professor could do a study asking white women what it is like to be discriminated against in the professional arena in the good old boys club. In other words, many women have unduly suffered white male privilege.

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John commented July 18

J

John

Canada

I refer everyone to the recent David Webb - Ariva Martin interview.

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Andrew commented July 18

A

Andrew

Philadelphia

Great article, thought provoking, occasionally got me defensively thinking and mentally laying criticism at the author’s feet, but ultimately I read it through and thought more about all the privilege my whiteness and maleness has afforded me. And it’s a lot. And it is more than I know - I realize enjoy that privilege at the CVS when no one assumes I am going to shoplift, for instance. I didn’t earn that. The comments are frustrating, however. All these privileged white people getting twisted and defensive. Guess what, folks? No one is taking your white privilege away from you. We can’t. I wish we could (but not mine, of course). No one is saying you are a bad person, even though a bunch of you aren’t the best most amazing self-starters that you think you are. We just want you to realize you have some inherent racial and gender-derived benefits that others didn’t get. No need to get so feisty. Just shut up and listen for a minute.

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mary bardmess commented July 18

M

mary bardmess

camas wa

Of course, a professor of poetry. Thank you so much for the words, "lubricate the moment". That's a keeper!

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Andrew commented July 18

A

Andrew

Philadelphia

Can we all just agree that as long as the business and economy class people stay in their place everything will work out fine?

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Construction Joe commented July 18

C

Construction Joe

Salt Lake City

Being Brown and looking White has allowed me to move between both the Hispanic and White worlds with ease. I feel the White privilege when those around me think I am White. I also notice the difference when I appear dark to them. The differences between the two worlds are so subtle its hard to describe. However, living in the White world makes my life easier and more profitable. So I perpetuate that lie.

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ZAW commented July 18

Z

ZAW

Pete Olson's District(Sigh)

I am a cis-gendered, straight, white man. I get it. That gives me a level of privilege. I’ve never been watched as I walked through a wealthy neighborhood or an upscale store. I’ve never heard people say racist things behind my back. I’ve never faced racial prejudice when buying a home or applying for a job. I’ve never been scared that a run in with the police could cost me my life. . But I’m also on the Autism Spectrum. It has taught me that neurotypical privilege is very real, and I don’t have it. Being able to relate to others socially, having an easy time developing friendships, tolerating crowds, networking for business, organizing your life.... having enough coordination to play sports... being able to tell white lies.... Neurotypicals often take these things for granted just as many whites take their privilege for granted. . My point here isn’t to deny my own white privilege, or to dilute it. My point is that white privilege is just one of many privileges. Neurotypical privilege is another. Wealth is privilege. I would argue that there’s such thing as urban privilege, too (living in a city means access to transit, museums, Jobs, and other things that rural denizens may not have). The list goes on. Only if you understand this, can you fully understand privilege.

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William commented July 18

W

William

Dallas, TX

My privilege as a middle-aged white male is driven by economic success due to education, family encouragement, setting attainable career goals, and ambition. There are plenty of poor whites who have no more/no less privilege than any other race, and who are probably wondering when their "white" privilege will arrive. Yale is teaching classes on whiteness? Thank God the private university where my family sent me would rather we use our tuition dollars to study law, science, business and philosophy so that my fellow alumni and I had marketable skills for when we joined the workforce.

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hola commented July 18

H

hola

washington

Dear Ms. Rankine, Thank you for asking. Here's an article that is not so interesting but for the comments section. The opinion piece was supposed to be a clear-eyed exposition on how Hawaii handles racism, and yes, that it is so lovely there bec/ of the aloha spirit. Commenters, white Americans (and black), express choice words about actually being a minority and living outside of the white default/ common position of (unspoken and therefore absent) white privilege, usually a majority position. This can be a very difficult experience, or a good one. It is something Americans of color know instinctively, and where the experience is internalized. For white Americans who live and not travel through Hawaii, they are free of this "racism" (or as someone pointed out, white prejudice) within a few years. I would love to read your interviews of these Americans. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/28/opinion/sunday/racism-hawaii.html

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Wolf commented July 18

W

Wolf

Out West

While I understand the premise I think there are striations of it and it’s impossible to generalize based on race, as in fact, that’s bigotry. A lot of this discussion is divisive in that we are all humans and entitled to dignity. Not all whites are privileged, some are underprivileged. Not all of us were in fraternities, a lot of us worked our way through school and careers and looked up at others who had it easier. There is also a lot of psychobabble unique to academia in the article which is off-putting to people who labor outside education. The author seems to be a well meaning person, but untethered.

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Jane commented July 18

J

Jane

Portland

What a beautiful and thoughtful essay. I couldn't help but think that the writer, while writing, had to continuously make sure she didn't make statements that white people would find offensive, because, well, therein lies the issue. It doesn't matter how reasonable and self-reflective her piece might be, it triggers defensiveness in others. Is it a male thing I wonder? As a white woman, I continually feel aware of and sensitive to my privilege. I don't feel burdened by it. I just feel aware. Perhaps it's because I bother to listen to and read stories by and about people who experience everyday racism that I don't mind reflecting on my own privilege. I know full well that though I might work hard, I have a leg up. I know that I walk through the world not subjected to the casual racism that people of color have to deal with every day. I know I make snap judgments I'm barely aware of. A little awareness goes a long way. It doesn't hurt that much.

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Mike commented July 18

M

Mike

Colorado

Imagine if all racial injustice could be magically rectified at the snap of your fingers, and every institution in the country admitted every race in proportion to each race’s prevalence in the population. The white graduates of Harvard would still feel they had earned their place in society because they beat out so many other competitors. The same would hold true for the Black, Hispanic, and Asian graduates. Hopefully, each would understand that they were either genetically privileged, environmentally privileged, or simply had better luck than others. We are all privileged in some way, including the author of this article. All of us should be more humble. None of us chose our strengths or weaknesses at birth. We take too much credit for our successes, and we dole out too much judgment for others’ perceived failures. Whether it be a homeless man on the corner or the underprivileged child who didn’t get excepted to college, there, but for the grace of God, go anyone of us. We take too much credit for our successes, and we dole out too much judgment for others’ perceived failures. Whether it be a homeless man on the corner or the underprivileged child who didn’t get excepted to college, there but for the grace of god go any one of us.

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Alan commented July 18

A

Alan

Houston

I find it very interesting that white women seem to interpret white privilege as white male privilege, but people of color interpret it as white privilege regardless of gender. My point here is that identity politics essentially goes nowhere. There was never a meeting where all the white men got together and agreed that they would run the world a certain way. History is evolution. The western democracies abolished slavery in the 19th century in part because of noble ideals but equally because the steam engine made slavery uneconomical. We can now enfranchise larger and larger segments of the population if we choose to, because we have the wealth and the energy (literally the energy resources) to do so. The real problem now is that a 0.1% of the people on earth own as much as the other 99.9%. Identity politics is just a smokescreen that keeps people from seeing where real inequality come from. Lastly,I suspect that any white professor who attempted to teach a coarse on blackness would be run out of whatever university she was teaching at.

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Caroline commented July 18

C

Caroline

Colorado

The one man's comment, "Asians are flooding the Ivy Leagues", is clumsily said to save himself because he perceives that both blacks/whites can both agree upon banding against another common adversarial race. However, on the flip side, Asians are also used as a successful model minority to discredit the needs of other racial minorities. The borders of racial privilege are easily extended or removed based on what's most beneficial at the given moment. But at the end of the day, it is all only in the interest of Caucasians.

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4 Real commented July 18

4 Real

4 Real

Ossining, NY

What an amazing article! I savored every nuance and beautifully constructed articulation of the truth of what it means to gaze on white privilege, and felt keenly the author's sorrow about its undeniable intrusion into every nook and cranny of her life. The graciousness with which she bore these tawdry and 'every day' insults as she travelled about to do her work, humbles me. Professor Rankine, Godspeed and God Bless your work at Yale. Your enlightened mind will surely bring medicine to many.

3 Recommend

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Realist@ commented July 18

R

Realist@

Oh

I saw privilege as a scholarship boy at an allegedly elite university fifty years ago. The others had so many unearned opportunities by means of inheritance. And they saw my privilege: I was almost always the best student, and was recognized and rewarded by my professors. This too was mainly a result of luck and inheritance, requiring relatively little work on my part and hence also unearned. None of us could really do anything to alter these discrepancies: I was never going to be related to money, and they were never going to be as booksmart as I. At the same time, we were almost all white males without handicaps, so we had it made as long as we didn’t mess up really badly. White privilege? You bet it exists. I benefited from it. The way I see it, white privilege need not mean that your life was easy or lucky (as I was), or even that you were treated fairly. It just means that your skin color didn’t make your problems worse.

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Bart commented July 18

B

Bart

Northern California

There is nothing on the Macintosh list that would be diminished for whites if it was available to everyone. Still, I think much of what we are seeing in Trump supporters is the fear of losing "privilege" that has been used to manipulate them since slavery days. The message to poor whites from the rich gentry was and is, "At least be glad that you aren't Black." I never though this country would change from white supremacist to multicultural without violent resistance. I remember as a student going out for drinks with my instructor and another student, both of whom were Black, on the night of Martin Luther King's assassination. We were all distraught and I asked what should I, as a White man, do? My fellow student said simply, "Don't oppress." I realize that was not enough and I have tried as a social worker to do a great deal more, but it was a place to start.

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Beyond Karma commented July 18

B

Beyond Karma

Miami

I was on a flight last Friday. I say next to a black woman. We chatted and laughed about our snoring. The flight attendant was a black woman. I was on the aisle. I asked 3 times for a coke refill and never got it, but the woman next to me was addressed at least 3 times while I waited. So what? The flight attendant probably had a bad day. Or maybe not.

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frank livingston commented July 18

F

frank livingston

Kingston, NY

My comments have not been published as of late, but here it goes: I don’t believe the white man at the airport was speaking of you in non-recognition or dismissiveness. Instead I think that - as both your work and my black experience leads my thoughts - in such desired non-recognition of your (our) existence they seek out a reference point for their own lesser existence (neither quality or quantity, but perhaps quazar (shout out to Shabazz Palaces)).

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MaryKayKlassen commented July 18

M

MaryKayKlassen

Mountain Lake, Minnesota

In small town America, in the Midwest, the only privilege was believing if your parents, owned a business, or had money, too many of the children, thought the police should give them a pass, if they got stopped for speeding, etc. The one policeman in our town, didn't care about privilege, as he only cared about the law. Our small town had only a few adopted children at the time. It was a place of mostly northern European, of which there were Scandinavian, German, French, Irish Catholic, etc. They were mostly Lutherans, and Mennonites. It was the time a lot of Laotians refugees moved in whose culture taught respect for their elders, little drinking, and were taught to apply themselves to their studies at school. They were the ones who didn't act out on privilege, as the parents weren't yet wealthy, or thought of themselves as upper class. Because of the Mennonites, and Lutherans, most of the people in the community were very accepting of outsiders. We had an influx of Hispanics because of the meatpacking plants, shortly after the Laotians moved there, and they and the Laotians became a large percentage in the school district. The problem they had, was their Catholicism, which, when the girls became pregnant, that culture encouraged them to quite school, marry, and then their life was already carved out for them, as they never returned to school. Religion, a father in the home, and work ethic determined the outcome of the children, as they grew up there in our town.

3 Recommend

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Chris commented July 18

C

Chris

Rurally Isolated

I never fail to answer the person who runs the check out line at whatever store I'm in when asked: "How's your day going?" and I reply: "Just fine, thanks. How bad could it be? I'm a white male in America." Usually, it gets very quiet in the line except for the rare occasion when someone bursts out laughing and everybody relaxes a bit.

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Tom Paine commented July 18

T

Tom Paine

Los Angeles

The ruling elite live on the idea of "otherness", which is generally a fascist tactic. The idea of "whiteness" is a fiction used to develop "otherness" to keep poor working of European descent to believe that while they and their children were on the verge of starvation working under slave wage and hourly conditions, that they would be easier to control if they were brain washed to believe that those people of somewhat different colored skin were inferior to them. Long before that, men in general did everything possible to make women feel inferior and that was used by the elites as well to make men easier to keep from engaging in revolution by making men feel superior to women. The real issue is that "otherness" and keeping people divided and fighting among each other is the most effective means of keeping the majority of people dropping their petty differences and engaging in the act of brotherly and "citizenly" care and love for one another and to actually move towards a government that is actually for most people and by people who see themselves more as part of a society and community than vastly differentiated and inferior or superior. This points to the nature of the egoistic mind and the history of war and destruction that the so called "ruling" "elite" have brought upon the species and now as a result the environment, the world, etc.

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JLedbetter commented July 18

J

JLedbetter

Alabama

The bottom line is this, teach your children to be kind and treat everyone with respect. I'm from the south and down here we don't have the racial issues that the rest of the country has. And I live in the heart of where the civil rights movement happened!

1 Recommend

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ScottLB commented July 18

S

ScottLB

Sunnyvale, CA

Great piece! I hope to sit next to Prof. Rankine on a plane sometime.

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Casey L. commented July 18

C

Casey L.

Brooklyn, NY

"Perhaps he, too, had heard the recent anecdote in which a black woman recalled a white woman’s stepping in front of her at her gate. When the black woman told her she was in line, the white woman responded that it was the line for first class." Or, perhaps, he has heard so many black people speaking about income inequality, that he can't imagine that a black person would be able to buy a first class ticket. There is a massive victim culture going on in the United States, from all races and genders, a race to see who is the most oppressed. But it can't possibly be black people doing it to themselves and facing the consequences; it's always someone else's fault.

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JAS3rd commented July 18

J

JAS3rd

Florida

If white male privilege means serving in Vietnam in my teens, coming back and working full time whilst going full time to a public university and earning two degrees and then working at various jobs and raising a family until my 70s all without fear or favor, arrest or addiction, then I guess I'm guilty.

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Anon commented July 18

A

Anon

Anon

So glad you mentioned treatment of Irish immigrants, now considered -- by themselves and others -- White. I knew someone who had inherited his grandfather's immigration certificate (or was it a naturalization document?) from earlier in the 20th century. It had a line titled "Race" and in the space provided was typed "IRISH" in the paper-indenting scar of the individual type bars.

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Manny Frishberg commented July 18

M

Manny Frishberg

Federal Way, WA

The problem I kept feeling throughout this article is encapsulated in this passage: "This white man who has spent the past 25 years in the world alongside me believes he understands and recognizes his own privilege. Certainly he knows the right terminology to use, even when these agreed-upon terms prevent us from stumbling into moments of real recognition. These phrases — white fragility, white defensiveness, white appropriation — have a habit of standing in for the complicated mess of a true conversation. At that moment, he wanted to discuss our current president instead. “That,” he said, “is a clear case of indignation and rage in the face of privilege writ large. Real power. Real consequences.” He was not wrong, of course, but he joined all the “woke” white men who set their privilege outside themselves — as in, I know better than to be ignorant or defensive about my own privilege. Never mind that that capacity to set himself outside the pattern of white male dominance is the privilege. There’s no outrunning the kingdom, the power and the glory." What is the right answer from her husband? If acknowledging "his own privilege" is ultimately read as a form of privilege, is there even such a thing as being White and woke? I grew up Jewish at just about the time Jews were becoming White. I know both the small sights of discrimination and the absence of them, first hand. I don't deny that I have gained advantages from my Whiteness, just insisting that it's more complicated.

3 Recommend

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historyRepeated commented July 18

H

historyRepeated

Massachusetts

A fascinating read! The language used in either end of the conversations (and in narration) is so contextual and loaded with multiple meanings (like diplomacy). It frankly made me a bit uncomfortable, but it makes me think about why do I feel that way. For the folks who get all disturbed about a black athlete taking a knee during the national anthem - why does it make you uncomfortable? Is it an uncomfortableness acknowledging your white privilege? That others are not treated the same as you? I suppose all I can do is learn, understand, and be the best I can be. Because my kids’ ethnicity is certainly not one that is presently favored by many in DC, and mine currently is. Please publish more articles like this.

1 Recommend

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Ed Richards commented July 18

E

Ed Richards

Chicago

My introduction to "white privilege" was this example from NPR. Whites get the down payment on their first house given to them by their parents while others don't. I was not gifted a house. My family was poor. Another experience was being passed over for promotion in favor of people with lower test scores. I participated in a law suit. The Northern District of Illinois ruled that I had been discriminated against, however, as this resulted from an affirmative action program it was legal. The Seventh Circuit agreed and SCOTUS would not grant certiorari. From start to finish the litigation took approximately ten years. we plaintiffs were required to pay court costs. I learned that at the district and appellate level 7 judges had studied the case. 6 of the 7 judges were Republican appointees. My last lawsuit regarded disparate impact discrimination by age. I learned about this when I was required to take an EEO class from the Federal Government. I made several complaints and I sued. After my initial filing and 2 amendments the Federal District Court Judge ruled that one ancillary part of my case could go forward and everything else was not timely. In a deposition the defendant subpoenaed copious amounts of my HIPAA information and during the deposition went so far as to demand information on the conditions of my birth. I was forced out of my job. My experience was expensive and unprivileged.

2 Recommend

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commenter commented July 18

C

commenter

brooklyn

ignorance isn't always a function of will. empathy is difficult for the best of us. but it's not an excuse for what we, as white men, settle for. as a middle aged white man who has always struggled with his role in a hierarchical nation, i thank you for this perspective. honest discussion is the only way forward, but there's a lot of reality to accept. old dogs find that hard. it's hard to abandon the identity one embraces in his most impressionable years. but i can tell you from personal experience that change can happen. there is a future where love eclipses hate. even hate we can't admit to. very few people can let go of components of identity inherited from fathers, mothers, presidents. but you are making a difference, in the best style.

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David L, Jr. commented July 18

David L, Jr.

David L, Jr.

Jackson, MS

Of course white privilege exists, but we can't unwind history. And how big of a problem is it? African-Americans are privileged relative to most people because of what's behind the hyphen. There is a passage here that begins, "Full understanding would..." The author is telling this human being that if he was fully conscious of his situation, he would see what she sees, as she sees all. If I see through a glass darkly, doesn't she? Do victims see oppressors rightly? Why, ahem, privilege their perspectives? About two months ago, I read Benny Morris's "The Thirty-Year Genocide." Recounting our post-slavery horrors, they seem near trifles by comparison to what everyday Turks did to minorities. I understand that people like her don't like to contextualize things in history, and see it as a defense mechanism, but ... sorry. In just the past generation, America has become a much more tolerant and civilized place. We no longer lynch those different from ourselves. Trump may not be a trend but a dying gasp. Young Republicans do not think as their parents do about race. Considering our history, this is no trivial achievement. This kind of thinking, meaning hers, is dangerous. Why? Because, like Marxism and Freudianism, you are not allowed to disagree. (The only reason you disagree with the former is because you're a victim of false consciousness; with the latter, because you're in love with your mother.) Indeed, disagreement itself only further proves the correctness of the accuser.

3 Recommend

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Peter Blau commented July 18

P

Peter Blau

NY Metro

Ms. Rankine writes very nicely and I am impressed by her intellectual and professional accomplishments. Too bad she is caught up in a silly, currently-fashionable business of "whiteness" studies, which seems to me nothing more than a new way-- in 1970's lingo -- to "lay a guilt trip" on a whole segment of society, based not on anything they've done , but on the skin color and gender they were born with. Polite people accused of "white male privilege" may smile and say gentle things when they are put down in this manner, but this is not a winning formula for achieving true harmony in our multicultural society.

4 Recommend

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Karen Greiner commented July 18

K

Karen Greiner

New York, NY

As a human being fond of eloquence I applaud the author and NYT for this thought-provoking article.

1 Recommend

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J.C. commented July 18

J

J.C.

Michigan

Honest conversations about race are nearly impossible in this country, and the truly elite and privileged are cheering us on as those of us who have seen out lives hollowed out by them attack each other instead of the source of our misery. I would not blame any white man for not engaging in the conversation this woman wants to engage them in. She's not actually looking to learn anything. She's looking to have her pre-conceived ideas about white men confirmed and no one will escape the trap, even the "woke" white men. I don't run in the same elite circles as this Yale professor and I have never flown first class in my life. If I did, maybe I'd see more of this privilege all around me. What I do know is that nobody who is struggling in life, regardless of skin color, wants to be accused of being "privileged", and no good is going to come from forcing that burden on someone who doesn't deserve it. Nobody who has had a young man go to war and not come home, or come home with parts of his body or mind missing, wants to hear about their privilege. Nobody who has stood in those same unemployment lines with their black brothers from the defunct factory want to hear about it. Nobody who has had their father die an early death from working in the coal mines wants to hear about it. And to deny one's own privilege is not the same as denying that racism exists and is a big problem in this country. The two thoughts can reside in the same head.

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Mark commented July 18

M

Mark

Las Vegas

I’m a white male. There is no such thing as “white male privilege.” We live in a society where some people have more than others. Lebron James Jr. has more than I did when I was his age. Is he not deserving of it? Should he feel guilty? Should he have to answer for it? My point is, there’s a contention that white men have something they don’t deserve and should answer for it. I don’t understand that. And, quite frankly, it makes me angry.

3 Recommend

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Juniper commented July 18

J

Juniper

NYC

White privilege is misnamed; it is the wrong concept—but I think I get the idea. Once when I was much younger and used to stay out late, I crossed Central Park on foot at like 3:00 AM. It was faster, and it was a beautiful summer night. Some police officers stopped me and gave me a summons. I had to appear in court. So I went. I was the only white man in a full room of people of color waiting to see the judge—of course the judge was white and so were the two lawyers. The counselor who was helping those summoned picked me out immediately, told me: I will have you out of here right away. Which he did! The judge scolded me, I apologized for my foolishness, and that was that.

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Far Away commented July 18

F

Far Away

Olympic Peninsula

Wow, what a journey. Thank you for that and the comments are just what I expected. I'll leave it at that.

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Javaid Akhtar commented July 18

J

Javaid Akhtar

Basingstoke

I seen inside the life of lots of wealthy and they are no more happy than anyone else .But they have safety and mobility beyond the means of others. As for the rest of us we all in a World that is priced for struggle. Its just priced higher for non-whites. It should be not seen a privilege issue as that re-frames 'white ' struggle as privilege. But purely as a fairness issue .We should all be struggling equally.

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CIP commented July 18

C

CIP

Las Cruces, NM

A very long article about how the Prof. Rankine asked hardly any white men about their privilege. I think there is a lot of things wrong with the concept of white privilege. One is that it is calculated to annoy rather than educate or persuade. If that's your objective, just don't be surprised when those accused are annoyed. Another problem is that it is a bad description of the actual problem. The root meaning of the word "privilege" is a special right granted by law (from the Latin for private law). Most so-called "white privilege" is actually discrimination against non-whites. Why not call it that? Because academics need to publish stuff that at least feigns originality. It's just slightly irritating to a retired and moderately well off person like myself. It is deeply offensive to the many "privileged" whites who struggle pay the rent and their medical bills, especially when the interrogator is globe trotting Yale professor. To repeat, if your objective is to annoy and make enemies, you are on the right path. If you want to obtain justice, not so much.

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ronald kaufman commented July 18

R

ronald kaufman

south carolina

Thoughtful article but it must be depressing for the author to look at every interaction in a lens of color. Her every thought questions her motives or subconscious and those of the person engaged. As an elderly white male, I had never looked at what I did as a privilege or dominance. I just thought it was my job and duty to family and society. I had no desire to have a career other than to provide for my family. I had no desire to "lord" over people, I just wanted to be one of them. Because of what I looked like when born and the gender I was, I am now ashamed of who I am. I am worthless in society, wanting to cower in the corner. I have difficulty having a conversation with a woman or person of color for fear of unitentionally be offensive or worse, being scolded for not engaging. I admit it, I am lost for the action I am supposed to take I am not a screamer or protester by nature. I like to get along with people. I find it hard to join women and people of color in marches and protests because that it not the way I have solved problems. It is also hard to admit wrongdoing when the sin was being born, something I was not a part of. I have tried to do right by all the people I have worked with and mentored and interacted with through my 70 years. If I got it wrong, I am sorry. I hope you can work through all your thoughts and forgive people like me. Many of us try, but fumble on the way. I am sorry

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Casual Observer commented July 18

C

Casual Observer

Los Angeles

This “white male privilege” concept bothered me because it asserts that all white males are beneficiaries of discrimination of non-whites and what they have is from the labors of those that were exploited. It clearly ignored all the poor people who are white and dismissed the hard work of most people who are white. But now I see from what this assertion comes and why it is being made with such certainty. Statistically comparisons of sample populations clearly show significant disparities where the only clear correlation is racial. These measures include all categories from average wealth to average life expectancies. Racial differences are still showing disadvantages for those who were systematically discriminated against by white people. The assertion of white privilege is from two sources. First the average measures for white people show significant advantages. Secondly, lacking a cause from direct evidence, a hypothetical cause might be that white males are denying equality to non-whites still and are doing so to protect their advantages. Averages do not apply to every individual in a population. They are a population measure which never apply to everybody i that population. Secondly correlations never explain cause and effect for those correlations. Cause and effect must be determined by scientific research. The “white male privilege’ hypotheses is just speculative, unproven. The actual causes for the persistent inequalities remains in need of rational explanation.

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misternl commented July 18

M

misternl

Westchester, NY

When waiting in line, it is accepted that one person can 'save' a spot for another companion or family member. If you get there first, you hold a space so you can stand together with your traveling companion in the line and enter the plane together. I believe that's standard polite behavior that applies across races.

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steven wilsonl commented July 18

S

steven wilsonl

portland or

There is of course total truth in this, but the whole white privilege education approach is doomed to failure because it lacks Nuance, lacks an understanding of the bigger world Beyond certain demographic groups in America,refuses to except its role in furthering division and the reelection of the alleged occupant. It does not understand deeper human psychology And the fact people are still going to resent being talked down to, whether or not their defensiveness is well taken.It becomes a dogma And shrinks and does not expand.The elitist criticisms unfortunately are very true. Hoping this contributes to a better world and healing. and the fact people are still going to resent being talked down to, whether or not their defensiveness is well taken.

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Kim commented July 18

K

Kim

San Francisco

There is white privilege in this world, but it remains that compared to all men, women of any race are much less likely to be victims of violent crime, workplace death and injury, suicide, military combat death and injury, and receive much shorter prison sentences for identical crimes, even when controlled for previous convictions.

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ABF commented July 18

A

ABF

USA

Thought provoking. I am a POC who works for the federal government. Privileged in many ways but grew up never feeling like I belonged anywhere. Did not belong here because I am not white. Don't belong in my "home country" that doesn't allow dual citizenship. Have been asked my entire life "where are you from?" Anyway, hired into the U.S. govt in 2015. The last two years have been hard. The last week has been very difficult. I broke down in tears today. My dream has become a nightmare. I wish my employer would address the tweets with us. Tell us those we don't represent that. Acknowledged that this not what we as a country are. But they've not said anything because those in power are all white and do not understand what those tweets mean to a POC. They are ignoring them for good reasons - they don't deserve any attention. I don't blame them. And I don't want to think about colorism. It's hard to care and hard not to care.

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NorthernVirginia commented July 18

N

NorthernVirginia

Falls Church, VA

Claudia Rankine has committed the fallacy of asking a complex question. Here is the definition: "A question that has a presupposition built in, which implies something but protects the one asking the question from accusations of false claims. It is a form of misleading discourse, and it is a fallacy when the audience does not detect the assumed information implicit in the question and accepts it as a fact." White privilege is a myth, an insult, and a convenient way for others to justify failures which are attributable solely to their own actions or inaction.

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kyzipster commented July 18

K

kyzipster

Louisville, KY

Imagine interviewing African Americans starting with a premise that the welfare state, not systemic racism, is keeping a high percentage of African Americans in poverty, as if this is an established fact. Citing Sowell, McWhorter, a number of conservative African American academics to establish credibility. Suggesting that some published books or articles equates to a theory being factual. I'm not a conservative but I've listened to these academics, I think realities can have multiple truths and their arguments ring true, but they don't hold the only truth. I also think there are links between poverty and recent, historical oppression. Both things can be true but every individual has a different story to tell. What would be the point of a conservative interviewing individual back people on welfare to see if 'they get it'? These debates have merit but when we troll the population for evidence, it's basic tribalism imo. That's how I feel about 'whiteness studies', it's theory. I don't dismiss it outright but it's not an established truth. It's a dehumanizing ideology that dismisses life experiences. I think it's a valid debate but very insulting on an individual level. In the end, what is the point of getting white men to accept your beliefs about their privilege? If minorities and others want to know who is on their side politically, they could debate an actual legislative agenda to address inequities in society. This isn't politics, it's a culture war.

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Miles Hays commented July 18

M

Miles Hays

Austin, TX

May be weak question, but does anyone know if this course, the author describes, is recorded and available online? These are all questions I've had and would love to have answered.

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RBS commented July 18

R

RBS

Little River, CA

Didn't Lakoff warn us about letting labels (e.g. white privledge, social security as an entitlement)to frame the issues. For years we had the "underprivileged" attached to those who were less fortunate and unsuccessful. Now things have been flipped over and those who are not underprivledged and not a person of color exercise "white privilege". The purpose of this transformation is make white folks feel guilty, the assumption being that because they are not underprovledged they are "oppressors". While this may be calculated to promote a greater effort to bring about racial equality aren't we playing with fire and stoking feelings of resentment and division much to Trump's delight? Bernie Sanders has cosnistently talked in terms of economic justice for all which seems what we need and is a less divise way of framing the issue.

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RAB commented July 18

R

RAB

CO

In our culture, there are built-in advantages for men in some situations, women in other situations, and white people in general. It is absurd to assume that men have always had it great, and only women have been compromised. For instance, many people still assume that men have no emotional life, other than caring for a woman. Regarding race, if we talk about “white privileged”, it makes it sound like a whole state of being. It makes it sound like white people experience privilege in a pervasive way. I see all the structural and historical factors that give advantages to white people. But I do not think “white privileged” accurately describes what white people are experiencing. Instead, if you ask white people if they are aware of any “potential advantages they may experience by being white”, you may have a more open conversation. Many white people and men are aware of these potential advantages, and try to live in the world without taking advantage of these opportunities. I know a lot of white men like this. If you ask people how they navigate all these cultural dynamics, you will be asking about their daily life, their feelings and thought process. That is better than defining them in a generic way and expecting them to discuss the way you are defining them. That is the problem with all this pc theory. Ask the person about who they are and how they operate - don’t define them with theories. That in itself is a power move - be more open to who they really are.

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Carl Krawitt commented July 18

Carl Krawitt

Carl Krawitt

Corte Madera, CA

Experience the entry to the Apartheid museum in Johannesburg and you can truly understand the feeling of white privilege. We bought four tickets and approached the entrance where the guard instructed us to look on the back of our ticket where our race was documented. Our tickets were a “race card.” My nine-year-old son was “black”, my wife was white and my 11-year-old daughter and I were “colored.” We separated and began our tour with a different exhibit... eventually reunited after exiting the separate halls. Each exhibit was different and we later were able to return to see what they saw. When we tell the story of our trip to South Africa... this was much more impactful than the safari...and helped me understand my privilege. Perhaps we could better understand the negative effects of the “race card” for the majority of non-whites, rather than focusing on the few who might get into Yale in a tie-breaker.

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Jude commented July 18

J

Jude

US

This is a conversation that (in my opinion) needs to be had. Thank you for this. However, as so many of these conversations happened on airplanes, I couldn't help but think of "first world privilege" or perhaps "first world bubble.". There are billions of people in the world who will never fly through the air. Nor will they have the carbon footprint that such flying creates. Can we have a conversation about the climate crisis we with so much privilege are responsible for?

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Kristin commented July 18

K

Kristin

Wisconsin

I wish we sat next to each other on a plane, and I wish that you had asked me. I want to talk about this, too. My first true understanding of my own white privilege came long before I heard the term. In the early 90's I was working in Atlanta for a non-profit. Fresh out of college, after growing up in an all-white Midwest town, I was a working class fish out of water. With the help of a good tailor, I could pass as upper middle class. A co-worker -- African-American, professional parents, Spelman College graduate and wife of an Ivy League lawyer -- and I were walking into one of Atlanta's country clubs. She had a Wall Street Journal tucked under her arm. I asked why - she said that it signaled that she belonged there, and she had been stopped at clubs before. The ensuing conversation slammed me out of my naivete. When we walked into that club, or any of the others I visited for work, I did not question that I had a right to that exclusive space. In fact, I had always been welcomed into those spaces. Meanwhile, my co-worker had to formulate a strategy for getting in the door without being questioned. In the 26 years since, I have listened, learned and worked to change what I can. I've also been keenly aware that my climb into the upper middle class has been eased by the simple fact that the skin I wear grants me opportunities and benefit that others do not have. Dear Fellow White People, we have much to learn. Let's be open to hearing what others are saying.

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2 REPLIES

strong silence commented July 18

S

strong silence

Beloved Community

@Kristin "even as they determined so much of what was possible in my life and in the lives of others.." I am not to blame.

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Anon commented July 18

A

Anon

Anon

Indeed! And XY people have same obligation to understand how the better treatment and learned entitlement that the shape of their skin impacts them, others, and all of our lives.

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Eric commented July 18

E

Eric

Seattle

25 years ago a colleague passed me in the hall at work. "How's it going?" he asked. I smiled, shrugged, and said, "White, male, in America." He caught up with me later that day to say I made him think about how fortunate we were. He was also white. And being American is a privilege! Privilege is certainly a loaded word these days, as though it were a sin. "You've been privileged since the day you were born!" Rather than deny my privilege - whether white, male, or economic - I try to step up to the responsibility it affords. Sometimes I am a stranger in a room and I envy the people with the privilege of entering in and seeing many friends. When I enter another room, where I have friends, I try to find the people who don't have that privilege. It is a small way to share my social privilege in that situation. It is unlikely I'll ever feel the disadvantages of women, non-heterosexual, and non-white people. But I embrace my privilege as an opportunity to be their ally when I can.

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K P F commented July 18

K

K P F

Vanderbilt

Professor Rankine, this was an excellent piece as it allows white people to see themselves in the encounters you shared. It also puts these encounters in the theoretical framework of whiteness. However, there were points in your narratives of these encounters where I questioned if an overlapping framework of discourse might also apply. As a reader, I wondered why you didn't engage in more small talk in some of these situations, or at least didn't report doing much of this. For example, to the flight attendant, I wondered if you could have said something like, "Excuse me, I know you are really busy, but after waiting to board, I'm so thirsty and wondering about that orange juice." That engagement could have made your interaction with the attendant richer and given you more data from which to interpret the encounter. Thank you again for an important piece that helps us see how privilege is racially inherited and denied.

1 Recommend

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Lawrence commented July 18

L

Lawrence

Morningside Heights

To me, the brilliance of this article is that it poses more questions than it makes declarative statements. Certainly, the author has formed opinions about white male privilege, but she hasn’t assumed or concluded that she completely understands the mind set of the privileged. In my mind, a scholar should always be curious and questioning. Teachers should continue to be scholars as well as instructors.

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Alexandra commented July 18

A

Alexandra

Chicago

This article for me represents a growing issue I take with prominent black intellectuals that I once loved (Ta-Nehisi Coates included). She's discussing the effect of microaggressions on first-class plane cabins? It's not that she doesn't have a point, but why are we frequently neglecting the institutional body of racism in favor of its symptoms? Why not discuss moving ahead black eduaction, not just by means of affirmative action but also by K-12 public schools. Why don't we discuss black incarceration? Jobs for the black community in a changing urban economy? White privilege isn't exercised through the diluted means of people (humans just like us), it is an abstraction that stands for the historical accumulation of wealth that makes it possible for whites to get into Yale, hold office, etc. This is why white men get so defensive about the question of privilege. Do they benefit from skin privilege? Of course, but is usually not individuals who should be held culpable and in constant apology for a greater economic entity which is not of their direct doing. My point is this discussion of white privilege is examined in a social context when it should be discussed as a direct result of capitalism. After all, it was the Southern states agricultural market that drove the need for slavery in the first place. Once we start advocating for black economic rights, and fair regulations on the market, we can finally improve the latent attitudes of white men on white privilege.

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Killoran commented July 18

K

Killoran

Lancaster

I don't know of a single successful social movement whose chief strategy was a demand that "The Oppressor" acknowledge their privilege. Not a single one. The movements that were successful, such as the labor movement in the 1930s & 40s reached across race, gender, ethnic, and religious lines. African Americans, who constitute 12% of the total U. S. population, should focus on this strategy.

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FlipFlop commented July 18

F

FlipFlop

Cascadia

I admit that I felt irritated when reading this. I am a lower-middle-income, older white woman, and I have experienced most of what the author described. I signed up for TSA Pre-check 3 years ago and yet, I get pulled aside by security almost every time I fly. I’ve had flight attendants forget my drink. And I’ve never had the privilege of flying first class. I routinely see men cutting in front of me in line. Men routinely speak over me. So I wonder — how much of what the author describes is white privilege? Is it possible that it’s actually male privilege?

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4 REPLIES

Andrew commented July 18

A

Andrew

Philadelphia

I think it is both white and male privilege. (From a white man mansplaining it to you.)

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Jane commented July 18

J

Jane

Portland

@FlipFlop Oh yes, absolutely. It's both.

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J.C. commented July 18

J

J.C.

Michigan

@FlipFlop Is it possible that obnoxious behavior cuts across all demographics and you only judge it as privilege when it's done by men?

5 Recommend

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Kathryn commented July 18

K

Kathryn

NC

Thank you for your hard work. Right now there are a lot of people saying not what they think, but what others think, and generally are incorrect. Its a hard question , one that invites ire, but also needs to be asked.

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LGW commented July 18

L

LGW

Atlanta

Wow. Brilliant writing. So many concepts to consider. So many questions asked with compassion, curiosity and a willingness to understand. The best article I have read about race in America. Thank you Claudia.

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Edward commented July 18

E

Edward

Taipei

This is a superb essay. It conveys so clearly and vividly, with such fine-grained articulation, all the windings and doublings, false starts and second guesses, that exist in the mind of a person of color. Readers should not concentrate only on the concept of "white male privilege", which is invoked throughout and explicated to some degree. (That would be the "it's all about me" response.) Rather they should try to inhabit the multiplicity and self-critical awareness of the writer's experience. (This is the "so that's what it's like to be you" response.)

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1 REPLY

DSM commented July 18

D

DSM

St Louis

Thanks. That’s a nice guidance.

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sleepyhead commented July 18

S

sleepyhead

Detroit

Once, when I was traveling for work my flight home was interrupted by bad weather and I had to stay over in Memphis. I was given a new ticket in first class (I generally flew first class as a frequent flyer). When I got to the gate my first class seat was taken away. The gate agent told me that I wasn't confirmed as being in the airport. I had never heard the term "confirmed as being at the airport" and requested, then demanded my seat back. A large white male passenger interjected himself in the conversation and told me I could not have that first class seat. There was pretty much a melee, with him and the gate agent yelling I would not have that seat, and me insisting I would. I remembered where I was and backed down. I'd emailed the airline before I hit the ground. When they emailed me back they apologized, said they hadn't heard the term either and gave me 20,000 miles. The other incident was when I was boarding for work one Monday morning and asked at the gate if I was going to be upgraded on the flight. That would save me and my baggage walking forward on the plan near takeoff. The gate agent glanced at me and told me there were no upgrades on that flight. Before I got to my seat, she called my name for the upgraded ticket. She was sensible enough to be embarrassed which gave me the room to be gracious about it. I do make it a policy to remember who I am which I think prevents many issues. That way also, I can be pleasantly surprised.

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J House commented July 18

J

J House

NY,NY

I have lived and worked in Malaysia for the past 20 years, although I also live in the U.S. The Malaysian government manages what is called a 'Bumiputra' system, that might be described as state-sponsored 'Brown privilege', or, 'affirmative action for the majority'. It is well intended, in that in Malaysia most of the country's wealth resides within the racial minorities, not within the political and racial majority in charge since independence. However, in practice it increases, not decreases, racial resentment, and certainly has not created economic equality in the decades it has been in place. The system has mainly benefited the political elites. There is a seething current of racial resentment in the country, and much of it is due to political policies meant to mean well for the people and create racial income equality.

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Ralph Averill commented July 18

R

Ralph Averill

Litchfield County, Ct

It is remarkable that such an intellectually thick essay could be so well written, so compelling. I could not stop reading it, even though the Tour de France is calling. I am comforted that a person of such rich experience, intellectual gifts, and keen insights is helping to shape the thinking of many future leaders as they metriculate through Yale. I think it unlikely that even the most obtuse of Claudia Rankine's students will not be positively affected by time spent in her classroom. (And hopefully learn to write better sentences as well.)

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Bob commented July 18

Bob

Bob

Plymouth

You are doing a great job. In Australia, Aboriginies, are treated poorly but if you take the time to talk to them, as I do, they are gifted artists and incredibly bright. They are the real treasure of Australia as the first True Australians.

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Matt Polsky commented July 18

M

Matt Polsky

White, New Jersey

The best explanation I've seen of white privilege, but there are problems. Rather than focusing on problems with its assertion--usually without any, or little, evidence of the background or circumstances of the specific individual charged with it, or basing a judgment on an ambiguous situation, I suggest psychology and philosophy and some older academic concepts have some relevance. These would have helped. I'm aware that parts of academia have discarded objectivity and legitimized subjectivity. But while the former has problems, going to the other extreme creates new ones. What is needed is a hybrid, which would include guidelines for the kind of research shown here. Academics, as much as anyone, should model to their students that we can always be wrong. Knowledge, in most cases, is contingent until disproved, which can happen. But you have to show you're open to that. Academics should be aware of the most powerful of the many cognitive biases, confirmation bias. We tend to see what we are expecting. It probably takes real effort, and lots of self-questioning (which the author does a little of, but not enough) to fight it. Finally, to the degree anyone seriously pursues philosophical truth anymore, any one of us can see only a piece of the world and probably holds only a piece of the truth. You have to be open to the other pieces held by others. To get there takes humility, an open mind, a self-critical nature, a willingness to say "I was wrong," and then learn from that.

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2 REPLIES

Casual Observer commented July 18

C

Casual Observer

Los Angeles

White male privilege is only to be found in the advantages shown by averages of population studies. The odds are that many white males approached in this manner will in fact be less well off that an average non-white of either gender. Cause and effect is not proven by correlations, which makes this quest of the author even more unpredictable. What it means is the assertion of all white men having been the beneficiaries of white make privilege is without sound evidence. They were not disadvantaged by the discrimination against non-whites and some did benefit a lot from it.

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M. A. Davis commented July 18

M

M. A. Davis

San Francisco

Could read passed “specific individual charged with it.” Sadly you’ve missed, by a long got the entire purpose of the essay.

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LTJ commented July 18

L

LTJ

Utah

With all due respect, I fly a few hundred thousand miles each year and I can tell you definitely that people cut into first class lines regardless of race, color or creed. To be fair, it is most common on flights to LA and JFK.

105 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Pete commented July 18

P

Pete

New Jersey

That is so not the point.

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Fred commented July 18

F

Fred

Columbia

My takeaway from this article, is the seeming detachment of the wealthy to middle class life in this country. I work two jobs, keeping a roof over my parents heads and separately my own. I haven't flown here or there, nor have I jetted off to South Africa for vacation excursions. I find myself becoming emotionally detached from the personal exploration of social bias in this country. It must be nice to have the time, money and discretion to indulge oneself. The college students I work with are not attending Yale. They are getting by eating cheap ramen noodles and car pooling. They also have a low opinion about america's version of capitalism. I wonder if the columnist can truly understand their viewpoint. More and more I agree with the students and less with elite musings.

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Jenna B commented July 18

J

Jenna B

Boston

Thank you, Mrs. Rankine for sharing your findings. I agree with the fact that white privilege is still very prominent. However, I believe sometimes the encounters are subconscious. I found the airport TSA example very eye opening. White males seldom get stopped in airport security and usually the "random" people that are stopped are ethnically diverse. I sincerely doubt that the airport security deliberately picks out minorities, but I find it very possible that subconsciously they stereotype minorities. Most people grew up in a society where racial incidents were very prominent, whether its a negative situation or a positive one. Race is usually pointed out. This idea of segregation has been programmed into their brain to the point where they will stereotype people racially without even realizing it. This aspect of society can make it very difficult for minorities to live their everyday life without either being offended or being segregated against.

1 Recommend

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3 REPLIES

Bigfrog commented July 18

Bigfrog

Bigfrog

Oakland, CA

@Jenna B. This short casually dressed white male in his 40s routinely gets shuffled into the TSA line for extra scrutiny. It happens more often in the Midwest than the coasts. There was one time my backpack was scanned, they had me open it, remove a brown paper bag containing two pb&j sandwiches my mom made for me, scan that paper bag, then remove each sandwich and individually scan each. Recently I was in TSA line behind a fancy white couple, the TSA agent sent them down one aisle and me the other and I thought to myself "here we go again...". Then I realized the black TSA agent sent fancy couple for extra scrutiny and gave me a free pass. I felt like I won the lottery.

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Beth Boam commented July 18

B

Beth Boam

Chicago

I almost always get stopped at TSA even though I have TSA precheck. They always tell me it’s random. I’m a white middle aged female.

1 Recommend

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Michael commented July 18

M

Michael

Sarasota FL

Really, mostly people of color get stopped by TSA agents? Not in my experience—I and other middle- class looking older white men and women have been repeatedly selected for random screenings, as have quite elderly white women in wheelchairs! An idiotic system, but they certainly seem to bend over backwards to not profile.

4 Recommend

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Dabney L commented July 18

D

Dabney L

Brooklyn

Thank you Mrs. Rankin for this deeply personal and profound essay. Racism is taught and learned at a young age. I was lucky to spend my early childhood living on military bases in D.C. and Virginia, and attending private Chatholic schools; all racially diverse communities of living and learning. Many of my neighbors, classmates and friends were African American or the kids, or grandkids, of immigrants from Mexico, El Salvador, India and Vietnam, to name a few. We were bonded by our shared experiences and the ethos of our communities- honor, discipline, loyalty, respect, charity, compassion and love. They were my friends because I liked them. I loved going over to their houses because they had different types of food, artwork, music and tchotchkes that opened up a whole world of flavors, imagination and wonder. Of course I knew their skin color was different! Color blindness is a genetic condition, not a state of mind. Racism is a state of mind. And a cancer of the soul. I’m grateful for those communities, but especially my mom, who has always moved through the world with an open mind, a boundless curiosity and a bleeding heart for every human being and other living thing. She was also aware of her white priveledge and made darn well sure her kids knew it too. Parents, teach your children well.

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christopher hyk commented July 18

C

christopher hyk

maine

This article made me think of the advice given to Nick Carraway by his father in The Great Gatsby, "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.".

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Richard commented July 18

R

Richard

London

Is mind your own business a possible answer?

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Why? commented July 18

W

Why?

USA

To a hammer, everything looks like a nail. To a professor who’s career depends on being able to condemn all white people as racists who are hostile to minorities, every white person is a racist who is hostile to minorities.

208 Recommend

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8 REPLIES

susan commented July 18

S

susan

providence

@Why? Acknowledging differences and wanting to understand them is not racist. Prof. Rankine demonstrates throughout the article that she has not condemned white people or called us racist. She related to and sometimes enjoyed the white men she met and thought carefully about these interactions. As a teacher and academic, she hoped to improve her insight about something that frequently separates us as humans. How did you conclude anything different?

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Karen Green commented July 18

K

Karen Green

Los Angeles

That’s not a very insightful reductio argument. She does not seem at all trying to condemn anyone or prove hostility. She does observe it though. Her fault for noticing?

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Seth commented July 18

S

Seth

New York

@Why? I agree. A white male cuts in front of you in line, you get pulled aside by TSA although you are TSA prechecked, etc......it has to be white privilege at work.......as a white male, of course none of those things have ever happened to me......

6 Recommend

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Frank Jordon commented July 18

F

Frank Jordon

Oakland

Great and interesting article! But saddened by the litany of denials from whites about their undeniable privilege. I recently came across Roy Wood's comedy bit about needing a receipt for a small purchase at an electronics store. As a black man, there's no way Roy is walking out the door without his purchase in a bag, and he jokes he wants his receipt stapled to the outside, like Chinese takeout. As a white guy, the privilege of walking out of the store with my items, sans bag and receipt, had never occurred to me. It was actually a source of pride that I could manage several items without the need of a wasteful bag. On countless occasions I've answer in the negative when ask if I needed my receipt. Of course I've never worried that anyone would question, much less shoot me, for simply walking out of the store with a six-pack under my arm. It's a privilege most whites don't even acknowledge. Check out Roy's funny and insightful bit at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OGBC1aEyfqg

29 Recommend

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sdt commented July 18

S

sdt

st. johns,mi

Its paradise. I've had a life without problems. Thanks for asking. Racism is a human problem.

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bill commented July 18

B

bill

MD

If you want to be treated well then earn it. Value education, learn manners, and get some culture. There is no special 'privilege".

32 Recommend

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3 REPLIES

nw2 commented July 18

N

nw2

New York

@bill Prof. Henry Louis Gates was arrested and held for hours in a cell on suspicion of "breaking into" his own house. Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker was taken outside and frisked on suspicion of shoplifting at a deli. And so on, and so on. Should they have valued education and culture more?

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Anti-Marx commented July 18

Anti-Marx

Anti-Marx

manhattan

@nw2 As far as I understand, Gates was in the car, while his driver tried to enter his house. So, what the neighbor saw was a man who was not Prof. Gates trying to get into Prof Gates' house. Don't make the event out to be something that it wasn't. That's how I heard the story. I've met Prof. Gates (I dated one his graduate students). But he did not tell me the story.

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mmk commented July 18

M

mmk

Silver City, NM

Culture, you say. That is a very broad brush word but I imagine your version is very, shall we say, white European.

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Todd Eastman commented July 18

T

Todd Eastman

Putney, VT

Perhaps flying in Coach would alleviate some of the boorish and humility-free behavior of the business guys... ... and alter the author's survey results...

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AW commented July 18

A

AW

Richmond, VA

Identity seems to begin and end in “I”. For starters, the Yale professor’s constant use of the word I is remarkable. Here is my view of white privilege; it’s fairly true but it’s been weaponized by persons such as the author in a Marxist way. Should the Professor not use her advantage or privileged position for her children’s benefit if they apply to Yale? Who decides who gets to benefit from their privileged place in society? I would never vote for Trump but this mentality of accusation overinformed by subjectivity and sensitivity ultimately drives decent folks away from Democrats who espouse similar worlviews.

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1 REPLY

Edward commented July 18

E

Edward

Taipei

@AW The perception of "accusation" in response to honest discussion of factual realities is what we here term "white fragility". And, yes, this sort of thing will divide us and drive white people away from the right causes. But to paraphrase Kierkegaard, once we have taken the trouble to express ourselves clearly and done our best to honestly make our meaning known, isn't the responsibility on the listener to hear us right?

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Mitch commented July 18

M

Mitch

Connecticut

Great serious piece. Perhaps it's relevant that I am a white guy and white guys cut in front of me all the time. It's definitely a trait of white guys....perhaps exacerbated by feelings of superiority in general.

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Stuck In Steerage commented July 18

S

Stuck In Steerage

Row 31 Seat B

I’m white and male and have never flown first class in 40 years of flying. Is there a secret handshake or something I don’t know about? Come‘on guys....

56 Recommend

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Robin in California commented July 18

R

Robin in California

Santa Monica

This: "His unconscious understanding of whiteness meant the space I inhabited should have been only his."

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1 REPLY

Why? commented July 18

W

Why?

USA

Or maybe he’s just the kind of guy who doesn’t want to be around anyone?

3 Recommend

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Honora commented July 18

Honora

Honora

NY

How awful! To go through life assuming everyone has the same obsession with race that you do.

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3 REPLIES

Jane commented July 18

J

Jane

Portland

@Honora Ah, the privilege of the "white racial frame" wherein the dominant race doesn't have to think about race because their experience is just assumed, natural and expected. And they certainly don't want the non-dominant race to always be thinking about race despite the fact that they can never be free of it because the dominant race never lets them forget through a thousand tiny cuts that most people are unaware they make.

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Jeff commented July 18

J

Jeff

USA

@Jane Professor Rankine is free to interpret her every-day interactions with any other lens anytime she feels like it. I suspect she'd find it enlightening to see her fellow travelers just as stressed-out upper-middle-class folks who are just like her, rather than a series of racial stereotypes playing out pre-ordained roles. She might even take her therapist's advice and realize that not everything that happens around her happens because she is a black woman.

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Jane commented July 18

J

Jane

Portland

@Jeff What is it that makes you uncomfortable with the idea that subtle, implicit bias against people of color might exist. Social scientists are able to study it. We have ample proof throughout our society that it exists. In schools, in hospitals, in the justice system and more. The point of pieces like hers are, one hopes, to get all of us to be a little more self aware, so that one day, maybe, we no longer see people of color as lesser people. We have a lot of work to do.

1 Recommend

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Bigfrog commented July 18

Bigfrog

Bigfrog

Oakland, CA

There seems to be a lot of crying over spilled milk in this article. Does the author not realize that the entitled Type A boors that fly first class (and those that serve them) treat many people as inferiors? Not all of us white folk are created equal and if you are short, introverted, poor, ugly, not dressed well, inarticulate, have poor posture there is a real good chance these same people will look down on them as well. Instead of obsessing over being sleighted by a certain type of white person maybe the author should obsess over the (hopefully) majority of white people that don't act like that.

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1 REPLY

Jon commented July 19

J

Jon

Ohio

@Bigfrog So very true. As an introvert and shy person I am misunderstood frequently by strangers. I’m just shy. This author would probably read into my shyness as something to do with her, when really I would just like her to start a conversation with me because I never start conversations due to my shyness. Sadly she would interpret my shyness as being rude.

3 Recommend

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A. Stanton commented July 18

A. Stanton

A. Stanton

Dallas, TX

I'm certain that most black people -- if they had the choice of coming back in another life as a white person -- would choose again to be black. I know that I would choose to be born again as a Jew, even if this meant leaving myself open to some occasional discrimination, dangers or problems. Whiteness and maleness do have their privileges and rewards, but so does being born as a black, an Asian, a Muslim, a woman or a Jew.

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berrylib commented July 18

B

berrylib

upstate

So my partner was robbed at knife point by a black man, my daughter was raped by a black man. Does that give me license to comment on "Black People." No, not at all. ( and I'm mixed race, by the way. And I'm so tired of the NY Times focus on race. What will it accomplish, but more resentment and anger.) People are people, move forward trying to help everyone who needs it.

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evert 17 commented July 18

E

evert 17

maine

I found this article to be very interesting. Ms. Rankine's approach is to listen and observe. Meaningful conversations are more likely if you focus on listening to what someone is telling you. I think she does this just right, and found this article to be riveting. We need more people like Ms. Rankine reporting on, and improving the human condition.

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DRR commented July 18

D

DRR

Michigan

I think white priveledge is a misnomer. I think there is class privilege and it exists whatever the color of your skin. I am white but grew up in a famiuly that struggled. I worked hard to get an education and a better life. There was no free college when Berne Sanders and I went to college, yet we both managed to get college degrees, although mine was on a full athletic scholarship which required me to play my sport every day for four years, not to mention the years I spent mastering my sport between ages 11 and 18. I got no special treatment that I did not earn. I think that is what a colorblind society should look like.

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1 REPLY

JJ commented July 18

J

JJ

Midwest

I think there is a difference between how some people are treated by class or by race. Many people are (wrongfully) treated poorly for an appearance of having a lower socioeconomic class. However, in my experience as a black woman, I have had times even when I’m conservatively well dressed, driving a nice car when people have asked me if I was “supposed to be” in certain spaces. I’m a physician and I’ve had hospital staff (who hadn’t met me yet) on sight direct me to where I could pick up the dirty laundry. When I corrected them they told me “you can understand how I’d make that mistake “. I’ve had similar episodes more than a few times. The staff explaining their actions away as “understandable”, is asking me to agree that it’s an appropriate assumption that I’m a housekeeper. That is about race not class. There’s nothing wrong with custodial work, but I’ve yet to see a white male surgeon in the same scrubs I wear assumed to be a housekeeper. I know that the vast majority of white men aren’t walking around pushing people out of the way believing themselves to be privileged. It is a privilege to walk into a space and be assumed to “belong”. It’s not the fault of the privileged man. It’s just that some of us get tired of having to prove that we belong where we are.

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Chris Wilcox commented July 18

C

Chris Wilcox

Oakland CA

Recently I was in New York on holiday. I spent a lot of time riding the subway, and saw some horrible, rude behavior by black men. Later I went up to rural upstate New York, swimming in the Beaver river, and saw some horrible behavior by white men covered in prison tattoos. When I returned to Queens, I found myself sitting next to an elderly Black woman who was originally from Montserrat, a small volcanic island in the Caribbean. We had a wonderful conversation, laughing and poking each other. There are rude and wonderful people of all colors. But at some point, you just have to forgive and move on.

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1 REPLY

Karen Green commented July 18

K

Karen Green

Los Angeles

Well yes - but it would be great to observe, acknowledge, and at least try to remedy the systemization of utter jerkdom and aggro entitled behavior from any quarter. Its the systematized type that tends to poison the society most.

1 Recommend

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Sarah B. commented July 18

Sarah B.

Sarah B.

New England

White men of privilege lie. A lot. As a white woman of privilege, I grew up with it and still see it in the men I’ve worked with in corporate America, AND the male retirees in the local gym. Seriously, asking as a black woman must have been difficult, but one likely won’t get an honest answer any way. Great article.

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Casual Observer commented July 18

C

Casual Observer

Los Angeles

The disparities by race are clearly shown by statistical analyses in the average measures of many social factors. This is the foundation of the evidence proving that whites are far better off in our society. However, averages a measures of big numbers of people whose circumstances are unalike. They never describe any single individual, and they certainly do not represent the circumstances of all included in the sample.

3 Recommend

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John Doe commented July 18

J

John Doe

NYC

Older white guy here. I've been aware of my white male privilege for a long time. I'm able to, respectfully, talk back to cops stating my case, I'm invisible to authority, and the general public respects me. I get it, it's not fair to others don't have that. It should be that way for everyone. So, what do I do. I pass on the same privilege to others that are not white. I make sure I'm part of the solution, not the problem. There's been a few occasions I've been on the other side - treated worse for being white. It infuriated me. I can't imagine how hurtful it would be to experience that as a part of ordinary life.

41 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Robert commented July 18

R

Robert

Out west

Really. Describe one, please. In exquisite detail. Bet you can’t.

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Brett Lane commented July 18

B

Brett Lane

Baltimore

First - well written and thoughtful piece. Second - a critique which I presume the author is aware of. - What is called "white privilege" is a social construct that we ALL live in. It is not embodied in a particular person or individual. White, Black, Hispanic -- all -- live in an overarching social construct that is in turn bounded by their local construct. So that "white privilege" manifests in different ways, in different settings (an airport, a bar, inner city Chicago, Nevada...). - Basically, to ask anyone what they think about "their privilege" is not the right question. Asking it this way implies that the construct is somehow "produced" by whites and that individual manufacture this privilege. A good argument can be made that we are all part of this construct, and we all support it's continuation. - A better question perhaps, one that wouldn't put folks on the defensive, might have been to ask Anyone how "white privilege" has impacted them in their work, in their relationships, and in society in general. Point - Blacks are just as much a part of white privilege as white folks. And we all play the game - some are just better at code switching than others. As for those folks who created their own line - probably a bunch of frat brothers...had nothing to do with race..

8 Recommend

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The Eyewitness commented July 18

T

The Eyewitness

New York

There is a bigger issue that is being lost. The entire concept of "White Privilege" is a uniquely American issue. If you were to raise the idea of White Privilege with Canadians or Western Europeans they would overwhelmingly give you a blank and perplexed look. What do these countries share in common? They are democratic socialist societies. Black activists are doing a disservice. By constantly framing American social inequality in Black-White race terms, they are fuelling the divides in America. The real problem is that American liberalism has no place for the social compact that make societies work: namely, the old pay taxes to educate the young, the young pay taxes to secure the old's economic security, and everyone pays to ensure that all have universal medical care. Canada has figured this out. So too have the Europeans. But in America socialism is a dirty work. It will be America's downfall.

25 Recommend

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William Fang commented July 18

William Fang

William Fang

Alhambra, CA

I think one has to take baby steps into recognizing one is privileged. While not white, I do enjoy male privilege. That was revealed to me in conversations while running (for leisure) with women. For example, once we ran through a remote wooded area and I remarked how I'd be less incline to run here at night, thinking about coyotes and maybe mountain lions. One of my companion runners replied that she'd be worried to, because years ago someone tried to rape her here. She luckily was able to run into her car, lock the doors, and drive away. It's conversations like these that helped me understand "male privilege" is a thing. I think the best way a white person can understand "white privilege" is to come to the realization on their own. And that can be helped if they initiate (or at least reciprocate) meaningful conversations with a non white person.

11 Recommend

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Gee commented July 18

G

Gee

USA

This was a really well written and interesting article. The professor writing this seems pretty epic to have as a teacher.

8 Recommend

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SouthernstarBrit commented July 18

S

SouthernstarBrit

Sydney

So well written and incredibly insightful. thank you so much!

6 Recommend

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Patriot commented July 18

P

Patriot

USA

I was having lunch recently with a (black) coworker of mine. He asked me how I was able to get a (white) support staff member or our team to do any work; my coworker hadn’t had any luck motivating the staffer. My coworker also suggested that I and other (white) members the team seem to get the staffer to perform work. I asked my coworker to describe his interactions with the staffer. It turns out my coworker was emailing his requests to the staffer. I explained that it wasn’t enough. If he wanted the staffer to do anything, he (like me) would have to send multiple emails and follow up in person frequently to ensure the work got done. If my coworker had been like this author, he would have assumed that the staffer wasn’t completing projects for my coworker because my coworker is black, when in fact, it turns out they nobody can get the staffer to do anything unless they actively manage him. My coworker now has no trouble getting work from the staffer. Point being, not every white person who is rude to a black person is rude because of racism.

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Joshua commented July 18

J

Joshua

Boston

You really think you're going to get an honest, eye-opening response if you make it a given that the white men you're asking have privilege? I mean look, as a white man, I always make the case about how white privilege is a myth, used as a bogeyman to exonerate the individual of personal responsibility. I understand why people believe it exists, and I always come with pointed responses. But this kind of rhetoric shuts down constructive conversations and pushes an agenda, notwithstanding that the askers have an agenda and will omit anything to the contrary. If we are to mend racial antagonisms in this country, the first thing is we need to stop treating opinions and knee jerk reactions as epistemic knowledge. White privilege exists because it was created, serves it's claimants, and uses the belief against it as evidence of the denier's bigotry. It can only exist to the exclusion of other beliefs, which is antithetical to an egalitarian society, as well as a world based on fact. An honest discussion would be airing out it's belief and frankness about how we got to the point of claiming it exists.

13 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Raindrop commented July 18

R

Raindrop

US

@Joshua. She was asking first class airline passengers, which is part of the issue. Asking Appalachian residents who have rotting teeth by their twenties — marking them as obviously poor — would take her in a different direction.

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J House commented July 18

J

J House

NY,NY

Racial identity politics is increasingly showing to be a destructive force in our society. That it is being taught at the university level , Yale no less, is even more disturbing. It is creating a racial grievance industrial complex as a result, thus the call for 'reparations', the banning of free speech on campus and university and corporate quotas that fly under the radar. Is this really the solution to form a 'more perfect union', that is 'indivisible', worthy of being called the 'United' States?

48 Recommend

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1 REPLY

John Chenango commented July 18

J

John Chenango

San Diego

@J House They're digging their own graves too by portraying everything as a battle of one race against another. It's as though they forgot that categorizing people by race can be a double edged sword and that history often repeats itself. If people of various ethnic groups can advocate for their own interests, why can't men of European descent also advocate for their interests? "Because that wouldn't be fair!" They will say. The response they'll hear is, "That's not my problem, I'm white. This whole diversity thing isn't working out. You should probably go back to 'your country...'"

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Kristian commented July 18

K

Kristian

Brooklyn

I love Claudia Rankine. Thanks for all your insights and for helping keep me on my toes.

4 Recommend

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Kevin commented July 18

K

Kevin

Colorado

I love these woke studies exercises that originate in colleges and attempt to equate the children of white economically privileged parents that go to good high schools directly into a four year college and on to a solid career, with that of whites from less economic means that often have had very similar experiences to minorities. A privileged person of any background doesn't grow up in the projects, serve in the military, hold a full time plus job and go to school nights, or get held back because of racial quota set asides that were around for about 20 years or so. It isn't the party on the bus from Ed Murphy's SNL skit when a party breaks out and everything is free after the last minority leaves the bus. If anyone studying it really believes it is, my suggestion is go find a white and a black family that are on the same floor in a NYCHA project that are friends or just get along (they aren't unicorns) and watch the expression on their face when you ask members of the black family about the amount of white privilege their neighbor enjoys. Race is a factor in some instances, but real privilege that houses abuses comes from how large your bank account and connections are. People who have those advantages often go to the head of the line for everything, while just about everyone else has to claw their way up. I will ask in advance to be excused for being skeptical,I heard the same things from people making a very comfortable stress free living at corporate diversity seminars

29 Recommend

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Charlie commented July 18

C

Charlie

San Francisco

“White privilege” is much like beauty or ugliness only seen in eye of the beholder. It is valued by some but not at all by others...if you try to flaunt it then it doesn’t hold its charms. The reality is that we are all privileged to be alive and enjoying life to our fullest natural potential regardless of color. Privilege is best exhibited by listening to that inner voice that says put your best foot forward each and every time.

8 Recommend

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Global Citizen commented July 18

G

Global Citizen

World

"Just recently, a friend who didn’t get a job he applied for told me that as a white male, he was absorbing the problems of the world. He meant he was being punished for the sins of his forefathers. He wanted me to know he understood it was his burden to bear. " I believe, the recent generations upper class in India have been facing burden of past social outcast practices agaist lower classes. What goes around comes around!

1 Recommend

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C. Hiraldo commented July 18

C

C. Hiraldo

New York, NY

While the professor points out the many ways white people, specifically white men traveling in first class, are clueless about their race and class privilege, she proves clueless about her own class privilege. She talks to white men who fly first class like herself. This is a very selective slice of the white experience in contemporary America. Almost, though not quite, as selective a slice of the black experience as her own life is. A homeless white man, for example, could be forgiven for lacking self-awareness of his racial privilege.

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Megan commented July 18

M

Megan

Spokane, WA

This is the most difficult conversation happening and more often, not happening in our society right now. Most simply lack the fortitude to exist in the mental/emotional space where we must face our own complicity and gains that come at the expense of others - especially when most are loathe to give up the privilege. Cognitive dissonance, anger, and denial abound in these comments. On the other side of the conversation are the people of color who have to endure, field and answer and respond to all the honest bumbling of white folks who "don't see color" and generally want to be seen as deserving of their status while maintaining their "good people" credentials and changing nothing. It's no wonder we all find the topic difficult and overwhelming. Kudos to Dr. Rankin for navigating these uncharted waters.

9 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Why? commented July 18

W

Why?

USA

If you call a whole category of people racist, they will react defensively and with hostility. Their reaction IS NOT proof that your accusation is correct, however. It’s like someone punching me in the face, and when I get angry, arguing that my anger proves that I deserved to be punched in the face in the first place.

3 Recommend

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Andy commented July 18

A

Andy

Winnipeg Canada

White male privilege is not a homogenous quality. It is sliced and diced in many ways. Eastern Europeans, particularly those originating in countries with no history of democracy, are very much the "other" when in western Europe. People of Mediterranean descent can experience the same thing. Class structures based on wealth and/or power have huge influence over the privilege any given Caucasian may benefit from. The subject seems to be almost endless. Close dissection and deconstruction of white male privilege doesn't lead to anything other than more divisivism. Fortunately the basic principles of equality, broadly defined, flowing from the Enlightenment provide a viable path forward that is unmatched by any other body of thought or analysis available to humanity. Yes, maybe those dead white guys had a few things right after all. Properly interpreted their ideas may lead us to common ground on which we all enjoy equal privileges; the privileges of being a human being.

6 Recommend

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Jeanne M commented July 18

Jeanne M

Jeanne M

NYC

I enjoyed the article but it’s narrowly focused. Privilege as a subject is so complex. Privilege crosses many categories. It’s not just about white male privilege. It’s also about privilege. The privilege of youth, the privilege of wealth and the loss of privilege of the disenfranchised, the handicapped and the poor. I’m am older white woman hanging onto middle class by a thread. I’m sure some would see me as privileged but that’s a perception, not a fact. Yes, some men step in front of me and I allow it at times and other times not. It’s poor manners or self absorption but not my issue. They carry their own burdens. And I chose to give them some slack, most of the time.

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Scott F commented July 18

Scott F

Scott F

Right Here, On The Left

Of course black men and women do not get the same treatment, generally, as white men and women. When one white deals with another white, the issue of race is not at the surface because it is unimportant. But when a white deals with an unfamiliar black (no matter who has the upper hand), the issue of race is front and center — even if unspoken. I know I have had relative privileges as a white man which blacks did not and do not have. No question. I was also from a low income family. I did not have nice clothes or shoes or good haircuts growing up. I was well read and pursued my education, but it was obvious I was from a working class family. Some policemen harassed me frequently when I was a teen, likely because I had long hair and it was the early 70s. There were a few cops in our small town who took every opportunity to humiliate me. They took me to the police station for swimming in a lake that everyone swam in, they pushed me against the wall for no reason, yelled at me, demeaned me in front of my guy friends and my girlfriend. But they never pulled a gun on me, let alone pointed it at me. If I had mouthed off, or run from them, or god forbid taken a swing at them — I think I could have been shot. But I was always polite and took it on the chin because they had guns and they had hot tempers and I was a nobody. My point: at least some of what we call racial discrimination is really economic. Working class folks do not get treated equally as the wealthy folks.

18 Recommend

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Ld commented July 18

L

Ld

Nyc

I am an Asian professional woman. No doubt I benefit from my appearance in certain ways. In a grocery store, if I happen to be hungry, I open a bag of chips thinking I will pay later. I can ask to use the bathroom in an eatery without being questioned about whether I am a patron (even when I am not). I am treated with respect by Nyc police officers.

9 Recommend

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Menckenistic commented July 18

M

Menckenistic

Seattle

Usually, I ignore this kind of subjective and somewhat paranoid poppycock posing as social science, but recently this line of "thinking" has penetrated the Democratic party to the extent that is starting to affect how their candidates talk (see debate # 1). Such blather does not bode well for preventing Trump's re-election as many will see this as stoking the racial divide nearly as much as Trump's blatant bigotry...

24 Recommend

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William Case commented July 18

W

William Case

United States

White privilege doesn’t deter migrants from immigrating to America. According to the United Nations, the United States is the primary destination for immigrants. It has 48.2 million immigrants. Russia is a distant second with 11.6 million. The flow of immigrants is primarily from non-white countries to white countries. This seems to indicates that nonwhite estimate their opportunities are better in predominantly white nations.

14 Recommend

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ReReDuce commented July 18

ReReDuce

ReReDuce

Los Angeles

People who fly habitually and frequently are not very aware in any case.

10 Recommend

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Lexis commented July 18

L

Lexis

Los Angeles

Curious about the non-Black-woman readers who mentioned becoming impatient with Rankine’s hesitance in her interactions with white men. Until you live a day in a Black woman’s shoes, I don’t really think you have a right to say she should have said something here or there in the face of an offensive comment...that’s ended badly for minorities of all kinds for decades...

7 Recommend

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Jason commented July 18

J

Jason

Norway

Interesting article that I wish all white people would read. Reminds me of a book I read recently called The New Plantation: Lessons from Rikers Island in which the author taught young incarcerated teenagers on Rikers Island, nearly all of whom were either Black or Hispanic. We whites have no clue about how much our privilege costs minorities.

6 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Z97 commented July 18

Z

Z97

Big City

@Jason, our privilege, as you put it, doesn’t cost minorities anything. Not ending up incarcerated is simple and available to all teenagers of all races: just don’t commit crimes.

1 Recommend

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Jordan commented July 18

J

Jordan

New York

I appreciate this author being sensitive enough to avoid strident dogmatism and her willingness to interrogate herself. I do think that this "white privilege" concept functions less as an accurate and useful characterization and more as a kind of revenge for racist slurs put on black people and also as a blunt swiss army knife of a rhetorical weapon. I'm struck by the author's example of a group of white men forming their own line at the airport. She rightly feels the injustice of a group of people who are breaking the rules and looks for a reason why this injustice has been done to her. There in her pocket is her explanation, the swiss army knife of white privilege. It can always be brought out and used without much justification or interrogation of its relevance. Just by breaking it out you are granted a kind of righteous unquestionable status. Despite the fact that her own line had numerous white people, she personalized and racialized a situation that all of us have experienced, the confusion of where the line is and where it starts in airplane boarding. I have had people of all colors and genders break in front of me in lines and if I'm being honest, like the author of this piece, I do look at the race or gender of that person but then I quickly dismiss that consideration and grant benign intent to the person or just imagine that this person is an entitled rude jerk. This is a better way to go through life than to live in a permanent state of racial paranoia.

10 Recommend

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James Wallis Martin commented July 18

J

James Wallis Martin

Christchurch, New Zealand

I have lived with white privilege my entire life and see the effects of white privilege every day. The most drastic was the time my wife was on a vacation in the Bahamas when a tropical storm arrived and the airport was flooded with people, the crowds of locals parted for this white tour group who walked past the opening made for them, went past the checkout, past customs, carrying their luggage on to the last plane to leave the airport as the storm hit. We have ingrained white privilege across the globe, so much that even children of colour are taught to trust white kids over darker skinned kids. I don't get stopped and frisked, I don't even get challenged as I smile as a friendly white middle-aged male who doesn't have a tattoo or piercing or unusual haircut (these put plenty of white folks into the 'to be challenged' category as well. Just because you are white doesn't mean you automatically get white privilege, but you stand a much better chance of getting the respect and benefit of the doubt from all colours of society that is commonly associated with 'white privilege'. The real question is why aren't we willing to treat everyone with the same respect and benefit that we currently see in 'white privilege'.

6 Recommend

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SW commented July 18

S

SW

N Carolina

Many people in my family were brutally murdered during the Holocaust. It will only be when white people realize the 300 year Holocaust that was slavery and Jim Crow and now its mass incarceration aftermath that we can even begin to really comprehend what being Black in America means. Progress yes- but the last 2 years had revealed how far we still have to go. Thank you for this article. I will think about these issues and continue my personal journey towards justice. BTW- 'Frederick Douglas' by Blight has been a great aid. Visiting the Lynching Memorial in Montgomery even more so.

7 Recommend

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John commented July 18

J

John

Birmingham

And I am paying so much for my kid's private college education for... this? She would have been served better if I sent her to learn a trade. At least then she'd be around "real" people.

17 Recommend

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Christine O commented July 18

C

Christine O

Oakland, CA

I believe white men when they say they worked hard for everything they have. People of all races and ethnicities work hard. The problem comes when people assume that someone having less must obviously mean they did NOT work hard, and fail to consider other barriers to success and wealth. Millions of people work their fingers to the bone and just get by.

33 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Why? commented July 18

W

Why?

USA

Millions of white people work their fingers to the bone just to get by, too, yet they are accused of “white privilege.” Instead of making this about what white people “owe” people of color, why not make it about helping everyone who needs a hand, regardless of race?

2 Recommend

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RT Hunter commented July 18

R

RT Hunter

NYC

You know, Intersectional Theory isn’t going to be in vogue forever.

18 Recommend

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Brian commented July 18

B

Brian

Baltimore

So a white male should judge the entire black population by the two or three bad encounters with a black person - which is one or two less than the squad of four. I can attest that white male travelers treat other white males trackers the same or worse when it comes to first class or group one boarding. It’s all about getting your luggage in the overhead and A personalities. Maybe the guy that looked at you found you interesting or was ashamed of his behavior but could not bring himself to apologize. My question is this: do you want to strip white privilege away or rise black/colored privilege to the same level. I hope it is the latter.

20 Recommend

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David commented July 18

D

David

California

Non-white Americans in our society carry burdens and face indignities that are unfortunately very real. These are invisible to or not understood by much of the white community. But is that really a white privilege?

5 Recommend

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Horace commented July 18

H

Horace

Detroit

It is hard to imagine a more pernicious, racist doctrine than that of "white privilege." By employing it, people can permanently hate people they deem white because of an innate quality, "privilege" that the "holder" can do nothing about, can't change, and probably can't even define. It can forever be used to justify bigotry and hatred simply because people are deemed "white." Sound familiar to anyone?

26 Recommend

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Armand Beede commented July 18

A

Armand Beede

Tucson

Full disclosure: Old (71) year old White-Man. What sickens me today is white self-pity underlying white fear. I certainly have white privilege, even white male privilege. But do I enjoy it? No, because the privilege has led to the cruel detention camps on the border; because it led to 400 years of slavery; because it dehumanizes. What to do? Oppose bigotry actively. I would welcome the Professor's thoughts about what else a white, privileged male should do. But in the meantime, I despise the racism and cruelty and try to treat each human as a brother or sister. E.g., Once recently as I walked across the University of Arizona, two young women walking behind me commented on being traumatized by a white racist who stopped his car in the road to berate them racially in a most foul manner. As a human with compassion -- yes, privileged -- I turned around and spoke to the two, young black women. I personally, in a soft voice, apologized to them for what they had experienced; told them that they were bright young people with a whole future ahead of them; that they earned respect; and expressed sorrow and shock at the verbal abuse they had suffered. I told them that they had done nothing to bring this vileness on themselves, but it solely reflected the angry, hateful soul of their verbal assailant. My words could not take away what had occurred. I dearly hope that the comfort these two good persons seem to have taken from my words is real, because they truly are good persons.

7 Recommend

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Global Citizen commented July 18

G

Global Citizen

World

Insightful and beautifully written!

2 Recommend

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Reader commented July 18

R

Reader

Brooklyn

Still waiting for my white privilege to benefit me. Grew up poor and had to fight my way through school on my own merits . Didn’t have college educated parents with the pockets to pay for school, nor was I able to benefit from affirmative action or minority-only scholarships. Tell me again about my privilege. I’ll wait as you sip on your martini in first class.

34 Recommend

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DanielB commented July 18

D

DanielB

Anchorage, AK

I 50 years since I left. have a PhD in Psychology from a top university. Having received it, I realized I had actually learned nothing of use and walked away. Looking back, I see the field of psychology has spun in meaningless circles for the 50 years since. Ramblings about white privilege and on and on will produce the same zero results that I saw coming in psychology. There are many productive fields out there which produce actual results and benefits.

23 Recommend

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Nickle commented July 18

N

Nickle

San Diego

A beautifully written and thoughtful article. I was not surprised to learn, at the end of the piece, that Ms. Rankine is a poet. I look forward to reading more of her work.

2 Recommend

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David commented July 18

D

David

Boise

Just so wrong on so many levels. Elite 1st class passengers on a flight from South Africa discussing addmittance to Yale. I can't afford a coach ticket on that flight or even that vacation while trying to help my kids afford unassisted instate tuition to a state university. I also recall all the times someone has entered the que in front of me, TSA selected me for additional screening or the flight attendant has missed my beverage. Perhaps my white privaledge allowed me to assume these slights were based on attributes other than race which is personally offensive, but I at least I can't blame it on race. The 1st class section on an international flight is not the proper venue if someone is truly interested in learning about a average white male's opinion of their own privilege. No matter what these subjects would have said they would have been wrong, as the author judged her woke husband.

77 Recommend

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Charles Becker commented July 18

Charles Becker

Charles Becker

Perplexed

I have no idea what it means to be white. I'm not sure if I'm white or not, I guess that's for someone else to say about me. If someone told me I was white, or told me I wasn't white, it wouldn't change anything inside me. I spent my life working and living with people of all backgrounds and observed distinct variations of outlook and worldview that obeyed no rules of race or ethnicity. Some people are at ease with themselves, self-confident without intruding on the space of others, and seem to have a natural capacity for interacting with others on equal terms. Other people always seem to be out of synch, on edge and edgy, and playing a role or seeming to portray their own internalizations. The privilege of being treated respectfully, taken seriously, and getting the benefit of the doubt seems to accrue to the former while eluding the latter. I am not in denial about racism, it's all around us and more often and more detrimentally emanating from whites than from people of color. What I am saying is that privilege is not entirely in someone else's hands; to a great extent the world will react to the way you present yourself.

11 Recommend

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Anne-Marie O’Connor commented July 18

A

Anne-Marie O’Connor

London

What an exquisitely fascinating piece. I could read a whole book of her experiences, as she peels through the layers of these banal yet significant experiences.

6 Recommend

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Treetop commented July 18

T

Treetop

Us

The thing that made me appreciate white privilege in everyday life was reading an article somewhere by a white woman raising her adopted black sons. She could see them being treated differently at stores, schools, public spaces — and she had to accordingly raise them slightly differently to assure their survival and success. Ever since reading that, I have been aware of the advantages my appearance gives me. I think ideally we should “not see race” when we interact, but also keep in mind that race (along with many dimensions of personal history) are very important factors in people’s lives.

10 Recommend

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Max duPont commented July 18

M

Max duPont

NYC

What a wonderful thoughtful article with so many teaching moments for all of us, irrespective of our supposedly, but only so, irrelevant skin color. So much grace, thank you!

10 Recommend

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Scott Sidel commented July 18

S

Scott Sidel

Maryland

My daughter would come home and tell me about her school friends, going on for weeks about one or other friend in particular. One day, after school, I finally got to meet her friend, a young lady of African American heritage. My daughter had not mentioned that her friend was African American, because it was not something she even thought about. She did not mention it because it was nothing other than ordinary. Her friend’s ethnicity did not rise to the level of being in any way noteworthy. This gave me great hope for her generation, and made me realize how unaware I was that my default mode was to assume whiteness.

14 Recommend

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Donna commented July 18

D

Donna

Salt Lake City, UT

So well done and a courageous social experiment...I wish I could communicate complexity as she does. I am grateful for gifted thinkers and writers who can translate my daily exhaustion into words. It's a gift to be able to capture such chronic social and emotional dynamics, to untwist them gently to reveal linkages on which to reflect. It helps me to take an observer status and reflect on the fact that my exhaustion is justified. I can relate to the enacted, chronic and assumed invisibility when I'm standing right in front of you. What ten positive words are commonly used to speak of women of color? Do I even show up positively in your imagination? What a big compassion-deficit women of color face. I'm sure the process was exhausting for her and appreciate the gift of her time, intelligence and physical/psychological energy.

11 Recommend

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Sean commented July 18

S

Sean

Ft Lee. N.J.

Prejudiced author, conducting unwanted lab experiment, dehumanizing autonomous “white” men.

70 Recommend

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Illuminator commented July 18

I

Illuminator

SoCal

Its not about race, people from the trailer park are treated the same way as minorities. Its about poverty. LeBron James has a lot more privileged than I will ever have. Puff Daddy's kids have a lot more privileges and I do. Reverse racism is not helping either. Nancy Pelosi even dipped into the reverse racism bucket. Poverty is the problem not the skin color

58 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

Alexandra Hamilton commented July 18

A

Alexandra Hamilton

NY

It is easier to acknowledge and try to mitigate white privilege when you are economically secure. Poverty often fuels extreme racial hatred. Poor whites may feel that defending their white privilege is a matter of economic life and death. Also, when you are at the bottom of the white socio-economic ladder it is revoltingly comforting to assume that people of color are, or ought to be, even worse off than you.

6 Recommend

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ANetliner commented July 19

ANetliner

ANetliner

Washington,DC

It’s both race and economics and sometimes religion or ethnicity. The point is: many of us are not “privileged” for diverse reasons.

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JM commented July 18

J

JM

New York

A Yale professor wants to learn about privilege. Got it.

155 Recommend

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Andrew Nielsen commented July 18

Andrew Nielsen

Andrew Nielsen

‘stralia!

Confirmation bias. She even saw some white males form a line beside other white males. The penny didn’t drop. Who is more privileged: a black woman at Yale or a poor white man from the Appalachians? The Appalachian or the rural Chinese? Nationality and class are what it is about. Too, he didn’t think his son was *more* worthy than his Asian friend. Confirmation bias.

53 Recommend

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WBA commented July 18

W

WBA

California

This article is so overwrought and overthought but very lazy in executing it’s premise and purpose. Are we supposed to glean something from her asking two or three white guys in first class a couple of manipulative questions and running away with narrative interpretations of tiny bits of information she ‘reads’ off of them. Seems like someone very much insulated within ‘academic privilege’ and using the current hysterical environment to raise her profile over a nearly worthless ‘study’ of two or three white guys she barely had the courage to even ask anything. There could be value in actually digging in and discussing these things with lots of people and being open to understanding something new. I don’t understand how in the world she thinks that this puny level of devotion to executing the premise would merit an NYT article. I guess anything about ‘white privilege‘ sells right now.

103 Recommend

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cleo commented July 18

C

cleo

new jersey

I am white male and I never saw any privilege. No benefits from quotas, no excuses if I fail. This lady is a racist.

48 Recommend

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1 REPLY

J House commented July 18

J

J House

NY,NY

She would argue that your experience getting pulled over by the police, or shopping in a store, or walking through the 'wrong part of town' can get find you trouble, where you weren't looking for any. I understand that rationale, because so many in America see that wrapper around your body and make snap judgements about your character. Where I disagree with her is the prescriptions for the status quo.

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akeptwatchoverthewatcher commented July 18

A

akeptwatchoverthewatcher

USA

The only ones that are privileged are white liberal women and white guys driving bmw and Mercedes. That live in montecito. But the reality is the rich are the privilege. The only color that matters is green

18 Recommend

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Edward Chai, MD commented July 18

E

Edward Chai, MD

Rye New York

Asians flooding Yale...... Although the percentage of White students is three times that of Asian students at Yale

13 Recommend

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Hugh Jones commented July 18

H

Hugh Jones

Midwest

Let’s see if the NYT will allow a single comment from a white person on such an obviously racist article title. Every single day in this publication, people of color are allowed to talk about racist topics like this. What if I were to submit an article just as wrong and racist with the title ‘I wanted to know what black people thought of their criminal behavior. So I asked.’ What would be the chances of that making it through. Elsewhere in the paper today about COOKING, of all things, there was an article extolling the vietuea of black chefs. Can you imagine an article about how great white chefs are? Even food is now racialized? A few weeks back there was an article about how white critics should not be commenting on black art. Imagine an article saying that blacks have nothing to say about Game of Thrones because it is an all white show. News flash, people of color: we whites are not all former slaveholders, or Trump. Many of us value black people and don’t consider every facet of life as a racist plot against some group. Please stop talking about whites as clones of slaveholders or Trump. Enough already.

118 Recommend

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3 REPLIES

Alexandra Hamilton commented July 18

A

Alexandra Hamilton

NY

She was not treating whites as Trump clones! On average males do have more power/privilege in our society than females and whites have more than blacks. White males are the beneficiaries of innumerable invisible assumptions about power and status. One thing she was trying to grapple with was how difficult it can be to recognize privilege from the inside when it is simply the way things have always been. That was one of the reasons for her questions. Can white males see the advantages they have or is it just so ingrained that they just cannot see it. From many comments by white males here, all of whom are presumably reasonably educated and intelligent, I would say that many simply cannot see their privilege. It might take having a child or spouse of color and experiencing life by their side to really open their eyes.

7 Recommend

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Why? commented July 18

W

Why?

USA

Not only an article about black chefs today, but it mentioned how one of the chefs made a variation of a traditional Japanese dish. Can you imagine if a white chef did that? It would be condemned as cultural appropriation! Here is was lively and inspired! Total double standard.

27 Recommend

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DC Reade commented July 18

D

DC Reade

traveling

@Why? give me a break. I read articles and reviews on the creators of a wide array of cross-cultural fusion cuisine all the time, in the NY Times and elsewhere. As for insisting on a focus on the white ethnicity of American cooks and chefs- "white" isn't a specific ethnic group, in the cultural sense. Now, authentic cultural ethnicities- including those hailing from Europe, like German, or Italian, or Greek- I don't notice anyone giving that angle short shrift. The reality is that black identity in this country was defined- and confined, historically- by an artificially amalgamated ethnicity that referred to itself as "white", as an exercise in power. Most white people have the option of tracing their ancestral heritage to a more specific ethnic identity, or identities. Black Americans are for the most part castaways who had no option of keeping their own language and heritage, except as vestiges that they were often forced to conceal. So now they're Black. American Black,sui generis. They didn't make the rules. 18th and 19th century white men did. I don't flog myself over past history. But I do think that it's a situation with consequences that deserve to be addressed, in the interest of justice. I also have enough historical knowledge that I don't moan in dismay over some supposed unfairness of focusing on cultural contributions by black Americans. I have some criticisms to offer about the current Woke social critique, but I'm not the least bit aggrieved about that.

6 Recommend

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Ann commented July 18

A

Ann

Los Angeles

Re the caption: one does not interrogate a question; one poses a question and interrogates a person.

13 Recommend

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tom harrison commented July 18

T

tom harrison

seattle

I am white and male and yet can be fired from a job in more than half of the United States. I am gay. I thought about getting married but then I would have to find a cake. My entire life has been filled with one group after another blaming me for everything from hurricanes to the decline of Western civilization. My school required me to memorize bible verses about burning in hell forever because I prefer Brad over Angelina. But from what I have read, so do their kids. In 1979, I told the U.S Navy that I was gay and was promptly discharged. So, white male privilege?

38 Recommend

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1 REPLY

EGD commented July 18

E

EGD

California

@tom harrison Just curious: did you get an honorable discharge, a general, or dishonorable. If other than honorable, perhaps your representative can help get that fixed.

1 Recommend

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Aditham commented July 18

A

Aditham

Netherlands

I could also go about enumerating the ways in which black people are "biologically privileged" giving them an advantage in the field of athletics, sports, music, dance and contemporary culture and where I (not black) have been at a disadvantage. That would be just then a recipe for getting hurt every time a ugly incident rears its head as it inevitably does and getting filled with resentment at the injustice of being not black but wanting to succeed at those fields where a black person would find it easy. In short going down this way is a sure way of sucking out the joie-de-vivre out of one's own life.

10 Recommend

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Casual Observer commented July 18

C

Casual Observer

Los Angeles

The underlying importance of this subject is why disparities of wealth and material success, access to opportunities for people to improve themselves, states of disadvantage from disproportional involvement in criminal justice systems as defendant and convicted persons, of low income, and average amounts of assets still exist fifty years after the enactment of the Civil Rights laws. Why have not the disparities diminished by now. There are not simple explanations yet determined, so people hypothesize and try to find ways to test the hypotheses. One is that white males are consciously or unconsciously holding onto their privileges, no matter whether they are conscious of doing so or not.

1 Recommend

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nbespal commented July 18

N

nbespal

NY

This white man also has to be not too old, tall, good looking, well spoken, educated, psychologically adjusted, and intelligent, and fit. He has to have a father present while growing up; add in family connections.

8 Recommend

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Casual Observer commented July 18

C

Casual Observer

Los Angeles

The professor is contemplating about whether whiteness and white privilege are at work in her daily experiences. She introduces the subject at all times and places. Then she tries to find plausible narratives that express the point of view. It's a long contemplation of the subject but she is not gathering data as she seems to think, but constructing and plausible narrative explanation. Are people being inconsiderate, indifferent due to preoccupations with other matters, or are they acting according to what they think that their race entitles? She makes no effort to actually determine these alternatives. Her explanations are not from what the facts dictate but from presumptions which she has. What this column ends up being is meditations and contemplations about "white male privilege". To what extent it relates to the experience of white males remains undetermined. She still feels that white male privilege and the determination of white males to retain their privileges is a prime determinant of white male behaviors.

19 Recommend

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Jennie commented July 18

J

Jennie

WA

A lovely and thoughtful essay.

5 Recommend

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Bill commented July 18

B

Bill

New York

I am a white male and I work with and socialize with, not surprisingly, many white people. I don’t doubt that the stories the writer tells are true, but they don’t represent me or the way I would treat black women. And I do not observe that behavior in my workplace or in my friends. Like I said, I don’t doubt the stories and would acknowledge that there are many racist and disrespectful white people. I would also acknowledge that being a white male gives me some privileges other societal groups don’t have, although I think that is less true today than it used to be. My problem with this article and the writers approach is it that it stereotypes white men according to their color and gender. My whiteness may give me opportunities, but it doesnt make me a racist, or rude. And it doesn’t inoculate me from the rudeness of others. The author’s points would be more effective if she spoke about the issue in terms of the rudeness of the behavior without tying the rudeness to the skin color and gender of the ones who were rude.

20 Recommend

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Varsityvic commented July 18

V

Varsityvic

NJ

This author and the class that she created and teaches make me proud as a white male 60 yr old to pay my taxes and support higher education. Keep asking the hard questions. Challenge your students. If my white male son ever makes it to Yale I’ll require that he take your class regardless of his major. Thanks for writing this. Thank you NYT happy I’m a subscriber (but you could do a bit less of the Trump clickbait for my tastes) this is the standard that I expect.

10 Recommend

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Jason commented July 18

J

Jason

USA

I don't understand why it's so hard to understand that one culture controlling institutions, infrastructure and an overall economy originally built on slave labor stolen from another culture is a hereditary privilege. It's too bad the message is left up to academics, who tend to be as verbose and long to reach the point as Prof. Rankine here.

6 Recommend

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Helvius commented July 18

H

Helvius

NJ

I'll add another book to the impressive list provided by the author --The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein. This one is important for Northern whites, descendants of non-slave owners and post Civil War immigrants, and all whites who think they have not benefited from institutional racism.

9 Recommend

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Jane commented July 18

J

Jane

Chicago

Thank you Claudia Rankine for this generous essay. Racism takes away everyone's humanity -- not just black people, but white people (and everyone else who doesn't fit neatly into these categories). I was really struck by how often the conversation around race for white people gets stuck at personal feelings. One can feel disappointed that you didn't get the acceptance to Yale (or your son), or you didn't get the job or the opportunity -- the feeling is real (of course!) and valid -- but that doesn't mean really anything about the bigger system at play. That doesn't mean that there isn't systemic inequity, injustices or racism. White people conflate their personal experience with the bigger system -- because for so often they've been told, and believe, the meritocracy works even if evidence proves contrary. It's easy to not look too closely at the bigger system when you're the beneficiary. The difference is when you start to know non-white people's experience, it's impossible to not know all the ways it doesn't work. I appreciate very much the effort at empathy - it seems to be the only way to heal the painful reality of racism -- of being stuck in positions none of us asked for, and parts that we never asked to play. On the other hand, (as a white person), I can start doing different because I don't want racism to stand, or persist. But, that doesn't mean there aren't lots of stumbles along the way.

5 Recommend

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Susannah Ray commented July 18

S

Susannah Ray

Queens

This is possibly the finest, most erudite, heartfelt, deeply explored opinion piece I have read in the NYT.

10 Recommend

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John Smythe commented July 18

J

John Smythe

Southland

Before discussing so called White male privilege Rankine should define her terms. Unlike Rankine the vast majority of White males will never fly first class in their entire lives. Thus who is privileged? Rankine's friend said that he understands that as a White male it's fair he be refused employment because he's being punished for all the imagined wrongs of the world. Rankine wanted to tell him that he was right, but then realised that won't make her friend feel better. She points out that two-thirds of elected officials are White men but they only comprise one-third of the population, yet ignores groups that can't, or won't, run for office. Roughly a third of mothers stay at home, plus race isn't equally distributed across the country. How then can offices be distributed equally according to race and gender? Perhaps Rankine should try talking to Whites, especially non-liberals. White privilege is a racist myth. Wealthy elites not Whites are privileged - most Whites are not wealthy, many non-Whites are. Many American norms are the basis of history, which derives from geography, which overlaps with race, but this is a matter of time and numbers not privilege. As for McIntosh's 46 ways of enacting White Privilege, so many of them are not race specific, and many of those listed exclude Whites e.g. 34. All in all folk talking about White privilege is frustrating and offensive, but perhaps some will be open to dialogue?

13 Recommend

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JMFulton, Jr. commented July 18

J

JMFulton, Jr.

England

As a child I learned not to throw matches. Ms. Rankine and her school of thought should learn throwing matches starts fires. Imagine an alternate headline, 'what's it like to be innately inferior? How much welfare will it take to gain self-sufficiency? Be fair. Be kind. Let's move forward together. And, don't throw matches.

24 Recommend

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Lake Monster commented July 18

L

Lake Monster

Lake Tahoe

I find this essay at once exhausting and sad. Here we have a country founded, designed and orchestrated largely by white people. The founding fathers, white men, with profound and important ideas about society, setting about ordering a government based on the rule of law and its application fairly to all. Fast forward to our Yale professor flying about on first class travel seeking some kind of illumination about why white men have privileges? Please. Surely you have better things you can be doing.

44 Recommend

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Simone commented July 18

S

Simone

NH

Brava!!! Oh my goodness, what pleases me most about this article is the length and persistence of your story, the variety of strategies and viewpoints you employed as you navigated this exploration. This is the kind of rigorous, tiring, often unpleasant work we need to be doing. I can't thank you enough for sharing the whole complicated chain of thoughts, actions and reactions that played out in your mind and in dialogue with others. Standing ovation!

6 Recommend

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I Hill commented July 18

I

I Hill

Denver

Based on the author’s tone and clear lack of self-awareness, one must have a really strong suspicion that most of these encounters did not occur in the manner in which she perceived them, if at all.

35 Recommend

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Robert commented July 18

R

Robert

Seattle

The other day my American daughter said something to me about something I had no idea she was experiencing. "I am so sick," she said, "of white people asking me where I'm from." My wife, daughter and I were all born here. She mimed their persistence: " 'No, really, where are you from? Then where are your parents from?' " Our mixed race family has been in existence for three decades. We live in the most progressive zip code in the country. Sometimes my own archetypal obliviousness leaves me speechless.

8 Recommend

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Kelly commented July 18

K

Kelly

Bronx

I would love to be a student in this woman’s classroom.

6 Recommend

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hen3ry commented July 18

H

hen3ry

Westchester, NY

I am a white woman. Therefore I too benefit from white privilege. I know that I can walk into almost any place in America and not be questioned about why I'm there. I know that I will not be accused of trying to steal when I pick up a piece of merchandise in a store to inspect it before I buy it, or not. I know that I will not be profiled for driving the wrong car. There are other things where white privilege doesn't apply because I'm a woman. Like many women I worry about being sexually assaulted for no reason. I've been on the receiving end of derogatory comments about my gender, been told to where to go when I've politely pointed out that something is against the rules to a male, been told too that as a woman I can't do that or I'm too aggressive. I know what it is to expect bad behavior from others because of my gender or because I have a handicapped brother whom others don't want to tolerate or treat like a human being. I know what it is to worry that acceptance of my brother will be withdrawn or that some false statement will be made about him convincing others that he is some sort of horrible monster. What I've learned is that working with others doesn't mean ignoring skin color, religion, or our differences. It means working together to achieve a common goal and rejoicing in our differences when there's time. It means realizing that no one deserves to be treated like garbage because they aren't white in America. 7/17/2019 6:53pm

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1 REPLY

me commented July 18

M

me

US

@hen3ry You stated that you are white and therefore "privileged". You mentioned that you have a brother who is handicapped and is treated cruelly. I am sure that is true. But your brother is a white male, yes? And yet he is not being worshiped and given "privilege", is he? Makes you think about the validity of "white male privilege", doesn't it?

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Gino G commented July 18

G

Gino G

Palm Desert, CA

I am brown skinned. My ancestors were lynched in the south, in an incident that was applauded in the NYT. The KKK burned a cross on my grandfather’s lawn. They were not considered white. They were Italians. Somewhere in the course of decades, some omniscient force moved Italian Americans, reviled as they were, into the “white” category from which we had been ostracized. So now, because we must be forced into a category, we have been placed into that same category as those who lynched us and who burned a cross on my grandfather’s lawn. We are in the same category as descendants of slaveholders and as the pilgrims who came over on the Mayflower. If the absurdity is not yet evident, consider this. Relatives from the same place in Italy as my grandparents emigrated to Argentina instead of the US. The difference between my family and theirs is that one got on a boat going east and the other got on a boat going south. That’s it. Yet they are considered Hispanic and therefore not white. But dark skinned me, I’m white because they don’t know what to do with me. Therefore I am privileged. I guess.

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Benjamin Adam commented July 18

B

Benjamin Adam

Ohio

Beautiful writing.

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Man Who Is White commented July 18

M

Man Who Is White

Still Here

I have to admit, when I first heard about this whole white privilege thing I was skeptical, but now that I’ve finally tried it it turns out it’s awesome! #blessed

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Heidi commented July 18

H

Heidi

Ford

" I was always aware that my value in our culture’s eyes is determined by my skin color first and foremost. " This is the author's opinion, which colors every action viewed. I am sure there are many, including myself, who do not value people only on the basis of their skin color. Maybe that is the only value that the author uses in the basis of judging others and their actions. It is racist. In the example of the two white men cutting in line, there are people out there who will cut in line regardless of the appearance of the people they push aside, including others with the same skin color. In the author's mind, they cut only because she is black. They might be jerks, but are judged by her to be racist jerks. Who knows? Why is she more qualified to judge their motivations without actually giving them the chance to explain themselves? The flight attendant is judged to be racist. Maybe she is, or maybe something else was in play, known only to her. Again, judgment. In Ms Rankine's world, I do not see a way for her to co-exist equitably with those unlike herself. It is unfortunate.

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Coureur des Bois commented July 18

Coureur des Bois

Coureur des Bois

Boston

A cottage industry seems to have been developed in the Black community around the issue of analyzing White priviledge, but this is yesterday’s news. Trump was elected because White people are are scared witless by the fact that America will soon be a minority majority nation. When that happens I strongly suspect that people from cultures with the strongest work ethics will rise to power. When Asian Indian Americans, Chinese Americans, and Jewish Americans replace the current power structure, how will Black Americans fare? I know that White Christian Americans are scared to death of this change.

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Dave commented July 18

D

Dave

NYC

My only issue with this article is that it revolves around the white people in first class. I think a better test group would be the white people in coach.

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2 REPLIES

Smithy Blackwell commented July 18

S

Smithy Blackwell

San Francisco

White people in coach are not usually nuanced in their racial or other bias. It is the “privileged “ class that tends to be blind about or try to hide their racism.

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Kathleen880 commented July 18

K

Kathleen880

Ohio

@Smithy Blackwell - I have a Master's degree and speak 5 languages, and I fly coach. Do you think I am incapable of nuance?

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Bob Kantor commented July 18

B

Bob Kantor

Palo Alto CA

According to the US Census, Asian Americans have the highest household income and blacks have the lowest. In addition, Asian Americans are the most successful academically and blacks the least successful. Does this mean that there is something called Asian privilege? Or does the significant differences between these groups reflect something that the author of this op-=ed and the Times refuse to acknowledge?

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Bob commented July 18

B

Bob

Smithtown

I am white middle class. I was rejected for a job at a major “white shoe” law firm in NYC in 1979. Why? Because I was Catholic. The partner stated as much in exactly those words. Talk of general white privilege is a hobgoblin of those with no motivation.

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simon commented July 18

S

simon

MA

The very concept and use of the word "privilege" is revolting. You do not have any idea what a person's life experiences have been. The world does not revolve around skin color or gender.

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Cary Fleisher commented July 18

C

Cary Fleisher

San Francisco

Beautiful piece. Please keep breaking open the conversations.

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John Alberty commented July 18

J

John Alberty

Boulder CO

One very good article. It speaks to all the conversations in the country today regarding to where we want to be as a country, or more properly as a world. I think our next election will be based on race as the most important part and I hope we change the attitude. I know it won't make it go away but with more time hopefully, we can really become just humans Thanks

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Past, Present, Future commented July 18

P

Past, Present, Future

Charlottesville

Maybe instead of trying to force conversation under ephemeral conditions while traveling the world to talk about America’s continuing race relation struggle, try to develop relationships with neighbors in your community and work on a local injustice together. Maybe clean up a park together. This is a great way to have a deep conversation about all sorts of injustices.

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Patty Durand commented July 18

P

Patty Durand

Atlanta

Beautiful article - beautiful writing. I’m a white woman fully aware of my white privilege. I felt like I was living inside your stream of consciousness. I honor you and your work. You are a truly talented person.

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FS commented July 18

F

FS

Los Angeles, CA

Thank you for this thoughtful, thought provoking, and moving piece that was also beautifully written and a pleasure to read.

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Kindler commented July 18

K

Kindler

San Francisco

What a wonderful article. We need so much help in deconstructing and understanding our protective layers. What a privilege it would be to stand next to or behind you in line someday. What to speak of an in-flight conversation! I’ll see if there’s some kind of speaking tour scheduled. That would be terrific.

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CJ commented July 18

C

CJ

New York

I am very disappointed with the criticisms in the Comments section. I thought it was an elegant article, written from a perspective that anyone should be able to sink into, realize the constant reminders of being black and female and white males would come to some understanding of their privilege. We still need a lot of self examination, I fear.

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1 REPLY

Sean commented July 18

S

Sean

Ft Lee. N.J.

@CJ Mandating perspective consensus totalitarian sentiment.

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bob fonow commented July 18

B

bob fonow

Beijing

As the comments make clear, not every white man experiences white privilege as described in the article. A Yale professor talking to a narrow sector of white males in first class cabins hardly reflects a cross section of Americans. It does, however, make a point. White privilege exists, historically and across generations, as an economic phenomenon designed to perpetuate class privilege. We sees this now in attempts to reduce funding for state schools and universities, while making it more difficult for lower income students, of high abilty, to get into top private universities and liberal arts colleges, where privilege networks are formed.

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Dan M commented July 18

D

Dan M

Seattle

Thank you for this article. I wonder, as you think about the kind of world you want to live in, if you think this type of analysis/framework will ultimately get us there? As more and more pockets of the US become mixed spaces, as more of our families become mixed families, I think we will need a more complicated vocabulary. Indeed looking at Hawaii through only this lens will leave you incapable of describing the complicated layers of race relations in that entire state; such a change is coming to many parts of the US. How do we talk about what comes next?

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Uncle Donald commented July 18

U

Uncle Donald

California

Not only cogent thoughts and artfully explained nuances, but told with great storytelling skill. Thank you, Professor Rankine—we all have much to learn from you if we will only listen!

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Jack commented July 18

J

Jack

San Francisco

The author wonders whether one of the men she spoke to would “tell [his] wife [he] had a nice talk with a woman, or a black woman?” We don’t know what that man told his wife. We do know that the author told the entire world in the New York Times that she had a conversation with a white man. She’s as guilty of viewing people through narrow, racial lenses as any of the men she spoke to.

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2 REPLIES

Andrew commented July 18

A

Andrew

Philadelphia

Yep, from one white man to another white man (who is too intellectually lazy to have read the article or too defensive to have listened), she wasn’t accusing white men of being racist. Don’t think that was ever part of it. Yeah, she is talking about wanting to know if white men get that they have inherent privileges afforded them simply by being white men. Not rich, not connected, not anything other than that. Because if there is reincarnation and I get to choose, I’m going to re-up on being a white man (sorry to paraphrase Louis CK). It’s a pretty good deal.

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Ralph Crumrine commented July 22

R

Ralph Crumrine

Kansas City, MO

Guessing the over-determination based on the color of my white skin accrued to my net benefit. If my life had been over-determined and had the color of my skin been black I might share the author’s “narrow view.” Marvel not that those persons institutionally oppressed might betray a preoccupation with justice.

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Oscar commented July 18

O

Oscar

Steele City

Re: travelers in the liminal spaces where we waited Travelers in liminal spaces. Geez, What a classy turn of phrase. Almost poetry. Might even mean something. Makes me glad to be a New York Times reader. However, soporific musings of a woke air traveler would be my comment on the article. Guess. If I wanted poetry, I’d buy one of the cookery books you guys keep plugging. Or maybe read the sports section.

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5 REPLIES

Robert G commented July 18

R

Robert G

Huntington, Ny

Really? The squad? They have been around for 10 seconds. Your issues are way older my friend. And a great deal of them are Trump Republicans. Blood and soil. Open your eyes to who your friends are. And aren't. Peace bro. We are all in this together

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Smithy Blackwell commented July 18

S

Smithy Blackwell

San Francisco

She is a poet

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Jean Clarkin commented July 18

J

Jean Clarkin

New York

Apart from her teaching at Yale and pondering our current racial situation, Ms. Rankine is a prolific writer and an accomplished poet, a National Book Award finalist and playwright.

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Elise commented July 18

E

Elise

Ny

Why are Jews always excluded from any sympathetic sentiments? “Irish, Italian, and Asian immigrants” have not been treated as deplorably as Jews in this country, but the left no longer acknowledges their plight because of the absurd anti-Zionist fervor of the Squad and their cohorts.

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1 REPLY

Rabbit commented July 18

R

Rabbit

USA

Yes, the marginalization must not go unrecognized. True wokeness requires a constant evaluation of the rankings of the oppressed. You shouldn’t hesitate to call out, as must necessarily be the case here, the painful bigotry and anti-semitism inherent in the writer’s failure to recognize an oppressed group. I’d write more, but I’ve just flew in from my rent-controlled apartment in Brooklyn to begin lecturing the working class in Ohio about the intellectual rigor underpinning intersectionality. Putting my masters from NYU in Post-Colonial Studies to work!

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patroklos commented July 18

P

patroklos

Los Angeles

Enough. Enough. We are drowning in identity politics. As a white man, I have no right whatsoever to make that statement. But I am gay, so perhaps my comment will be published. Then again, I am cis-gendered, so what real value does my voice have?

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Glenn Esses commented July 18

G

Glenn Esses

Mobile al

My God All these thoughts All the loose translations of social interactions over one first class airplane ticket and ride. People are people Most neither care or acknowledge your presence because that would deflate their egos It’s not all that different in the subway, with everyone “entranced” wither their social media Please stop being so self absorbed about your racial differences In reality, few really care

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Airish commented July 18

A

Airish

Washington, DC

This, and many other items just like it, make me think the New York Times should reflag itself as the New York Journal of Racial Grievance Studies, or something like that. At a minimum, “Racial Grievances” should be a daily stand alone section, like the business section. I’m sure Sarah Jeong would wholeheartedly agree.

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Walker commented July 18

W

Walker

USA

America needs Obama back in the White House ASAP! Bring back EQUALITY for all!

4 Recommend

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1 REPLY

John Smythe commented July 18

J

John Smythe

Southland

@Walker Trump was elected by folk wanting equality.

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Joel commented July 18

J

Joel

Portland

OK, so there's white privilege. Now what?

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1 REPLY

Rabbit commented July 18

R

Rabbit

USA

Self-flagellation, followed by reparations? Should be a winning platform. Can’t wait to vote!

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Noa commented July 18

N

Noa

Florida

When my father was growing up he was not considered white by people outside of his poor Jewish neighborhood. Jews and Blacks were lumped together in racist and anti-Semitic propaganda. Jewish boys drafted into the Army in WWII received painful hazing from the other recruits. I don't believe he ever felt privileged.

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david commented July 18

D

david

oregon

criticizing first class on an airplane to an overseas destination is a Marie Antoinette moment. Perhaps the author should visit a depressed logging town in Oregon or maybe someplace closer to home to inquire about white Male privilege. typical of the meritocracy, perhaps she should look at the bigotry of academia

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1 REPLY

me commented July 18

M

me

US

@david Bingo!

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John Gilday commented July 18

John Gilday

John Gilday

Nevada

I believe the term white privilege along with white supremacy/supremacist, and white anything disparaging white people, should be categorized as racist. People using those terms should be called out and treated the same as those who label blacks, jews, muslims and others in racist terms. White privilege and white supremacy are now used as terms of hatred toward white people and the Times and other media should stop using them.

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1 REPLY

Hugh Jones commented July 18

H

Hugh Jones

Midwest

@John Gilday Right on. Racism is racism.

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Cap’n Dan Mathews commented July 18

Cap’n Dan Mathews

Cap’n Dan Mathews

Northern California

It’s like this, in America, every day is white man’s day.

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Steven Gordon commented July 18

S

Steven Gordon

NYC

Just so you know Ms. Rankine it’s not so easy being white. There are so many of them that are ignorant and outright fools that it is embarrassing to be a member of the white race at times let alone a member of the human race. White privilege is a club that being a member of is overrated.

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Mystery Lits commented July 18

M

Mystery Lits

somewhere

To the author flying first class... check (clap) your (clap) privilege (clap).

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Pedro commented July 18

P

Pedro

NYC

My identity is not white. Im a person, please treat me as such. If you want to be treated like a human being, do onto others

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Mystery Lits commented July 18

M

Mystery Lits

somewhere

Only a tenure protected educator flying in first class discussing privilege could be so blind of their own privilege...

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John commented July 18

J

John

Brooklyn

This has turned into a zero sum conversation, i.e. my privilege comes at the expense of your privilege, with race the primary factor. First off, extrapolating from the behavior of rude investment bankers in 1st class gives extremely biased sample. I will never understand what it is like to be black just as you will never understand what life is like (or isn’t) as a white man. The notion of privilege is extremely complex and is determined by a confluence of factors such that we will never be able to isolate what part of somebody’s privilege is determined by race vs wealth vs social pedigree vs intelligence vs geography vs mental/physical health vs parental etc. All else equal, race is certainly significant factor, but even that will depend on context- in the judicial system it’s a huge factor, while interviewing for a job at a black-owned private equity fund it will likely be less, if not reversed. Trying to simplify this and parsing every action and word of the other party to tease out what must be inherently racist intentions will lead is nowhere and will certainly not encourage any white male to engage in the conversations that we should be having. As a white male, there is little upside and only downside, as these “conversations” inevitably turn into “gotcha” traps with one side lecturing the other, rather than a genuine exchange of ideas. It is sad that we have arrived that this, and the the role of critical thinking and contemplation has been abandoned by all sides.

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djl commented July 18

D

djl

Poughkeepsie, NY

Since we're living in a country where more than half the graduates of law schools and medical schools are women, I think the "male" part of your argument is a little moot right now. But yes, I'm a white male. Sorry, I can't help it, I was just born that way. For most of my life, I never thought about it. But in the last 10 years or so, I've started to wonder if the things that have happened to me, good and bad, are because of my sex and race, and I HATE doing that. So I see your point. It must be horrible having to wonder all your life if your successes and failures are due to race or sex. I fervently hope that our grandchildren can live in a world that's gotten past all that.

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Liza commented July 18

L

Liza

Chicago

Looking forward to reading this author's upcoming collection of essays.

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BMFein commented July 18

B

BMFein

New York

If the author and her students read the comments about the article, they will truly understand what all kinds of people think about “white privilege”. Much more so than the article itself.

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michael commented July 18

michael

michael

salem ma

This question confuses the macro and micro levels. At the macro level, racism is a system of advantage based on race. At the micro level, racism consists of action and beliefs that portray individuals of another race as inferior. When you ask a white male, “What do you think of your white privilege”, you are essentially taking the white male to task (micro) for systemic problem (macro). Even if it is true that the while male has privilege (it is), this isn’t a helpful tactic. Here is how the confusion between the macro and the micro works here. Imagine two males, one white and one black, both with the same qualities. Imagine they grow up, they both work equally hard. What happens to them? Well, the white male is likely to be better off than the black male – because of white privilege (the black male will have to work much harder to even be even with the white male). This is true. However, in this thought experiment, it is ALSO true that the white male worked hard to get where he did. BOTH are true at the same time. You can’t blame the individual white male for the difference between the two individuals. And when you ask a white male about his white privilege, that is what you are doing. The question is neither innocent nor constructive.

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1 REPLY

C. Hiraldo commented July 18

C

C. Hiraldo

New York, NY

But the white privilege comes in when the white male doesn’t work harder than the black male and still has a better life. The problem is reality doesn’t always fit your convenient thought experiment.

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bruce bernstein commented July 18

bruce bernstein

bruce bernstein

New York

along with the author, i wish the term "privilege" had not stuck. I have a hard time telling a white working class male who is struggling at 2 low wage jobs that he is "privileged." i have no problem saying that he should not blame this on immigrants and/or blacks, and talking about the unity of class exploitation and race / ethnic exploitation; describing racism and prejudice in terms he can understand, etc. to me, talking about class, racial, and gender oppressions has more salience than talking about "privileges." "We've got to fight for better jobs and better wages, and we'll never succeed while the upper classes can keep Black and brown people even more beaten down. Racism hurts all of us." I don't minimize the various behaviors that Ms. Rankine describes, but, as one example, i assert that the vast majority of white males, even in business class, would not arbitrarily cut into line. And I have been treated rudely by men of all nationalities (usually not by women). But i do accept and applaud her analysis of being invisible and worse. btw, i have never been in a first class seat, ever. My guess is that the majority of white males in the US also lack the same experience. Finally, while Ms. Rankine's article is useful social commentary, i hope it doesn't get mistaken for political commentary. If the Democrats are forced to fight the election even partially on the basis of discussing "white male privilege", we're headed to another 4 years of Trump.

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ACM commented July 18

A

ACM

Boston, MA

Great article. As a black woman, I have to say that white American women are the rudest fellow flight passengers and the rudest fellow travelers to meet while abroad. They think that that you should not be seated next to them, and have to be asked not to take up more than their share of the shared space while flying. Once while flying cross country, the white woman next to me remarked on my Essence magazine. She said that there shouldn't be magazines specifically for black women. I said why not? All the other magazines are for white women. On a flight from Amsterdam to Cape Town, the white Scandanavian woman next to me was so friendly and warm. I couldn't figure it out, until I realized that she was not American!

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WD commented July 18

W

WD

Nyc

Am glad nytimes is posting articles from first hand experiences. The more this racism is exposed the better it is for the long run. Nobody reads about all this in history books or in documentaries. Let all the cats out of the bag. Only when all this racism comes out like a volcano fire and burns out, will the people heal like the earth and become one again.

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Georgia M commented July 18

G

Georgia M

Canada

Race is a weird thing. I was born in southern Europe. I am almost pasty white like my grandmother. My family jokes that I get a sunburn from the moon. My brother, on the other hand, is a very swarthy olive skinned guy. He and I run a business together. When he was younger he would tell me that people sometimes treated him like an ethnic immigrant- with a little less respect than run of the mill white people. He is not an immigrant and was born here. Of course I would tell him he was paranoid and asked if his behaviour had impacted how others treated him. Basically I didn’t believe him. However, now that we work together, I have noticed and observed a vague lack of respect for him by some customers on occasion. Even though he behaves just as I do- politely and competently. It is hard to pinpoint or call anyone on it, but I think I understand what he was saying a bit better.

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J commented July 18

J

J

NY

I have been struck by how many very privileged whites still cling to the "I worked hard for everything I have" line as a defense against any request to examine the role skin color and background might have had in their life path. In a world in which everyone is selling the best version of themselves, no one really likes to step forward with facts that might suggest you might not have deserved your success. The people willing to engage in a dialogue about this are typically those who get a cultural reward from being frank about their situation: So white liberals trip over themselves in their haste to be the first to notice a comment or a happening that instantiates the thesis, but conservatives, who typically have nothing in status to gain, erect a wall to anything like the idea of having an advantage. Whites who complain that affirmative action has hurt them or who have an example to cite where being white was a disadvantage aren't always wrong. They are just wrong that such examples mean we've gone too far in search of a remedy. The fact that there is occasionally an unqualified over their head person of color hired to do a job over a white applicant is hardly a big deal given all the people of color who aren't hired for other jobs, period. But taking that view requires people to look at the big picture from a distance and that's not what people are great at. Because to do so means looking at your own history honestly and that can be too undermining to people's self image.

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Rich commented July 18

R

Rich

Boston

I think this entire concept is bogus - and yes I am a white male. And an immigrant, a veteran, a college grad, raised by a single mother, alcoholic father, food stamp beneficiary, Catholic, married, straight, father, brother, uncle, athlete, raised in New England, former attorney, businessman, etc. This list could be endless. Being white is not irrelevant, but viewing and judging the billions of individual people who live on our planet this way - by some immutable characteristic - says nothing about my individual life experience and doesn’t help anyone. I’ve also lived and worked for a significant portion of my adult life in Asia and Africa. How does “white privilege” work there? Or in India? Humanity will not advance to our greatest potential looking at the world this way. It is creating racial tribalism that takes society backwards - this isn’t progress. It’s a cancer

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1 REPLY

Smithy Blackwell commented July 18

S

Smithy Blackwell

San Francisco

I took this article as an attempt to communicate and understand a phenomenon that we all experience, yet many deny. I appreciate the perspective and the concrete examples of white male privilege that she experienced and strove to comprehend.

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Lou Good commented July 18

L

Lou Good

Page, AZ

Chris Rock had the surest route to clearing up any confusion. He used to ask audiences if any of the white males wanted to trade places with him and pointed out that "he's rich". Nobody ever did, me included. Let's keep working.

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Speedo commented July 18

S

Speedo

Encinitas, CA

How can we have Claudia Rankine come to dinner?? My wife and I (both white in our early 70s) would love to talk to her at length. It's just recently that we've come to recognize our white privilege. And understand how little we know about the struggles of blacks (and other minorities) in our nation. Every white person should read this article. Then to be shocked to the core read "100 years of Lynchings." It's a journey that every white person should take.

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John commented July 18

J

John

Pittsburgh/Cologne

Let’s cut to the bottom line. How much money should be paid in reparations? Just name the price. It’s much simpler for everyone that way.

5 Recommend

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3 REPLIES

Kevin H. commented July 18

K

Kevin H.

NJ, USA

@John Oh, if it could be that simple...Like, for instance, as my post name indicates, I'm a lifelong resident of NJ. I've come to realize that NJ ranks in the top 3 states o/o 50 for quality of public education, but our taxes are also among the highest. (Sorry, flyover country: my real estate taxes are $12K/year, and if yours are like $2K, you know that you get what you pay for.) But, to my chagrin, we in NJ have some of the most segregated schools. So, how do we help the residents in Newark, Camden, etc., get better schools? Beats me, but we *have* to try. It is the moral thing to do, and the USA will be better for it.

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John commented July 18

J

John

Pittsburgh/Cologne

@Kevin H. Here is the situation and possible solutions. Rich people in New Jersey and other wealthy liberal areas pay high taxes for good local schools. In other words, they use their wealth as a wall to segregate themselves from the poor (predominately minority) families. That’s the reality of “privilege”. If that bothers you , then there are two solutions: 1. Pay more taxes to fund poorer school districts. 2. Pass laws to force busing and integration of poorer, minority students into wealthier school districts. And vice versa. Which solution do you support? Either?

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Kevin H. commented July 19

K

Kevin H.

NJ, USA

@John Both, actually, but (2) only if the wealthy/high quality school district would voluntarily (majority vote of people in the district) allow the acceptance of financially disadvantaged students to attend their district's presumably well-run schools. Long term, we would want to raise the quality of the poorer schools, and there is a correlation between the quality of the schools and the money per student that is available. And it "bothers" me because a child shouldn't start out at 4 or 5 years old at a substantial disadvantage because of where the child was born. Anyway, it makes good practical sense to provide the best education possible for the nation's future citizens. A good long term investment, if you know what I mean.

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B Scrivener commented July 18

B

B Scrivener

NYC

Terms such as "white privilege" or "white fragility" are inherently accusatory, and hence more likely to inspire a defensive response from the people that those who use such terms are allegedly trying to influence. Non Violent Communication (NVC; M Rosenberg) is a strategic model that is designed to help adversaries actually come to understand each other, rather than just exchange blame. Those concerned about racism would do well to learn about NVC and avoid such polarizing terms if they want to influence white people's opinions effectively, rather than just vent their spleens.

9 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Smithy Blackwell commented July 18

S

Smithy Blackwell

San Francisco

NVC is truly an attempt to be able to have a real conversation. This method is especially useful in learning to parent a child so that they feel heard. But the NVC branding itself feels like it’s a privileged concept. I am not sure how to articulate that idea at the moment. You have opened an avenue of inquiry for me.

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David commented July 18

D

David

Dummerston, VT

It's not a simple issue. I recall recently being stopped for speeding, and getting off with a warning, and wondering if a young black man would get such courteous treatment. More than just my racial background, I think I was very fortunate to come from a loving, supportive home and to have an excellent public education. I feel strongly that all Americans should have the same advantages and privileges that I did.

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Samuel commented July 18

S

Samuel

Brooklyn

When I was 17, I was caught drinking a 40 oz in Brooklyn Bridge Park with a friends, both of us white. The cops gave us summonses just for "open container in public", and not for underage drinking or trespassing in a closed park, both of which we were also doing. When I went into court for my summons I was terrified. While I sat waiting for my case to be heard, a 16 year old Hispanic kid who had been ticketed for riding his bike on the sidewalk went up in front of the judge. The judge (an old white man) proceeded to rip this kid a new one, screaming about how he could have seriously injured someone, what was he doing with his life, etc. He ended up imposing a hefty fine and a large number of community service hours. I was terrified, what I had been doing was way worse. I went up for my turn, and the judge asked what I did with my time. I said I went to school, and hung out with my friends. He asked where I went to school, and I told him, it was a fairly prominent Brooklyn private High School. He said, verbatim, "Oh, I know that school. My son went there, and a lot of smart kids graduate from there. You're too smart to be doing this stuff. Dismissed." No ACD, no fine, no probation, nothing. Dismissed, like it never happened. My friend went in later that day, saw the same judge, and got roughly the same result. This is white privilege. My life isn't easy, and I haven't gotten everything I want in it with no effort, but it is indisputable that this privilege exists.

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1 REPLY

bruce bernstein commented July 18

bruce bernstein

bruce bernstein

New York

@Samuel perhaps it was upper class "privilege" as much as white "privilege" (a term I dislike). what if your answef to where you went to school was Lafayette HS, or Lincoln? on the other hand, the Hispanic kid seems to have received disparate treatment: "racial oppression." in fact you both should have gotten a lecture and let go.

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Casual Observer commented July 18

C

Casual Observer

Los Angeles

How does one ask a poor man whose family lives on the street what it's like to be a privileged white male? How does one ask a rich man who struggled up from poverty working long hours and saving every penny what it's like to be a privileged white male? The first thing that one needs to do it to convince them that what they do not have or have was the result of people's hard work that has little or no connection with their lives save for the fact that they are white living in a country where non-whites were exploited for centuries. The presumption that not being discriminated against means that what one has was the direct result of others being discriminated against it kind of hard show.

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Sue commented July 18

S

Sue

Cleveland

I think for the vast majority of people life is pretty difficult no matter what your race. As a white person I do not feel “privileged” but I do feel that people of color have more obstacles. In other words, the world is a tough place and even more so, if you are a minority.

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Katherine Smith commented July 18

K

Katherine Smith

Virginia

I prefer the word lucky to "privileged." It makes more sense. And I'm really glad I'm lucky because being unlucky in this world is terrible. For me the real privilege is being in a position to help others which is great fun and also the meaning of life. Though I'm white (a woman), I can't imagine people bending over backwards to please me (mostly people seem to work hard to annoy me!). I was always the one expected to run myself ragged pleasing others. I don't try too hard these days to help people who don't need help, and I avoid people who fly first class or expect first class service like the plague as I can't stand being around hard to please people. There are enough people who really need my help to keep a lucky person me busy. I also find it annoying that two first class passengers (the author and her seatmate) are scrutinizing the morals of the stewardess on the plane who forgets the orange juice. That actually burns me up.

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Elena commented July 18

E

Elena

SoCal

I want to compliment the artist, Najeebah Al-Ghadban, who provided the illustration for this essay. It's wonderful!

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David Henry commented July 18

David Henry

David Henry

Concord

Better to ask what it means to be black. "White privilege" is one of those terms which people impose all sorts of meanings to, but means nothing.

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Jimmy McFarland commented July 18

J

Jimmy McFarland

Los Angeles

Let's try again. No idea first class was so nasty. Back here in steerage we're just trying to squeeze in. They don't give out the fancy headphones either, so it's not as easy to tune in to the white static. Mostly it's just airplane noise. That said, when flying to France once, I sat next to a Moroccan woman flying to Morocco--I'm not sure how you'd classify her in terms of race; I'll leave that to the experts--but she was not allowed to leave the plane during the stopover, whereas American and European folks flying on to Morocco could. That was a gross injustice, grounded in economic inequity and perhaps race, but we both understood in our limited way that injustice in the world was so much larger than us and that to combat it we had to focus on what we had in common more than on what divided us. Nevertheless, I feel bad about the author having to wait for her orange juice. No one in first class should have to suffer that.

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Elsie H commented July 18

E

Elsie H

Denver

Every time I read anything that attempts to discuss the concept of "white privilege," I think about whether it would be more well-received if we were to nix the term itself. The word "privilege" immediately puts white people on the defensive, leading to the reflexive "I wasn't privileged! I worked hard for everything I have!" In reality, it is not that whiteness bestows privileges; it's that non-whiteness bestows undeserved liabilities. It should not be a privilege to be presumed competent and honest, or to be able to move about in any space (business class, restaurants, parks, neighborhoods) without having to justify one's presence. Rather than point out to white people how undeserving they are, which only makes them feel angry, defensive or, at best, guilty, explain to them that non-whites, and women, just want the ability to be free from discrimination. Isn't that the world we're aiming for?

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Pete commented July 18

P

Pete

Florham Park, NJ

The problem I have with this discussion is that if one is a white male, as I am, the white privileged is inherited. The white male hasn’t chosen to receive the societal benefits that go with the ethnicity and gender, they are just there. So no matter how aware one is of these inherited advantages, the question is what are we supposed to do? No matter how much we might do as individuals to fight bigotry, to vote for candidates who will stand up for equality of all, in the end it sounds like no more than “some of my best friends are black/Jews/gay etc.” What does Prof. Ranking expect a white male who has taken her course do other than, to use a Jewish term, be a “mensch” (a good person)? (As an aside, I wonder how to make my white male privilege consistent with the fact that my synagogue has to have an armed guard to make sure I don’t get shot, but that is another discussion, just as Prof. Ranking says affirmative action is a separate discussion.)

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1 REPLY

Pete commented July 18

P

Pete

Florham Park, NJ

@Pete Unfortunately auto-correct changed “Prof. Rankine” into “Prof. Ranking.” Apologies.

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Paul commented July 18

P

Paul

Simsbury, Connecticut

"space itself is one of the understood privileges of whiteness." Interesting. White privilege exists and none of us can really walk in somebody else's shoes to understand their lived experiences - this is, no doubt, especially true of American black experiences given our history and present. However, I've read a lot about Critical Race Theory, and I can't put my finger on it, but something about the "racial lens" in articles like this don't ring true to me. Am I that clueless about my privilege that I don't recognize that space itself one of those privileges? Are these comments evidence of my privilege and white fragility? Everyone is certainly entitled to their own perspectives, and far be it for me to judge anyone else's and it makes sense that people who are in racial minorities are going to be more tuned in to seeing things through a racial lens. But sometimes, isn't a cigar just a cigar?

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a commented July 18

A

a

new york ,ny

there are a dozen ethnicities that have a higher average income than whites. maybe "privilege" just means "better."

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AB commented July 18

A

AB

Boston

Wow, this really touched a nerve. When I see a black man or woman hogging multiple seats on a train I try to be extra vigilant in noticing whites who do the same. I also look around and invariably notice that the overwhelming majority of people of all colors choose to obey the rules. This extra vigilance helps ensure that I don’t fall into the trap of making unfair generalities. You should try it.

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Joe commented July 18

J

Joe

Ketchum Idaho

This is like Alice in Wonderland, making abstractions out of abstractions. I have no privilege being white, except in someone else's theory and conceptual thinking. The USA is 76% White. Is reality a problem? I live in a White town in a White state. I guess there is a privilege here after all in being able to leave cars and houses unlocked without concern. Seriously, has there ever been a nation, country or local group that has not had some quality of privilege large or small over any minority population? It's a homo sapiens thing, hard wired. We are often not that nice a species.

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Sarah Conner commented July 18

S

Sarah Conner

Seattle

Oh my, what a beautiful and powerful essay. Thank you. I am trying to be a better white person.

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Beyond Karma commented July 18

B

Beyond Karma

Miami

One of the best lessons I have ever been taught is, "It ain't about me." In the last few years I have seen numerous examples of black people believing they are being ignored or treated differently because of their race when in actuality the person they are accusing could care less about their race. You are not the center of the universe. I am not the center of the universe. Most people, white, black, brown or whatever color, are just trying to get through their day with the last amount of stress. IMHO a better study/question would be one that addresses economic inequality (how do you feel about being able to afford an airline seat that gets boarded first and is wider?). Why don't you try a week of not thinking everyone is treating you differently because of your skin color?

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Victor commented July 18

V

Victor

Intervale, NH

I agree with everything except the use of the word 'privilege'. It implies getting something special that one quite possibly does not deserve. The way white people are treated in the US is the baseline way everyone should be treated. The problem is that people of color often are not. The solution is to correct this by treating people of color the right way.

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Bill Brown commented July 18

B

Bill Brown

California

This author is extremely uptight. I fly almost every week & often get upgraded to 1st class. People have cut in front of me all the time & I'm sure I may have cut in front of them at some point. I don't sweat it...I'm still in 1st class! I have never heard anyone say: “Excuse me, I am in this line.” There are usually only 16 seats in 1st class, all assigned, all great. This is as good as it gets at U.S. airports. Chill. Believe me, getting on the plane 30 seconds later will not change your life or flight experience. Asking about white privilege while standing in line or seated next to someone on a jet is obnoxious at best. Often passengers are harried, frustrated, or worried about catching a connecting flight. No one wants to get into an incredibly pointless political discussion. Truthfully terms like "white privilege" are rife with a high level of condescension that the majority of men find revolting. Many enlightened progressives seem to think that putting a man down is a sort of entitlement. We live in a time when the left feels no embarrassment in taking cheap shots at "white males" which carries a disclaimer that prejudice against white males is not racist or sexist since it is not directed at the oppressed. Right! This is what white privilege is to me. It is a propaganda campaign created & launched by left-wing academic fanatics with nothing better to do designed to foster divisions & divide the nation further. Now can I please get back to my in-flight movie. Thanks.

11 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Michael commented July 19

M

Michael

Manila

@Bill Brown, I think you are probably describing your experience flying first in domestic flights. The marginal difference in comfort and service between first/high end business and coach/economy on international flights is much more than the difference on domestic flights. In my experience, first class passengers on international flights are as privileged as commercial airline passengers can be; a good number of these passengers act as if they are entitled to the luxurious space and service. This is a highly, highly selected population.

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AD commented July 18

A

AD

Chicago, IL

There is no denying the historical background of white dominance, of widespread racism in the past, of lynchings and many terrible things. Yet there is something pseudo-scientific, something un-falsifiable and ether-like in how this scholar uses "white privilege". I'm frustrated by this writing, so slow to develop, so poor in observations, yet so rich in rumination and projection, like so much critical theory. My patience is worn thin. By focusing on First Class, is Rankine more interested in confirming her biases than understanding where other people actually come from? I've talked to black and whites in First Class and Greyhound, it's different. I appreciate Rankine's tries humor, but does she get how race, while predictive, doesn't define people? What about the African-American 26 year-old who told me he has never experienced racism? What about the black businessmen and veterans I met who voted for Trump? Do we deny that "white privilege" has declined outside the 1%? Do whites in trailer parks deserve to be there? What about Asian Americans, treated so badly in the past and now on average surpass more privileged whites? Or the Jews? Is this a contest? What do we gain by carrying around historical grievances and reminding strangers of them? Do you make your marriage better by reminding your spouse every day about the ways they did you wrong? That somehow they may be unconsciously malevolent towards you? Why not connect directly with kindness and understanding?

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Logan commented July 18

L

Logan

Florida

This piece is truly terrifying. The author seems to exist in some alterate reality, where everything and everyone is viewed, indeed must be viewed, through the prism of 'race'. How truly racist. Nobody can deny that the historical treatment of black people in the U.S. was nothing but deplorable. But to persist in defining social reality and interactions in terms of race only promotes racism, whatever the intentions of the author. There is almost a complete absence of genuine critical thought, self-reflection and self-awareness on the part of the author. From a professor at such a socially esteemed place of learning I am almost speechless. Throughout the piece the author seems unaware that her existing worldview will be a critical factor in how others perceive her and how her interactions with others will proceed - she seems to think people will primarily perceive her skin color and not the intellect and character which lies beneath. Utterly bizarre. Racists of every hew will always exist - this is not permission or reason for the rest of us to perpetuate their ill-conceived notions in other forms, however specious the reasoning. As for the situation where the author, the other (white) cowards and the lady at the check-in allowed a group of people to effectively cut in line without objection - I and many of my friends (of varying color, sex and sexual orientation) would have screamed blue murder til they got to the end of the line. Go figure.

16 Recommend

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imamn commented July 18

I

imamn

bklyn

This is a Swiftean parody right, Claudia Rankine, keeps flying first class and asks random folks about privilege. Or is it a Trumpian parody

10 Recommend

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WorkingGuy commented July 18

W

WorkingGuy

NYC, NY

The author has a paradigm-her collected set of assumptions-which is her biased world view. We all have paradigms. The author, however, can articulate and cite these assumptions very well, as she does in this article. Her bias is that she lives in a world of White Privilege (WP). Victimology is in the waft and weave of the fabric of WP, the whole cloth she sees as wrapping, shrouding, or even fashioned into a tailored fit up there in First Class. As an academic, how could she not see the faultiness of her selected sample group? If only she could disabuse herself of WP & not inculcate her students with this bias. From the article: “And then came the realization that we were, in fact, in the midst of a discussion about the perceived loss of white male privilege. Was I implicated in his loss? Did he think so?” The realization is no verity. Affirmative Action (AA) is at its essence a hiring program with the discriminating factor being race. ( Or fill in any one of the protected minority classes under federal law, I think now up to 18.) If you are an able-bodied cisgendered straight white middle aged male, you are most likely to be discriminated against-all other things being equal-in favor of one of the 18. The author could only see a lamentation on a loss of WP and not a fellow traveler who now shares a common experience of discrimination in hiring. RE: Therapy. Get another therapist. A therapist helping you figure out what other people are thinking is malpractice.

8 Recommend

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Dady commented July 18

D

Dady

Wyoming

The statement “whiteness” is racist. No thanks on reading the rest of the article

6 Recommend

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NOTATE REDMOND commented July 18

NOTATE REDMOND

NOTATE REDMOND

Rockwall TX

This article’s direction is a dead end. I for one do not think about being white unless someone harasses me about “white male privilege” and that is rare. Racism is all encompassing for everyone, white, black, brown, yellow, red etc. We all deal with it to some degree. Will it ever end? Unlikely.

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greppers commented July 18

G

greppers

upstate NY

Is there such a thing as too much critical theory? Should social and critical thinkers be retrained to perform useful tasks dealing with concrete things such as building bridges, houses, and tunnels? Should critical theorists be placed on a large island and left to create their own ideal world putting theory in practice? How long would it take for them to form a functional leadership? How long would that leadership last? How long before the plumbing becomes clogged and the microwave no longer works?

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Noo Yawka commented July 18

N

Noo Yawka

New York, NY

Thank you for this thoughtful and impactful feature. Upon digesting its content and feeling the true meaning, I have just broken off my relationship with my boyfriend of two years. He is a first generation American of European descent, has worked his own way through college - and then law school. He is smart, caring, full of hope and energy, and has made something of himself which his immigrant parents are very proud of. I now realize however that he is a white male and therefore has privilege. He must go.

14 Recommend

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4 REPLIES

BorisRoberts commented July 18

B

BorisRoberts

Santa Maria, CA

He made out better than you. Your loss.

Recommend

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Legman Seymour commented July 18

L

Legman Seymour

Bronx

Hilarious

5 Recommend

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MinisterOfTruth commented July 18

MinisterOfTruth

MinisterOfTruth

Riverton, NJ 080..

. @Noo Yawka, . Grrr... Why doesnt he just go home to Europe ?! . Maybe Iceland or Estonia would be white enough for him ! .

1 Recommend

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Orthoducks commented July 18

O

Orthoducks

Sacramento

I'm a white male. I haven't nearly lived up to my life potential, in part because I've been treated dishonestly by other white males at a few pivotal times that affected the course of my life. The mistreatment was not based on race, gender, or ethnicity, but I believe it was enabled, if not prompted, by our society's power structure. What does this mean to my status as a white male? If I've been mistreated and people of color have been mistreated more, does that mean I owe them something? I haven't the faintest idea.

10 Recommend

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JAS Resistance commented July 18

J

JAS Resistance

California

I have benefitted from WASP privilege my entire life, as did my parents and my two sisters. Hard work and college educations played vital parts in our success but the facts are this: we had access to job and education opportunities that even your average person of color in those days did not (parents grew up in 40’s and 50’s and sisters and I are all Boomers). In the state where I grew up we perhaps have more historical diversity and opportunity, as many African Americans and Hispanic immigrants came here in the 40’s 50’s and 60’s in the postwar boom and were able to achieve solid middle class (if not higher) lives. The flood tide of ever increasing overt racism in this country troubles me greatly, and I enjoyed reading this well thought out essay. I am always interested in the perspectives of those who are NOT like me, and to view life through their lens of experience. I am not black or Hispanic or Asian yet I know i don’t have to be to clearly see that racism is alive in the US and throughout the world. Remember the only thing required for evil to thrive is for good men (and women) to do nothing. Let’s all do something before we all suffer the repercussions of racism and hatred.

8 Recommend

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1 REPLY

karen commented July 18

K

karen

bay area

Red-lining is the perfect illustration of your enlightened comment. Post wwii, young white couples could buy a house anywhere in California. Palo alto, mill valley, Orinda-- to name 3. Regardless of their career success, they made out like bandits from their real estate purchase. Living a more than comfortable retirement, accumulating a legacy to pass onto their boomer kids, thus giving them white, intergenerational privilege. Their young black peers bought where they could. Richmond and East Palo alto to name two, did not afford them what the white folks got by the good fortune of free choice. No intergenerational wealth was possible; no grand retirements-- for any but the most uniquely successful of these black people. I am a white boomer.

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Sara commented July 18

Sara

Sara

Oakland

Sociologic categories require lumping groups of people to make generalizations, useful for political action But to fight for human rights, it is special groups and more powerful to be inclusive: gay, black brown, trans, female, disabled, poor, et al must be united to defeat the greater danger- a fiercely united right wing white nativism. Right wingers got Bill Clinton to collude in the destruction of Glass-Steagal, causing both redistribution of wealth upward & a credit bubble that punished the working class globally. Instability followed. The twisting of 2 elections 4 GOP wins- w/o popular vote majorities allowed right wing Court appointments and further erosion of representative government through Citizens United. Privilege bought elections now. Obama was sui generis- helped by the tail wind of GWBush's awful 8 years (crash & Iraq) & huge turn out of black & young voters. Now Trump has fomented rabid white privilege - inflamed by Obama & shifting demographics. Too much anxiety=paranoid reaction. The foundation of our democracy is now cracking. That individual freedom is protected by protecting diversity, by separation of Church & State & by equal justice is displaced by white nationalism as 'patriotism.' Sociology misses individual psychology. Rankine asked many smug&entitled white guys about their privilege but it is unlikely that changed hearts&minds. Let those guys to flounder; better to demand we fight for a common good , mobilize the majority & trounce Trump.

2 Recommend

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JR commented July 18

J

JR

Princeton

The US has been, up to this point, a majority white country with a white power structure. In almost every way then, white privilege was just the way things have been up to this point. The interesting thing is what will happen as we transition to a country in which black and brown people will be the majority. To most Republicans, the potential loss of white power and privilege is the most frightening prospect that exists. As an aside, each year I give a long talk about admissions at the privileged Ivy League University where I teach. After the third round of admissions review, everyone is totally qualified. If everyone is totally qualified, then why shouldn't we admit more African American students for example. Evidence shows that diverse cohorts have better life outcomes. It's not a quota system when everyone is qualified. The issue becomes what makes a good cohort. Only the narrative of white privilege asserts that the "black guy" got the job because he was black.

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David M. Brown commented July 18

David M. Brown

David M. Brown

US

How does one "interrogate a question"? What if the question refuses to answer? Does one apply pressure to the question? Does one browbeat it? I would like to interrogate the noxious and invidious assumption that there is any such thing as "white privilege," "tall privilege," "alive privilege," etc. Assumption, what do you have to say for yourself?

17 Recommend

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robert hofler commented July 18

R

robert hofler

nyc

I didn't realize that this article was really going to be about the privilege of those who can afford first-class seats on an airplane.

35 Recommend

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1 REPLY

MinisterOfTruth commented July 18

MinisterOfTruth

MinisterOfTruth

Riverton, NJ 080..

. @robert hofler, . Even then the article was pretty long .

6 Recommend

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ejb commented July 18

ejb

ejb

Philly

Good Lord, Ms Rankine, I am a short Jewish male with facial hair, and I think that every piece of rude male behavior you have described here, I have experienced too. The world overlooks short people, and airport people are suspicious of facial hair (or they were in the 20 years I flew frequently in the 1990s and 2000s). And additionally, it's quite obvious to most of the world (according to them) that I'm Jewish based on my appearance alone. If I went around seething, interpreting everything you describe through the lens of tacit racism, judging every stranger you meet, people you don't know at all, by the roiling, twisted standards you lay out here at length and repetitively ... I guess I'd be as unhappy as you are. And I don't have the status and validation of a Yale position to comfort me. Good Lord, Ms Rankine, you don't know me, and you don't know those people either. They're probably rude to everybody, even other white males.

118 Recommend

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Sheryl Schulz commented July 18

S

Sheryl Schulz

Seattle

I think anyone who flies regularly is privileged - how wonderful that we live in this world.

10 Recommend

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Arthur commented July 18

A

Arthur

Platteville, WI

A good essay, but I was irritated by the subhed of the article: "My college class asks what it means to be white in America — but interrogating that question as a black woman in the real world is much harder to do." As a college professor (now retired), I spent a lot of time — probably too much — explaining to my colleagues and students that life within the academy is just as real as life in any other area. There are requirements, deadlines, assessments, penalties, and, of course, racism, sexism, and other pernicious "isms" in the university setting similar to those one encounters in the so-called real world. To refer to life outside the academy as "real" is, by extension, to devalue and dismiss the importance of what goes on within the academy. I would also point out that the writer's recounted experiences with her students belies the statement in the subhed: Interrogating the question in the classroom is no easier than interrogating it at the airport, although it might seem easier when you are the professor and have the luxury of directing the discussion from a position of relative power.

2 Recommend

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Alex commented July 18

A

Alex

NYC

This isn't solely an article on whiteness. It's an article on RICH white men. They don't speak for and don't have the same experiences as other white men. RICH people have privilege too.

11 Recommend

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Networthy commented July 18

N

Networthy

SF

I'm white but was born, raised and spent my formative years in a country where whites are a small minority. As a result I'm quite comfortable in the presence of people who don't look like me, as long as they're educated. Don't tell me otherwise.

3 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Samuel commented July 18

S

Samuel

Brooklyn

@Networthy "As long as they're educated" means "as long as they act in a certain way, that I expect them to act in". Which is another way of saying "as long as they act like me".

1 Recommend

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Syliva commented July 18

S

Syliva

Pacific Northwest

I agree that the term privilege is less effective than perhaps "dominance". Too many white people who struggle financially and otherwise don't feel "privileged" and so the conversation stops right there. I don't know how the word "dominance" would play, but the word "privilege" has been an abject failure in getting the message across to many whites.

3 Recommend

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Cynthia commented July 18

C

Cynthia

Seattle

The luxury of being oblivious to matters of privilege and race is the essence of white privilege.

5 Recommend

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Casual Observer commented July 18

C

Casual Observer

Los Angeles

Privilege means given without one's having worked to have it, it something given to a person just for having existed. The concept of "white privilege" is arrived at from the notion that if one is not denied some thing one is necessarily the recipient of that thing. If one is not poor, one must have been given wealth earned by the poor but removed from them. It's just not logical. Some people are like Trump, given wealth acquired by their parents. Those people are privileged with material riches. Other people are not born with wealth but they acquire it themselves. Some by exploiting others hard work, some by their own hard work. But most people have to earn what they acquire and most are not wealthy. This was true when slavery was legal. At that time, and long afterwards, non-whites were deliberately kept from keeping what they earned. They were deliberately kept from enjoying the great prosperity being enjoyed by whites. In many cases where non-whites had prospered, there were incidents where their property was destroyed and they killed by white people. Yet, even today, most people white or non-white in the country are not privileged. There are inequities to be sure and disparities that correspond to race, but privilege has nothing to do with it.

2 Recommend

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SR commented July 18

SR

SR

New York

I love male white privilege. The only problem with it is that I never got nearly as much of it as I wanted.

4 Recommend

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Scott commented July 18

S

Scott

Charlottesville

If the author wants to move beyond a series of self-selected anecdotes to actually knowing things as true or not true, attention to study design and statistical analysis would be a good beginning. A series of anecdotes is more enlightening of the attitudes of the author than it is of the subjects.

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Marshall Doris commented July 18

M

Marshall Doris

Concord, CA

One lives one’s life indelibly inside one’s own skin. You only get the one point of view, which means that to whatever extent any white person receives privilege associated with his skin color or gender, it will be impossible for that person to completely understand any privilege that attains to that membership. One can know it intellectually, but be unable to feel it. They will say, like me, that I did not experience any sense of privilege growing up. They will likely say, like me, that they played by the rules as the rules were explained to them. They studied in high school, prepared for the SAT, got, or did not get, their first college choice, then earned their degree. Or they didn’t go to college and had some other path that allowed them to achieve whatever they did or did not achieve. They won’t feel that privilege had anything to do with it, because that concept is more of a statistical reality than an experienced one. That others did not experience the same opportunity as they, or I, did can be explained by any number of social realities, but it reflects a fault in the aggregate not in the personal. It is the aggregate that needs changing, and blaming white people for the historical reality of white privilege is, at best, a first step in changing it. Race discrimination is learned early in life, and thus difficult to eliminate. Writ large across populations, we have a big job ahead of us to make society more equitable.

2 Recommend

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William Case commented July 18

W

William Case

United States

Most white Americans think about “white privilege” what most Japanese think about “Asian privilege” or most Kenyans think about “black privilege.” It is advantageous to be a member of a country’s most populous racial or ethnic group. However, 76.5 percent of Americans are white, so white Americans compete mostly against other white Americans, not Americans of other races. But most poor Americans are white. According to the Census Bureau, 26.4 million whites ,16.9 million blacks and 8.9 million Asians live below the poverty threshold. And poor non-Hispanic whites don’t get racial or ethnic preference in college admissions. https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2018/demo/p60-263.pdf

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3 REPLIES

Samuel commented July 18

S

Samuel

Brooklyn

@William Case Most [insert any category here] Americans are white, because most Americans are white. Most murderers in America are white. So are most rapists. So are most CEOs, most police officers, and most politicians. You can use statistics as disingenuously as you like, but it doesn't actually prove anything. It would be much more interesting to see what percentage of the white population lives in poverty, compared to the percentage of the black and asian populations. If there are 1 million White Americans and only 100,000 Black Americans and 100,000 Asian Americans, and 50,000 of each group lives in poverty, which group has a worse situation? Even if 100,000 live in poverty, that's still 1/10 of the white population despite being twice the raw numbers of the black population who live in the same situation. Saying "more white people live in poverty than any other group" is a meaningless statement. If you want to cite statistics, use them properly.

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DC Reade commented July 18

D

DC Reade

traveling

@Samuel an example of a more relevant statistic: ethnic disparities in household wealth https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/12/12/racial-wealth-gaps-great-recession/

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William Case commented July 18

W

William Case

United States

@Samuel Your statistics are wrong. The FBI Uniform Crime Report shows blacks murdered 2,627 backs and 576 whites, a total of 3,263 murders. It shows whites murdered 2,861 white and 264 blacks, a total of 3,,125 murders. Blacks committed most murders and most interracial murders even though they make up only about 13,4 percent of the population. Source: Expanded Homicide Data Table 6: Race, Sex, and Ethnicity of Victim by Race, Sex, and Ethnicity of Offender, 2017 https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2017/crime-in-the-u.s.-2017/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-6.xls There are far more poor blacks. Poor is poor and group percentages matter only to racists who think like is a competition. between racial group.,

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Casual Observer commented July 18

C

Casual Observer

Los Angeles

Whiteness as it is examined in studies about whiteness is about institutional inequities whereby some classes of people with common ethnic backgrounds are presumed to have natural advantageous over people of other ethnic backgrounds which explain the inequities. In Great Britain and America it was held by people with Anglo-Saxon ancestry, which later included people from selected countries in Northern Europe, and later included everyone from the British Isles, and thence to all of Europe. In addition, it was adopted in the slave holding colonies to make that institution be reserved for those whose ancestors were brought from Africa as slaves. But the common underlying rationale was that the exploitation and brutality exerted to keep people in slavery to take their lives and property was attributed to nature or God, rather that human cruelty and indifference. Race we know from biology is not a real difference of any significance between human beings. There is no real racially superior or inferior humans. It's a concept that should be abandoned as both false and the foundation of despicable practices. There needs to be a real effort to resolve all of the bad effects upon living people from the bad use of race. The means some kind of reparations in this country. But it must be the result of a consensus to work effectively.

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Dairyland commented July 18

D

Dairyland

Dairyland

“relative economic privilege” While reading, tried imagining this entire article written by an aware, yet educationally & financially, struggling minority author, among fellow educationally & financially folks. Didn’t work.

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RealTRUTH commented July 18

R

RealTRUTH

AR

This illustrates one of the greatest values of a college education - the acquisition of critical thinking. Issues like this, and So many others, must be addressed in REAL life. We must be able to assess truth and separate it from lies and hyperbole - and to make decisions within a context of thoughtful "right" and "wrong" - traits which the abominable self-proclaimed "leader of the free world" knows nothing about. So, if you can, send your children and yourselves, to college and be challenged. Learn how to assess new ideas and develop a non-hypocritical righteous, successful life. Money is not the end game - it's how you earn it and what you do with it. Just as a point of reference to start - Trump has stollen millions and given nothing. He will continue to steal without conscience, and he will be held accountable, just like Madoff and a host of his other "good men". YOU decide, but do it wisely.

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Barbara Fu commented July 18

B

Barbara Fu

San Bernardino

"What other inane things have I said?" I get that. Called out on a blind spot, admitting it without too much loss of face, feeling safe enough to accept the answer and humble enough not to argue it. Having strong enough footing from privilege itself to ask and not fear the answer.

3 Recommend

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The Chief from Cali commented July 18

T

The Chief from Cali

Port Hueneme Calif.

I don’t have an inkling as to white privilege. I grew up in La Colonia. I went to a school whose practice field was next to where all the older high school guys would walk by to Oxnard High. One fall afternoon a kid named Kesting, started yelling and taunting them as they walked by, during our frosh football practice. I ran over and grabbed him and threw to the ground. My coaches never reprimanded me or made me run laps. From then on I never was ever hassled by the vatos in my hood.

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PCS commented July 18

P

PCS

Chester Co. PA

Last week I told the guy (a vet) on the bar stool next to me that he was privileged. A disagreement ensued. Being a 65 yr old white male and a veteran myself, I asked him if he chose to be born white. Everybody should play the hand they're dealt and pounce on opponents weakness.

1 Recommend

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Jeff commented July 18

J

Jeff

USA

The author seems to view all white males as a homogenous bloc and her understanding of white males seems to come exclusively from mostly imagined and some real interactions in first class air travel or at Yale.

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GL commented July 18

G

GL

Upstate NY

Ouch! Justice Brett Kavanaugh pulls a trumpian mind slur and conveniently forgets his grandfather attended Yale? and he was a legacy recruit? It's as bad as Trump's father was born in Germany. How in the world did we wind up with not one, but two avowed liars running our ship of state?

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2 REPLIES

Samuel commented July 18

S

Samuel

Brooklyn

@GL Trump's father wasn't born in Germany. His grandfather was deported from Germany to the US for being a coward and dodging the military service that every German had to perform, but this happened before Trump's father was born. I did some pretty extensive research on this because at one point I thought as you did, which would mean that Trump isn't actually a citizen, and I wanted to prove it, but the facts just aren't there. His father was born a citizen of this country, making Trump a born citizen also, more's the pity.

1 Recommend

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GL commented July 18

G

GL

Upstate NY

@Samuel I was being facetious about Trump's father. I mentioned it only in that both of these guys conveniently changed the facts to fit their story. Liars lie, they can't help it.

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Sam Marcus commented July 18

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Sam Marcus

New York

waaaay too long of an article. great points but waaaay tooo looong.

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Edward Chai, MD commented July 18

E

Edward Chai, MD

Rye New York

The author’s fellow passenger failed to acknowledge that his son’s Asian friend needed to perform markedly better than his son to be admitted Yale and his son enjoyed a large statistical advantage over him due to his color....

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Bill commented July 18

B

Bill

NYC Use

How does white privilege function in a world where white men only number in the millions?

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Robin commented July 18

R

Robin

Durham, NC

Thank you!

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Patrick. commented July 18

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Patrick.

NYC

First class flights and lounges start questions white men in Appalachia and tell me about privilege.

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N commented July 18

N

N

Los Angeles

Jesus Christ. Enough! Stop it NYTimes. Stop it. You’re disgracing you’re own legacy with this infantile garbage.

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kwb commented July 18

kwb

kwb

Cumming, GA

So the author, a black woman, gets to teach a class on "whiteness" at Yale. How about the NYT asking the white Yale professor who teaches the "blackness" course to submit his essay. While the above is intended as tongue in cheek (sort of), it makes me wonder what for college major this class is a prerequisite or an elective. The author seems a bit hypersensitive about her airplane boarding experience. The line for first class passengers is hardly a long one, and as a long time frequent business traveler I wouldn't have given a thought about someone joining his traveling companion ahead of me.

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1 REPLY

Casual Observer commented July 18

C

Casual Observer

Los Angeles

@kwb Whiteness is not really about people who look white and have European ancestors, it's about how people justify exerting control over others by attributing their doing so to nature or to God.

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Son Of Liberty commented July 18

S

Son Of Liberty

nyc

I get indignant every time a person of color refuses to fully understand the grandeur of the concept of white privilege. Maybe if the "writer" went to a real school like Liberty University, instead of a fourth rate school like Yale, this question would never have come up. The essence of while privilege is that you are better than everybody else JUST because you are white. What could be more glorious than that? (I mean if you are white.) You needn't study hard in school because you are WHITE. You can be lazy, ignorant and achieve nothing in your life, but still you can feel good about yourself because you are WHITE. Better yet, if you were born affluent and given a good education, you can say that you achieved everything on your own without the "leg up" of being white. Either way, this is wonderful for you and your MAGA friends...Uh, until you realize what it REALLY means for you, your family and America as a nation.

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Dave commented July 18

D

Dave

Salt Lake City

Times Pick

I think the comments here might be capturing the feelings pretty well. I don’t want to lose my privilege, if privilege means being treated fairly and courteously in the world. What I want is for everyone to have the same privilege that I have. It’s an absolute travesty that people are treated differently based upon their race / background. I think if the conversation were about this people would be less defensive / threatened.

878 Recommend

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37 REPLIES

Anonymous commented July 18

A

Anonymous

USA

@Dave Well said. For me the hallmark of the Trump era is that the distinction you are making feels like it is collapsing in our political and cultural discourse. For some reason, people reject the idea that privilege can be broadened, extended, universalized. Instead, the overwhelming spirit seems to be, "let's see how you like it." I'll fight for everyone to be free of police brutality. I won't fight for everyone to be subjected to it. When I was younger I never thought I'd have to explain that.

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bruce bernstein commented July 18

bruce bernstein

bruce bernstein

New York

@Dave "Privilege" is a horrible word for being treated fairly and courteously. In criminal justice, where the racism is much more consequential, "privilege" is equally terrible terminology to refer to receiving basic citizenship rights. For example, under Bloomberg i didn't get stopped and frisked, and my Black male friends did. I wasn't "privileged" by any measure. They were OPPRESSED. I oppose their oppression. they should have received the same treatment as others (people who were not young / relatively young Black males.) I will fight for that. But please don't say i am fighting for them to be "privileged."

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Peter commented July 18

P

Peter

Virginia

@Dave You hit the nail on the head. We should not apologize for our "privilege" or be ashamed to "have" it. Rather we should strive to ensure everyone has the same opportunities and let hard work, risk taking and life choices dictate who moves ahead and how far.

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gopher1 commented July 18

G

gopher1

minnesota

My first reaction to the beginning of this article was - great, another niche academic discipline. As I read it the essay, it is not an easy read with so much introspection, I concede the point. I'm tall, white, male. If I had movie star good looks and was born to a higher social-economic class I would be the perfectly privileged person. Even without those two add-ons, I have had it easy in this culture. In the end, I think the most important part of my privilege is that I never think about it, have to aware of it. It's just there all the time and I can choose to be blissfully oblivious to the advantages it affords me. Until someone points it out.

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Pete commented July 18

P

Pete

Ligonier, PA

I'll be 61 next year. I grew up in a variety of middle- to upper-class white neighborhoods in MI, MA, PA, NJ & MD. We had zero people of color in our large, Irish Catholic family. My siblings were athletic and good-looking, which made it easier to get jobs as young teens and later, to gain acceptance to colleges and corporations. Many of the rights (or, privileges) conferred on us were certainly the result of a white hierarchical society. Hard work has given us an added degree of economic and creature comfort. When you've lived in segregated neighborhoods for most of your life, it's hard not to "see color". But, I try to treat each person with dignity and if they resent me, so be it. The article helps to clarify that "whiteness" is primarily an economic construct, held closely by those who benefit most from it.

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Steven Roth commented July 18

S

Steven Roth

New York

I’m white and privileged. I’m privileged to have gone to a good college and law school - with little debt. I’m privileged that I have had a good career that, together with my wife’s income, has allowed us to buy a lovely home (we’ll pay off the mortgage in 6 years) in a fine community with good schools, and to put our three kids through college and who are themselves headed to good careers. We can also afford a vacation once a year and a new/used car every ten years. I’m privileged that my parents are in their 80s and 90s and still in good health. I admit it. I’m privileged and thankful. Certainly there are so many - white and black - who are not as privileged as us.

4 Recommend

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Lawyermom commented July 18

L

Lawyermom

Washington DC

I did not know “white privilege” originated in a specific academic work. While aware it exists, I prefer to talk about rights. Obviously the majority of Americans (when women are included) have not received equal justice for most of our history. I think it’s more constructive to work together to make sure that everyone’s rights are equally defended. As a white woman, I have frequently had to be sure I was not denied space, time and attention in my career. As a girl, it was much harder when I was growing up. I got through my teens by insisting on my rights. If we frame these things as privileges, then they seem less rightful, and thus denying them to some is no different than other privileges (wealth, intelligence, athletic ability, able body) enjoyed by some but not all.

4 Recommend

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Risa commented July 18

R

Risa

New York

I think the author may have hesitated for so long to speak, to ask, because so many people in this country don't know how to have an academic or objective conversation or be thoughtful enough about themselves to speak without making things personally good or bad. It takes skill to see a lot of different sides to any issue and debate each one impassively, to get to the root of where things come from. Most people aren't that honest with themselves or others. Most people don't consider it worthwhile to be that objective. I believe I was raised to be without prejudice and to treat people equally, see people as the unique person they are, by my parents and my teachers, that's what I strive for and have taught my own children and yet I am still aware that I have a great deal of white privilege whether I am conscience of it working all the time or not. It's not just a matter of my expectations, but the combination of my expectations due to experience and environment and the expectations of those around me too, due to theirs. In my position, I can only strive to become more aware of when it is operating and assess if any adjustments need to be made while I keep up the pursuit of just being a decent human being. I liked this thoughtful article. I'll never get to Yale but thoughtful conversations are always good. It's good to hear from other people, discuss terms, come to realizations.

5 Recommend

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Steve commented July 18

S

Steve

NY

There are two Americas but I'm not sure a college class titled "whiteness" at an ivy university is the answer. First, systemic racism extends far beyond the hallways of Yale. The great masses in red swing states will learn more from cultural programming that depicts positive images of black people (e.g., "Blackish" and "Black Panther") than erudite curricula tailored for the privileged few. Second, social justice also comes from policy, and the winners of elections are entrusted with setting/enforcing standards. Obama's Justice Department issued more than 20 enforcement actions against municipal police departments operating with institutionalized bias. The Trump JD rescinded all of these actions. Also, regulatory regimes enforce discriminatory lending standards with varying degrees of consistency. Conservatives are typically less rigorous in enforcement than progressives. Confronting white privilege is a contact sport played on electoral gridirons. Change occurs on a greater scale in the field than the classroom, and situational awareness is best taught through experience.

3 Recommend

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donethat commented July 18

D

donethat

Minneapolis, MN

Long, wordy article and it seems she only asked a couple of men....disappointing. Nice history here, but the title of the article suggests she would ask them. I wanted to know how they answered her question directly.

7 Recommend

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Fat Dom Gamiello commented July 18

F

Fat Dom Gamiello

The Bronx

White privilege? Could have something to do with a belief in education, a strong work ethic, morality, family values, frugality, punctuality, sobriety, diligence, perseverance, not playing the blame game, avoidance of rumors and conspiracy theories, etc; etc; etc;

25 Recommend

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3 REPLIES

Jann commented July 18

J

Jann

Seattle

@Fat Dom Gamiello Wow. Just wow. And you are a textbook case.

3 Recommend

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John R commented July 18

J

John R

Ireland

I suppose it could have something to do with these qualities. If these qualities were unique to white people. But they aren’t of course. I think you just proved the point the author was making. The fact that you make it with such a lack of awareness is more than a bit alarming. You are clearly defensive of your “privilege”.

3 Recommend

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Jane Smith commented July 18

J

Jane Smith

Ca

Avoidance of rumors and conspiracy theories? I’d like to introduce you to the internet...and it’s anti-vaxxers, chemtrail debates about aliens and the Illuminati, black helicopters and all...all of whom are disproportionately white.

2 Recommend

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Patricia Raybon commented July 18

P

Patricia Raybon

Colorado

Beyond the topic, Claudia Rankine's writing and thinking are gorgeous. Thanks, New York Times, for publishing this, her latest.

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BrooklynBond commented July 18

B

BrooklynBond

Brooklyn, NY

Like many things in life, the notion of "privilege" will evolve over time. Consider the list of top Instragram influencers globally, which doesn't include anyone traditionally considered to be a white male: Ronaldo, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, The Rock, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Beyonce. Consider that the Kardashian kids have more followers (in the millions) than almost everyone else alive. It seems to me that they have plenty of privilege. Or is that not actually possible for people worth hundreds of millions who happen to be black?

6 Recommend

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8i commented July 18

8

8i

eastside

being "white" has nothing to do with it. these hierarchies are a part of human nature. in fact, there is strong evidence that "non-white" cultures/countries are MORE power imbalanced. rankine is obviously not a social scientist. the argument in the that just by disagreeing, you are wrong. rankines virtual signalling is arrogant, ignorant, too long, and poorly written. "to let the reality he was insisting on be my reality. And I was pleased that I hadn’t lubricated the moment," - ewwww. looks to me like POC publishing privilege.

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ImagineMoments commented July 18

I

ImagineMoments

USA

This is the single most articulate, compassionate, thoughtful, and humane discussion about race that I have ever read. When I read that Ms. Rankine taught poetry, I thought to myself "Well, of course", for the entire piece is profoundly poetic in overall tone. There is no finger pointing, no accusations or name calling. There is simply a river of deep, abiding compassion flowing underneath the words, inviting us to a place of understanding.

7 Recommend

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Michael Brian Burchette commented July 18

M

Michael Brian Burchette

Washington DC

My biggest concern with the “White Privilege”, and “Whiteness” dialogue is...it isn’t a dialogue. Gender and race influence how all current and past societies treat individuals. Psychologists and sociologists have consistently found that height, and attractiveness do as well. I will readily acknowledge that all things being equal, its easier to be white man in our society. But, if the goal of this discussion is to produce a society that is more fair and empathetic, I think it’s flawed. A trait I share with human beings of all genders and colors is that I don’t know what it’s like to be anyone but myself. Some call it “white fragility” (or perhaps it’s basic human nature), but I chafe at being told my reality is invalid. As a child growing up in a row house in DC, my first experience of “whiteness” was getting jumped, bullied, robbed, and called racial & homophobic epithets on a regular basis (it didn’t help that my single mother painted our front door pink). If I’m mistaken that this IS a dialogue, or if the goal of this discussion is empowering people of color - I apologize; but I‘ll continue to listen, empathize, keep an open mind, and try to understand.

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Gail commented July 18

G

Gail

NYC

What a hypocritical article. The author generalizes about all white males as if they are an indistinguishable mass and communicates her disfavor for those men by seeing every interaction with them that she discusses through a racial lens and then presuming the worst possible thoughts and motives for the men in each situation. Yet if a white person generalized about all members of a race (assuming a race can be defined with certainty) and presumed the worst of every member, that person's comments would be roundly condemned as racist. And that does not even get into the question of whether whiteness can be defined, as many individuals who an African-American might identify as white come from countries, regions, or religions that have faced significant discrimination in the U.S. and might not self-identify as white (except when that is the only option on a short list of black, Asian, Hispanic, or white).

52 Recommend

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Jon commented July 18

J

Jon

Ohio

I grew up in Cleveland Heights in the ‘70s. It was integrated. It was a good place to grow up. I am white. I can’t help that I’m white. What I have learned over the years is that if you live in and participate in society it’s usually a no-win situation unless you have a PollyAnna attitude. Some days I do, and some days I don’t. I try to be a good citizen, husband, father, son, employee and friend. Other than that I think I’m just old and tired.

8 Recommend

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Lola commented July 18

L

Lola

Paris

The first class plane anecdote is interesting if only for the fact that Ms. Rankine concentrates on the one white male passenger who seemed perturbed by her presence. Surely the cabin must have been filled with other “privileged whites”who didn’t bat an eye.

18 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Foodlover commented July 18

F

Foodlover

Seattle

@Lola. Also, if there was enough space for him to step in front of her in the line, isn't it possible that he assumed she wasn't actually in line but just standing nearby? Sometimes places like airport or other places that have lots of people going all directions, it can be difficult to tell where the line is, where is the end and if people are actually in the line.

7 Recommend

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Paul Stuckey commented July 18

P

Paul Stuckey

Northwest Arkansas

I’m white, not just white, WASP. My family has been in this country and in the south for 300 years. I have slave owners as ancestors. So, I have undoubtedly benefited from white privilege in ways big and small. But, it’s difficult for me to see all the ways my skin color has benefited me. White privilege is so built into life that it’s like the air we breathe, hard for us to see and easily taken for granted.

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Gabe commented July 18

G

Gabe

San Francisco

I'm sorry but there is no such thing as white privilege simply because there is no way to define being "white".

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Rex Nemorensis commented July 18

R

Rex Nemorensis

Los Angeles

Only the New York Times could attempt to stir me to passionate feelings about racial justice with a series of vignettes about the travails of being a Yale professor who appears to pretty frequently fly first class. Most flight attendants make <$50k/yr; next time let me read that memoir instead, please.

39 Recommend

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Finistere commented July 18

F

Finistere

New York

How many times does the author need to remind us that she teaches at Yale? Could it be that her self-esteem derives, to some large degree, from her position in this historic center of male privilege? Imagine her teaching at a regional community college: does she write with the same serene entitlement?

13 Recommend

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ejb commented July 18

ejb

ejb

Philly

Why is a question "interrogated"? Is it being waterboarded? Put under some kind of pressure? Or is it the people being asked who are actually being "interrogated"? It's odd to see a word so redolent of torture and warfare being used in a context like this. What does it convey beyond words like "asked", "explored" or "critically examined"?

9 Recommend

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Global Charm commented July 18

Global Charm

Global Charm

British Columbia

This was an inspiring article. I now realize that we should start an Institute for the Study of Simplicity. We’ll call it Simple Studies, and we’ll focus on how and why people imagine simple solutions to complex problems. From time to time, we’ll send out researchers to ask simple-minded questions. We’ll discover whether the simpleton-in-the-street is genuinely aware of their hidden privilege in American society. After all, if your parents couldn’t find America on a map of the world, why should you? Stupidity is just a social construct, and if you say you’re not stupid long and hard enough, well, maybe you aren’t. Higher political office! Marie Kondo for the American mind! Every so often, we’ll offer scholarships to young people whose minds are needlessly cluttered with facts and nuance. We’ll help them reconstruct their identities in a black and white way. Oh, wait.

4 Recommend

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Aaron commented July 18

A

Aaron

Manhattan

Racist whites are wrong when they make broad presumptions and attribute a few select negative experiences to be representative of all individuals of an entire race. And authors like this are also wrong when they do it. Please don’t validate the logic of a real racist.

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Mimette commented July 18

M

Mimette

NYC

I would love to attach here the snap I took of my uncle’s selective service card from 1941. On it are listed on the left side : white, negro, Indian , Filipino. On right hand side: sallow, light, ruddy, dark, freckled, light brown, dark brown, black. I’m still trying to wrap my head around those designations, the easy vernacular they must have come from and how, becoming official government designations, lent credence to racist thinking.

3 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Z97 commented July 18

Z

Z97

Big City

@Mimette, those seem like reasonable descriptors, particularly if no color photo was attached. Not every attempt to clearly describe a person is “racist”.

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Sean commented July 18

S

Sean

Ft Lee. N.J.

Reductionist victim’s “studies” pablum. Lazy language usage too: lumping all whites as “privileged”, whether preppy Greenwich, Connecticut WASP; Bayonne, New Jersey white ethnic (Irish, Polish, Italian, self identifying as white Hispanic); redneck West Virginian.

20 Recommend

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PLH Crawford commented July 18

P

PLH Crawford

Golden Valley. Minnesota

The author seems wwwaaaayyyy too self involved with herself to ask these questions. She wants to find answers that fits her ideology. One could say keeping her job is predicated on it. I feel sorry for her. How hard to always see yourself so one dimensionally.

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Lucretius commented July 18

L

Lucretius

NYC

A 2016 "class on whiteness," at $62,200 per annum at Yale sounds like a lot of money for a student to pay to get his/her PC credits toward a degree as a certified progressive member of the left in good standing. This sounds to me like one of those classes where everyone gets an easy A to boost their cum.

9 Recommend

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Elena commented July 18

E

Elena

SoCal

The way the NYTimes titles its articles to draw clicks is harming their writers. Readers click on the headline and expect to get what it promises. And many times, this tactic makes the authors look dishonest. Forpetesake stop this practice.

7 Recommend

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Oh commented July 18

O

Oh

Please

If you start out by asking a stranger, "how are you enjoying your white privilege?", its not much of a conversation.

17 Recommend

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William commented July 18

W

William

Chicago

How is this question not racist?

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Teed Rockwell commented July 18

T

Teed Rockwell

Berkeley, Ca

I enjoyed this article. One of its virtues is that it occasionally hints at the real tensions and confusions that arise when we try to imagine the new rules of courtesy in a postprivilege world. Consider this quote: "I wanted my fellow traveler to begin a conversation about his privilege this time. For once. I wanted him to think about his whiteness, especially because he had just left South Africa." One of the things I have read over and over again in the writings on this subject is that a white person should never bring up the topic of race when talking to a black person. They have to deal with it all the time, and it is not their job to educate you on the subject. Now this author is upset because this white person actually followed this rule. Is there any wonder that white people sometimes feel they are damned if they do, and damned if they don't? And the punchline I would add here is "yes, fellow white person, this is unfair, but trivially so. Get over it. It is not reasonable or fair to expect someone to be reasonable or fair when they are constantly bombarded by racism." And if I may dare to offer advice to someone who is both black and an expert on this topic, please remember when you can that being exposed to lots of real racism will also make you see it when it isn't there. When you're a nail, everything looks like a hammer.

5 Recommend

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Jane Siegel commented July 18

J

Jane Siegel

Michigan

A beautifully written rumination on race. Wish I was in your class. Or in your plane. Double meaning intended.

5 Recommend

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J C. commented July 18

J

J C.

Canada

First of all, anyone born in North America is privileged. Np matter how hard your life here, there are people in other parts of the world who have it worse. I count my blessings for the privileges I enjoy but did nothing to earn. I was simply born with them. I'm female. Canada is a better place to be born female than a lot of other countries I can name. I'm white. No comment needed; I have it a lot easier than people of colour. My parents valued education. Sure, I earned my PhD, but I would never have aspired to advanced study if my family hadn't exposed me to literature at home and closely monitored my schooling. I was sent to Europe for a year at the age of 17 to learn that there are many ways of living. So yes, I've worked hard for the good life I'm enjoying in my old age. But I am not ashamed to acknowledge the help I've had along the way. White privilege is real, and so are a number of other privileges. If you are white and male, be thankful for what you were born to, not defensive. And try to understand that others have been less fortunate through no fault of their own.

6 Recommend

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SH commented July 18

S

SH

California

I'm struck by the comments about poor & struggling whites not being privileged. Each instance of hardship I've read about does in fact not sound like any sort of privileged life. But the examples given seem to be solely economic. There are other forms of privilege. Not being harrrassed by law enforcement. Not being treated with suspicion. Not being dismissed, belittled, ignored, marginalized. This inability to understand what is being talked about is a major part of the problem. We still have a lot of work to do.

25 Recommend

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ACapone commented July 18

A

ACapone

Boston, MA

Wow, what a wonderfully written and thought provoking article. As a white American of Italian descent I have learned through family history going back four generations that they way Italian-Americans are treated today is very different than how my great-grandparents were treated at the beginning of the previous century. I understand that we are now solidly "white". My wife and I were able to send our daughter to a very progressive, private school. My daughter was the first person who explained white privilege to me. I must admit that I was taken aback at first. How could I be privileged? My father died when I was sixteen. Leaving my mother to raise three kids on social security benefits I certainly did not feel like anything had been handed to me. I worked full time while going to college. Eventually, I dropped my defensiveness and listened to my daughter. I began to understand. My daughter, who is 24, and her friends do not see race. They do see injustice and inequity. They strive to level the paying field. Unlike the boy who applied to Yale, my daughter was accepted early decision at Columbia. I really believe that what set her apart was the work she did in high school on race, gender and sexual preference issues. I have learned a great deal from my daughter. She is a wonderful human being. I believe that her generation will do great things to move our society forward.

6 Recommend

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caplane commented July 18

C

caplane

Bethesda, MD

My question is this: What are the policy implications if we accept the reality of white privilege? What norms and laws need to be changed?

6 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Patriot commented July 18

P

Patriot

USA

@caplane Reparations. Wholesale confiscations of money and property onwed by white people. Purges of white people from workplaces and good schools. Re-education camps. And whatever else the woke left deems appropriate to crush "white privilege" once and for all.

5 Recommend

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Nelle Engoron commented July 18

Nelle Engoron

Nelle Engoron

SF Bay Area

I enjoyed this thought-provoking article, in which the author keeps interrogating herself --- her thoughts, assumptions, feelings and behaviors -- even more than she seeks to interrogate others. If all of us did that, we'd all be better off. When I need to grasp white privilege as it plays out in my own life, I remind myself how easy it is for me as a woman to see male privilege even while it remains largely invisible to men. That tells me that the white privilege I experience is also largely invisible to me. But the triple privilege of straight white men makes it impossible for them to do this mental jujitsu and put themselves in the place of others with less privilege. They lack a parallel experience they can call upon in order to understand it. And I think that's the real problem, because most humans have trouble understanding something they haven't experienced themselves. In this sense, the triple privilege of straight white maleness is a handicap, a built-in blindness that can only be overcome with great effort. And even the men I've known who've made that effort valiantly still struggle to really understand something so alien to their own experience. I don't know what the solution to this conundrum is -- only that we haven't found it yet.

11 Recommend

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Mike commented July 18

M

Mike

Brooklyn

I don’t talk to people in airports or on flights because I despise small talk and just want to relax and catch up on sleep. Don’t take it personally when I ignore you, it’s not about your race or gender. It’s not you, it’s me.

12 Recommend

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John Swen commented July 18

J

John Swen

Cranston, RI

61 y.o. white male from wrong side of tracks who won scholarship to Ivy and subsequently enjoyed a satisfying and lucrative career says NONSENSE to my white male friends who don't believe their whiteness conveyed ENORMOUS privilege and contributed to their success. At 30, I was convinced I had earned whatever success I had achieved solely by my own merits and believed that my relatively hardscrabble background proved that. As I have matured it is easy for me to see the incredible power of whiteness, particularly when it is combined with fancy degrees, in the assumptions and expectations that others have of me. Think about the critical junctures in your life and appreciate the influence your social capital as a white male has made in your success. Have you ever been arrested or tried for a crime? How about stopped in a store and asked what you are doing there? Ever struggled to hail a taxi at night in NYC? Has your family ever helped financially with college or starting a business? What about with a down payment for a car or first home? Has any friend or family ever helped you get an internship, or a job, or written a recommendation? Ever done any business on a golf course? Recently I read somewhere that while we (contemporary white men) are not personally guilty of creating racism in our society, we are certainly responsible for doing something about it. Start by honestly asking yourself if you have ever benefited from being white and male. Own it.

12 Recommend

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Nelle Engoron commented July 18

Nelle Engoron

Nelle Engoron

SF Bay Area

I enjoyed this thought-provoking article, in which the author keeps interrogating herself --- her thoughts, assumptions, feelings and behaviors -- even more than she seeks to interrogate others. If all of us did that, we'd all be better off. When I need to grasp white privilege as it plays out in my own life, I remind myself how easy it is for me as a woman to see male privilege even while it remains largely invisible to men. That tells me that the white privilege I experience is also largely invisible to me. But the triple privilege of straight white men makes it impossible for them to do this mental jujitsu and put themselves in the place of others with less privilege. They lack a parallel experience they can call upon in order to understand it. And I think that's the real problem, because most humans have trouble understanding something they haven't experienced themselves. In this sense, the multiple privilege of straight white maleness is a handicap, a built-in blindness that can only be overcome with great effort. And even the men I've known who've made that effort valiantly still struggle to really understand something so alien to their own experience. I don't know what the solution to this conundrum is -- only that we haven't found it yet.

3 Recommend

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1 REPLY

ROC commented July 18

R

ROC

SF

@Nelle Engoron Respectfully, it is quite a leap from 'many (most?) do not' to 'none can'. I would posit that to make that leap requires setting aside the careful examination the author has undertaken in her essay.

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Alice's Restaurant commented July 18

A

Alice's Restaurant

PB San Diego

Granted it's an essay, which means point of view, but let's remind ourselves that Rankine's belief that Trump's "rhetoric" is "inflammatory" is that, a belief, and get enough people together who hold that same belief and you might even change the right to utter "inflammatory rhetoric", though Zuckerberg's Facebook seems to be there already, but no matter how many hold the belief that the moon is made of burnt toast and cotton candy, it won't turn the moon into either or both. Equally important her premise "I wondered what it would mean to ask random white men how they understood their privilege", assumes a conclusion that's based on an as yet clearly defined set of data beyond, of course, Cultural Marxist propaganda, i.e., "white privilege" often found in our Sovietized mass-media and promoted in our public Maoist reeducation camps, and her "white men" being what she perceived as any male having the "look" of having a Western European bent has an even a greater weakness. Obama, for example, didn't have the look, but was half Western European, so she would have undoubtedly missed that "random" data point. In the end, don't much care what Rankine teaches her students or how she attempts to brighten their notions of social or ethnic unfairness, injustice throughout human life on planet earth--it's Yale, after all, so who cares--but as long as they have to read Milton's "Areopagitica", she's doing the right thing.

2 Recommend

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W.A. Spitzer commented July 18

W

W.A. Spitzer

Faywood, NM

"I have only lived as me, a person who regularly has to negotiate conscious and unconscious dismissal, erasure, disrespect and abuse,"....I have often wondered - if I have a misfortune or if I am treated badly (which happens to everyone) I cannot attribute it to my "white" race, there is nothing I can blame but bad luck or my own failure. I have no doubt that racism exists and there are many ways in which I have not suffered or can even imagine; but I also know that at some time or another every life runs afoul of misfortune and bad treatment.

4 Recommend

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Laura J commented July 18

L

Laura J

New York, NY

I am seeing many comments here that amount to little more than "I see her point, but I am not a part of the problem." I am reminded of a quote that I saw somewhere in the vast internet: "If only people were as concerned with eliminating racism as they were with proving that they are not racist." "Privilege" is not a dirty word. Its a rather benign reality that we all navigate every day. I am a black woman, and I have the privilege of one who is educated. I have had mentors and benefactors who liked and supported me. This, too, has been a privilege. It does not stand to reason that I "haven't earned" my accomplishments, as so many complain when their privilege is pointed out to them. Privilege is just a part - one part- of my story. A way that I have been lucky. Why is it so complicated to acknowledge when you have been lucky and someone else has not? And work on fixing the problem, not proving that you aren't a part of it.

4 Recommend

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Geno commented July 18

G

Geno

State College, PA

What is the point of this? To wring our hands over the fact that we're all human? Go to any country in the world, and the dominant social group is determined by tribal parameters. We're no different - no better or worse. Tribalism, racism, etc - these are human conditions, not exclusive to white men. Thinking otherwise only muddies already difficult to navigate waters.

5 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Kevin H. commented July 18

K

Kevin H.

NJ, USA

@Geno The "point of all of this" is that the ancestors of 12% of American citizens were brought here in chains centuries ago and their descendants are still (largely) treated as second- or even third-class citizens in their own country. Prof. R is eloquently describing what she observes, & feels, from her perspective as a non-white, non-male American. I, for one, as a white, male, relatively privileged 60-something American, am appalled at the behavior of the white males she encounters and describes. How one can be so clueless & boorish and manage to achieve the economic & social level to fly business- or first-class is beyond my understanding. But directly to your comment: You and I and the author are all citizens of THIS nation which has the situation of a largely (but not completely) clueless white, male citizenry along with that 12% of fellow citizens who have been basically red-lined, underemployed and undereducated since being "freed" 150-odd years ago. In my lifetime, we've seen the situation get much better, but there is a long, long way to go. That is OUR problem as citizens of the nation and we need to address it. Humans are xenophobic, tribal creatures, but we can and do rise above our nature/evolutionary programming. Otherwise, we would still have, say, "white/colored" bathrooms, as in the decade of my birth.

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Chris commented July 18

C

Chris

South Florida

I'm a 60 year old white male, I ride a train each day to work I have a monthly pas and as the security grades pas through checking tickets and passes with their scanner most of the time they just wave me off and never check mine. I find this embarrassing and wish they would just treat me like everyone else. Believe me but most of the security people are not white themselves. I know I have massive white male privilege but I'm dressed well and obviously look like someone with money for a ticked but still I don't want to be treated differently.

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1 REPLY

Beth Boam commented July 18

B

Beth Boam

Chicago

Maybe they recognize you from traveling every day, and know you have a pass?

4 Recommend

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Reasonable Person commented July 18

R

Reasonable Person

Brooklyn NY

I strongly reject the term "white privilege". It's inflammatory and suggests that I am somehow at fault going about my day and get treated the way everyone should. We already have a name for what's going on: it's called discrimination, yes?

13 Recommend

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David commented July 18

D

David

Henan

I don't know much about black people any more, because I've lived in Asia from a very long time now. I'm a minority here, but I suppose I do have white privilege in some ways. In others, not so much; it's complicated. But I have a secret to white male privilege just concerning cops. The key is to be soft spoken, well spoken, and as unthreatening as possible. Also, to appear as a nerd. Cops hate tough guys. They just do. And if you look like a wussie, they'll let you slide. I know black men can't often get away with that because of racism, but I guess it's a part of white privilege. I'm not ashamed of being white. I think Flaubert work is better than that of Baldwin. I'll take Mozart over Jay-Z any day. I enjoy reading Rabelais, Plato. The history of racism in this country is undeniable, deep and relentless. But there is much more to history than just that.

4 Recommend

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Mary M commented July 18

M

Mary M

Brooklyn

Let’s please all focus on the noun not the adjective. It’s the gender privilege that is most insidious

4 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

Lynn in DC commented July 18

L

Lynn in DC

Here, there, everywhere

@Mary M Gender privilege is an issue between white women and white men that has no relevance when it comes to black people because white women and white men have identical privilege or dominance over blacks. I wish Rankine had questioned white women in addition to white men.

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Mary M commented July 18

M

Mary M

Brooklyn

@Lynn in DC who go the vote first. black men or black women? (or white,or pink or yellow, or stripped women)

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BD commented July 18

B

BD

SD

Privileged compared to who ... Lebron James, Colin Kaepernick, Barack Obama? I've worked diligently for five decades, along with a period of military service in Vietnam; and with a bit of financial struggle, to pay mortgages, tuitions, health care, and retirement. I mean, what, I'm supposed to feel guilty and/or privaliged? I'm an old white guy, and I presume I won't be accused of racism if I put in a word of praise for Asians. Yes, maybe it's stereotyping, but I admire their work ethic; i.e. no whining, they just do it.

8 Recommend

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Gary commented July 18

G

Gary

Millersburg Pa

The author had some strange conversations with people flying first class international flights. No factory workers, farmers, cooks, construction guys, mechanics, or any white man who helps make up the backbone of America. Strange, just strange.

13 Recommend

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Dad W commented July 18

D

Dad W

Iowa City

Ms. Rankine is the benefactor of 'intelligence privilege.' She was born with a brain that assimilates information more quickly allowing her a higher IQ than most other humans. This intelligence privilege gave her access to the finest institutions - Williams College, Columbia University, Yale, The New York Times...It benefits her greatly. She calls it merit. Is it fair that she is rewarded because of her intelligence? What about the half-of-us born with below-average IQs? Where is our birthright reward? I wonder if Ms. Rankine has ever been stopped on the street and asked, "how do you feel about your intelligence privilege?" And if she were asked that question I wonder if she'd produce a thoughtful answer. I wonder if she'd feel ashamed.

18 Recommend

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3 REPLIES

Kevin H. commented July 18

K

Kevin H.

NJ, USA

@Dad W Yes, she gets "points" for being intelligent, probably hard-working (you don't get a professorship at Yale w/o a PhD and you don't get a PhD w/o a lot of hard work), and she loses a few "points" for being "colored" in an airport line. I imagine that you are "white" from your line of argument and "Dad" sounds male, so you and I are "white males" and get "points" for being so, so we would be "noticed" differently, probably treated more deferentially, in the same airport line. Oh, BTW, I had really high college board scores, which was the only way I got into college (abysmal HS grades...). My whiteness, maleness, and high college board scores gave me a leg up in my profession/career. The intelligence, which I inherited, ie., didn't earn, also helps me realize that I was and still am "really lucky", or "privileged". What's so hard to understand about that?

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Dad W commented July 18

D

Dad W

Iowa City

@Kevin H. The discussion is about recognizing unearned privilege and ultimately what should be done about unearned privilege. The first step is to acknowledge one's privilege - recognize how it affects his or her life and the lives of others. Steps 2-12, in part, involve admonishment and shame for oneself and one's nation for allowing unearned privilege to shape self-concept and social constructs as well as promoting the passage of legislation that: 1. recognizes unearned privilege as unjust and 2. allows every Sneetch his or her star.

1 Recommend

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Kevin H. commented July 19

K

Kevin H.

NJ, USA

@Dad W Oh, I don't know---- with all of that unearned privilege, she (evidently) still gets snarky comments related to her appearance (ie., race) in airport lines. So, Prof. R has "unearned privilege" like you and I. I recognize my "privilege" and lately have been thinking about how others have been not so lucky. It just happens that a large chunk of the not-so-lucky others in the US were have ancestors who were dragged over here involuntarily and to this day are disadvantaged by the minority. To me, this article sheds a small amount of light onto the minor indignities that the author has experienced. For more significant indignities, read Ta-Nehisi Coates.

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JC commented July 18

J

JC

Brookline MA

What I like about this article is that it gets at a fundamental question: who is the person you are talking to? Starting with the image of "white" or "black" or "Mexican" is the unfortunate mental place we mostly inhabit now. All of us. But by breaking through those mental constructs as the author tries to do we can maybe get to the place where we are speaking and thinking as one human to another. It is the only way. Thank you.

3 Recommend

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Joseph G. Anthony commented July 18

Joseph G. Anthony

Joseph G. Anthony

Lexington, KY

I used to tell a self-deprecating story of me as a young man running at night in high-crime Manhattan. A young woman half a block ahead whipped around to face me with mace in her hand. She took one look at me, smiled and relaxed. I told the story to show how non-threatening, somewhat dorky I was. It took me a long time to realize that I could have been a dorky black man and she would have held onto the mace. Worse, the black man, dorky or not, would have known better than to have run down a dark NY street in the seventies. That's white privilege. But I don't want to give that up: I just want a world where everyone can run in the dark.

4 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Kevin H. commented July 18

K

Kevin H.

NJ, USA

@Joseph G. Anthony You have the awareness to realize your situation, white and male, which I share. Many of the white/male commenters here haven't a clue of what you're aware of.

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David commented July 18

D

David

California

Frequently students of Hispanic and African American heritage do not compete effectively for admissions to the elite University of California system, against other NON WHITE STUDENTS. Ditto for admissions to the elite high schools in NYC and many other cities. Some non white students compete much more effectively for the best school admissions and jobs, than do some other non whites. But what does this have to do with an alleged "white male privilege". Trashing white males for their alleged privileges when frequently white males also do not compete effectively for the best schools, etc. against non whites, is pure and simple scapegoating. It is the modern version of antisemitism.

3 Recommend

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Paul commented July 18

P

Paul

Portland

Times Pick

I definitely am aware of white male privilege. My white male privilege was present even when I was the lower-middle class son of a single mother when the teachers were quick to see that I was a "nice boy" even though I was a shoplifter and a vandal. When I did get into trouble, people felt sorry for me because my father had died and what I was experiencing was a "rough patch". As a grew into an upper middle class middle-aged, professionally-dressed man, everyone I encountered has become quick to call me "sir" and seem to enjoy pleasing me. There is no doubt about it: this is still white man's country.

922 Recommend

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26 REPLIES

Mystery Lits commented July 18

M

Mystery Lits

somewhere

@Paul It is not a white mans country, It is a white majority society. Would we say that blacks in Sudan have black privilege just because they are a majority race there? Would we say that Asians have Asian Privilege in China? Would we say that Indians have Indian Privilege in India?

31 Recommend

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Lake Monster commented July 18

L

Lake Monster

Lake Tahoe

@Mystery Lits Exactly my thoughts. This thing is getting a little carried away.

15 Recommend

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Samuel commented July 18

S

Samuel

Brooklyn

@Paul Exactly. White privilege doesn't mean your life is easy, or that you get everything you want all the time. It just means that people give you the benefit of the doubt, where they'd crack down hard on a person of color in the same situation.

56 Recommend

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Kathryn Neel commented July 18

K

Kathryn Neel

Maryland

"And just like that, we broke open our conversation — random, ordinary, exhausting and full of a shared longing to exist in less segregated spaces." This last sentence really caught me off guard, and almost made me cry. I am longing for this too, and wish that different kinds of conversations could open up between all of us. Perhaps I will have to start one.

3 Recommend

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Casual Observer commented July 18

C

Casual Observer

Los Angeles

The fundamental problem with Ms. Rankine's efforts to understand how white men see the world is her conviction that, "white male privilege", is a true characteristic of the lives of white males in this country. The problem is that privilege means given not acquired. It's a mistake where by not being discriminated against as were non white people means that people who were white were given what others were denied. The world just never worked that way. While people were allowed to keep what they earned when non-whites were not. The dynamic of injustice just never worked the way Ms. Rankine presumes. Even during the times of nearly universal presumption of race based differences between people, most people were just not privileged, they were only able to get by on their own efforts. So when one asks white men how they feel about "white male privilege" is is meant with confusion or disagreement. When you ask the wrong questions, you end up with unexpected results. The better question is how do white people feel about non-white people having been denied their fair share of liberty and prosperity for so long and what they would think fair to do about it. That is the right question.

9 Recommend

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Teacher commented July 18

T

Teacher

Kentucky

Lots and lots to think about in this piece. Two to share: first of all, if you take a long view, there is something quite affirming about this topic. To wit, many, many Americans are apparently sufficiently idealistic to assume that real equality is a possibility in this world. Generally speaking, human history hasn't shaken out that way, yet it seems like a lot of people commenting have a bedrock egalitarian mindset, even it the perception of just what that actually means is radically different. Secondly, and this is far less lofty, the focus on airports and planes is interesting. We buy (literally) into the idea that it's perfectly fine to distinguish people by class (again, literally) in this arena, and then quibble when it's hard to tell by looking who belongs where. Sure, I assume the author meant for lines to get on planes to be a proxy for places where people of a broad demographic spectrum interact; still, she's got no apparent problem with plane travel being overtly segregated. Nor do most. She does introduce the discussion with an initial caveat about her own "relative economic privilege" -- which a cynical person might think of as perhaps on the same level of perfunctory as the comments by the man in seat 2B. Ivy League professors belong in business class, right? No question of privilege there. I do love her last line ..."we broke open our conversation — random, ordinary, exhausting and full of a shared longing to exist in less segregated spaces."

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Marc commented July 18

M

Marc

London

Times Pick

There's a problem with these stories of the White guy who wasn't hired, and it's not just the White guy assuming he was the superior candidate. No, the less visible problem lies with the arithmetic. Let's say there's a job. 500 White guys apply. Company hires a Black guy. For the sake of the hypothetical, let's add that the company said it had to fill a quota. Here's what happens. 500 angry White guys curse being cheated out of a job because Company gave it to a Black guy. Then 500 White guys tell their families that they didn't get a job because it was given to a Black guy. So 500 wives/sons/parents/etc start talking about how their husband/father/son/brother didn't get a job because it was given to a Black guy, and a few thousand White people who sat next to the White guy (or his father/son/etc) at a bar or a ballgame hear the story of the White guy who didn't get a job because it was given to a Black guy. In the end, thousands of White people "know a guy who didn't get a job because it was given to a Black guy." Where does that leave us? With a whole lot of angry White people who believe there's a flood of injustice and White unemployment. This flood is their reality and it frightens them. The problem, of course, is the gap between reality and truth. There was only one job and only one White guy didn't get it.

812 Recommend

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18 REPLIES

JKL commented July 18

J

JKL

NY

@Marc 'There was only one job and only one White guy didn't get it.' No, as per your scenario, all 500 White guys who applied were denied the position because they were white.

37 Recommend

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Samuel commented July 18

S

Samuel

Brooklyn

@Marc And realistically, only one of those white guys could have even gotten the job in the first place, so even if their assertion was true, that they "lost out" on the job because of the black guy, it would only be true for ONE of them.

40 Recommend

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Samuel commented July 18

S

Samuel

Brooklyn

@JKL They weren't "denied" anything, beacuse they weren't entitled to it in the first place, and THAT is the very premise of this article. You are not entitled to a job, just because you apply for it and are white. Not getting that job is not being "denied", regardless of the reason that you did not get it. You can only be denied something that you are actually entitled to.

86 Recommend

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Patriot commented July 18

P

Patriot

USA

I wanted to know what white men thought about their privilege. So I asked a handful of extremely privileged and wealthy white businessmen who fly first class on international flights. I wanted to know what climate scientists thought about their jobs. So I asked a few climate scientists who work for big oil companies. I wanted to know what farmers thought about farming. So I asked some of my neighbors who keep vegetable gardens in their backyards.

36 Recommend

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Bee commented July 18

B

Bee

Staten Island, NY

"White privilege" is a very unfortunate choice for the phrase to describe this very real phenomenon, because it has the effect of alienating the white folks it should reach. It elicits a defensive reaction, instead, from people who have never been "privileged," in the traditional sense of the word, which has connotations of wealth and ease. It would be so much simpler to call it "white advantage," which would be so much easier for everyone to understand.

13 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Delta commented July 18

D

Delta

Washington

@Bee How do you think it is that white people would respond better to being told they have an 'advantage' over being told they have a 'privilege'? You'd get the exact same push back "I didn't have any advantages! My family was poor! I worked for everything I had!" Not understanding is a choice. The word used wouldn't matter.

1 Recommend

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Robert commented July 18

R

Robert

Seattle

I will respond to this probing meditation with what some may read as a "deflecting meditation" (that is, a response that may seem to avoid rather than engage): A Sufi mystic is said to have said that "Man is a jewel, tossed in a field." I read this, as I think it is intended, in its double sense: Each human is a being of great value (the "pearl of great price"), but that being is devalued, disregarded, and displaced from its rightful position. All humans enter into existence not by choice, but by being "thrown" into it--gendered (or not), gifted (or not), nurtured (or not); "situated" in any number of ways--and each is faced with wealth or poverty, ease and hardship, privilege or life at the margins. None of this is by choice--but in a racialized world, the "colored" (we are all colored!) see with ease their dis-ease, and the "white" (we are not white!) see and understand their easeful state only to the extent that they are empathetic and curious and honest. I read this probing meditation as an invitation to empathy and curiosity and honest reflection--as well as a demand of sorts to the "white" "male" to consider what kind of jewel he is, and what kind of field he has been thrown into--and to reflect on the nature of all the other jewels in this field of ours: their "thrownness" (Heidegger) and their value.

1 Recommend

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John Zotto commented July 18

J

John Zotto

Bennington, Vermont

"I was always aware that my value in our culture’s eyes is determined by my skin color first and foremost." You have a self-imposed sense of oppression and self-importance. No one is really paying attention to you. Personally, I am comfortable in any crowd as long as the people are well mannered. I am tired of hearing that "I am only comfortable with other people that look like me." I am sure you would be judged based on your privileged economic and social background in a lot of inner-city neighborhoods.

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EHanna commented July 18

E

EHanna

Austin TX

So much to think about! This made me think that some part of the reason why it is so hard for white people to talk about or recognize racism is because the rules that they learned are all pervasive and so for the most part unspoken. I imagine in some homes where they do not out and out curse, you might be told not to play with someone and it was up to you, the child, to figure it out...not impossible with many, many chances to "get"it. Also, you snagged an rare "fish"...someone who saw you and would talk with you. Is it possible to even get one of the rude ones to talk? Thank you for listing reading resources.

2 Recommend

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callmesteve commented July 18

C

callmesteve

arizona

No one chooses what they're born as and what era they're born into... That said, the historical and institutionalized exploitation of race is a byproduct of greed and lack of courageous leadership and we all certainly deserve better. As for white privilege, isn't it just another symptom of racism? If I were king of the world I'd fix it. Until then, as is clear by the current "leadership" the system will be gamed and names will be called. Let's start with a well thoughtout vote in 2020 and put the racists in their place. second place.

2 Recommend

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jim emerson commented July 18

J

jim emerson

Seattle

"I don't see color." Stephen Colbert used that phrase satirically on "The Colbert Report," whenever he boasted about "My Black Friend Alan." Whites who've grown up in predominantly white communities only "see color" when it's different from their own, and they don't "see" white privilege because it's all around them. It's the very water we fish swim in. American culture prizes individuality above all else. Some (usually white) people evidently believe that American history began when they were born, so they imagine they emerged fully formed, like Venus from the sea. They don't acknowledge the political and societal currents that have buoyed them all their lives. President Obama addressed this, in economic terms, when he noted that we all rely on others for our success. This was anathema to some American whites because it tells the truth about their origin myths -- that they were not self-created: "Look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own.... I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something — there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there. "If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help...." The same could be said of white privilege. Beautiful piece. I wish I could study with you!

5 Recommend

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1 REPLY

SH commented July 18

S

SH

California

What was it the late Molly Ivins said? "Show me a self-made man and I'll show you a liar."

2 Recommend

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cmk commented July 18

C

cmk

Omaha, NE

A woman who enjoys the benefits of being in the cultural and economic elite is perhaps not the best messenger for this, regardless of her race. And why would anyone expect a stranger to discuss his personal feelings? Her asking this would easily be perceived as somewhat of a challenge. It makes me wonder whether she's seeking insight or mea culpas? Seems a little passive aggressive.

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DC Reade commented July 18

D

DC Reade

traveling

"...Eventually, he told me he had been working on diversity inside his company. “We still have a long way to go,” he said. Then he repeated himself — “We still have a long way to go” — adding, “I don’t see color.” This is a statement for well-meaning white people whose privilege and blind desire catapult them into a time when little black children and little white children are judged not “by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” The phrase “I don’t see color” pulled an emergency brake in my brain. Would you be bringing up diversity if you didn’t see color?..." The points brought up by the author in response to the statement "I don't see color" are valid. But I think the problem there is more of a case of semantic confusion, which is not only rampant on these issues but unfortunately also inherent to the language attendant to discussing topics like this one, and therefore requiring of continual attention and complicated to remedy. For decades, I took the statement "I don't see color" as an informal shorthand way of saying "I'm not racially biased." And, well, isn't that the goal? Then people- like funny white guy Stephen Colbert- began ridiculing the statement "I don't see color", taking the statement literally instead of metaphorically. Taken literally, of course, the statement is an absurdity, unless the person speaking is seriously visually impaired. And the implication is that anyone who says that is just being phony. Funny. But is it true?

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SC commented July 18

S

SC

Midwest

"White privilege" is addressing something very important and real, but the term is loaded in a way which I think is counterproductive for all. The term makes it seem as if white people have some extra privilege *beyond what should be expected*. While this is true in some cases (say, white people cutting in front of people of color, or being hired because an employer is more comfortable with them than with p.o.c.), a lot of the time what we're talking about is just people expecting decent, courteous and fair treatment. (Being taken care of by a flight attendant should not count as a privilege.) Everyone should be able to expect this. "White privilege," in the sense of expecting fair treatment, seems a useful concept insofar as you can get white people to reflect on what things are like for p.o.c. But there are two big problems with it. First, it starts from a perspective opposite to what we really want (it buys into the idea that decent treatment is a prerogative of white people). Second, a lot of the time white people are just asking for decent treatment, and telling them that that is something special, beyond what they should expect, is naturally going to make them feel resentful at being painted as crypto-racists -- not thoughtful. I want to emphasize that I have no disagreement at all about the prevalence of racism in this society or the imperative to address it. It is just that I think the perspective of "white privilege" is often not the best one.

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RobertSF commented July 18

R

RobertSF

San Francisco

I'm white, over 50, in good health. Recently, a turn in life had me working at a Ross Dress for Less for minimum wage. Almost all my fellow workers were female, including most of the managers. Most of them were Hispanic or black; maybe 5% were white. And you wouldn't believe the number of times people would walk up to me and go, "Excuse me, are you the manager?" They had a complaint or something. Or I would overhear someone telling a cashier, "I want to speak to the manager. Is that the manager over there?" and they'd point at me. I was the only white guy in sight, so people assumed I had to be the manager. Who else? Now that's white privilege!

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Mon Ray commented July 18

M

Mon Ray

KS

This article makes it entirely clear why and how Trump will be re-elected for a second term.

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trenton commented July 18

T

trenton

washington, d.c.

Being lectured about privilege from someone who flies first class? That's rich.

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Big Tony commented July 18

B

Big Tony

NYC

Yes, the author is correct that the term should have been, "white dominance," that would have left little room for equivocation or misinterpretation. This has been a white dominated society for four hundred years. If you are a member of this dominant group you enjoy the dominance whether you know it, you like it or not. Does membership guarantee anything? What do the statistics show?

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Harry B commented July 18

Harry B

Harry B

Michigan

Very enlightening, but....Does any of this really matter? Our oceans are dying and we might be heading for civil war.

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Anthony commented July 18

A

Anthony

AZ

I think of my brothers and sisters and their children back in rural Minnesota, where there are no blacks, no blacks at all. I see them sitting curbside for the Kid Day Parade and I am nothing but amazed that everyone, everyone there is white. My question is: How can they, in their cultural innocence, understand, or even want to understand, the critique of Whiteness?

3 Recommend

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Steve commented July 18

S

Steve

Manhattan

Obsession with race will only come back to bite everyone. I'm Caucasian American of Italian descent and have always looked upon myself who is fair, open minded who had no special privileges based on my gender or race or ethnic background. Fact is my ancestors have never believed in slavery, owned slaves. We respect other Americans who share in our values (family, fairness, hard-work, education, clean-fun, capitalism). In fact since I joined the workforce in 1980, I've seen my race work against me. Not saying it was all wrong for attempting to level-set the playing field, I personally didn't like being penalized for some white persons "bad behavior". Filling out applications asking me for my race didn't give me a warm-fuzzy-feeling in the pit of my stomach...and in fact I felt outright discriminated upon (with backdrop of Affirmative Action and the WASP privilege that I saw). Being a "ethnic" American, fact is I never saw persons of similar ilk ever knowingly participating in "white privilege". I always envisioned the "privliged establishment" as those individuals who knew what the right schools to get into - often with connections ....or who got the great paying jobs even though you might be more qualified.....or who played golf at their friends country club. I feel bad for people who are so mired in race....have zero respect for those who discriminate - which I've seen down south and also in places like NYC.....all races and ethnic types too.

6 Recommend

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Mark Shumate commented July 18

M

Mark Shumate

Roswell Ga.

Privilege depends on the setting. A man working through a divorce and child custody knows that requesting sole custody would harm him. It would not harm a woman. As a single working father of four, my parenting is regularly belittled by the media ( see “Daddy daycare” or “Mr. Mom”). My parenting is dismissed by the Matriarchy as I’m constantly momterrupted and momsplained to about parenting issues big and small. Men can be physically separated from their children and told by society that it is in the children’s “best interests”. Privilege depends on the setting and challenging the Matriarchy is just as threatening and consequential as challenging the Patriarchy.

5 Recommend

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Marika commented July 18

M

Marika

Pine Brook NJ

I sense the author has a deep resentment against white males. I wish Yale would hire a less prejudiced professor to teach its students...

26 Recommend

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David Gregory commented July 18

David Gregory

David Gregory

Sunbelt

Go find yourself a caucasian of the underclass that makes too much for public assistance but not enough to live on and lecture him on his supposed "white privilege". The responses will vary, but none will be what you will get from the Social Justice Warriors seen at many schools these days. I think a lot of what is called "white privilege" is actually "class privilege", but that is a no-no in much of academia and media. Given a choice in this country between being a caucasian and poor and being a person of color and the upper middle class, the majority would take being some shade other than "white". Show me the money and the good Zip code. By the way, there is no "white" race unless you are a redneck or some kind of extremist. I myself am a Caucasian of European descent.

10 Recommend

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Colleen M commented July 18

C

Colleen M

Boston, MA

Part of the hiring process in the sciences is to give a research talk. A study was performed on speakers applying for academic positions counting the number and duration of questions during these job talks. Not surprisingly, women were asked more questions and the questions were longer meaning that, more often, women did not finish their talk. This likely caused the women to seem less competent. I do not think that the data set was large enough to breakdown by race. Statistically, the audience at these talks was likely more male than female. Were the males in the audience trying to show that they were smarter than the female speakers? Did the males in the audience not think that the data of the male speakers should be called into question? Prejudice can be overt, but often times it is more subtle. Until someone takes a close look, it is written off as a perceived bias. I am not suggesting that the male speakers, the beneficiaries of privilege, are jerks or otherwise bad people for being on the receiving end of such a benefit. Instead, it is because they have done nothing but live in their own skin they should acknowledge that it exists.

4 Recommend

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Citizen commented July 18

C

Citizen

U.S.

It is a bit ripe to read a Yale humanities professor flying around the world in First Class lecture me on privilege. If I ever run into her, I think I'll start a friendly conversation about her having benefited from affirmative action and trading off her marriage to a white man. Just a friendly conversation....

30 Recommend

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Mystery Lits commented July 18

M

Mystery Lits

somewhere

Having a black woman """educate""" impressionable students about """white privileged""" is about as biased as having a militant atheist teach a class in theology.

9 Recommend

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Mark commented July 18

M

Mark

Long Beach, Ca

The author should do some research on confirmation bias.

23 Recommend

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Samuel Russell commented July 18

S

Samuel Russell

Newark, NJ

Quite the "research" project. A couple of times white men were inconsiderate in the line to get on a first class flight. That is the extent of the evidence of "white dominance" cited by the author, as she bravely flies first class around the country to speak about the problem of "whiteness." Could it be that sometimes people are just rude? When a man says his white son won't get admissions preference for being a minority, her response is truly paranoid: "Was he thinking out loud? Were the words just slipping out before he could catch them? Was this the innocence of white privilege? Was he yanking my chain? Was he snapping the white-privilege flag in my face?" Good god! Did you ever stop to think it's not about you, that he could have an actual point? That while there is white privelege in some areas of society, there is absolutely minority privelege when it comes to college admissions? "I couldn’t tell by looking at this man I was sitting next to, but I wondered if he was an ethnic white rather than a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant." Who thinks things like that? This author is positively obsessed with race, projecting it onto everything under the sun. And let's not forget the group of men who formed their own parralel line. Oh the humanity. Because obviously minorities never, ever do things like that. They all have perfect manners. I wanted to take this piece seriously when I started reading it, I truly did.

37 Recommend

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1 REPLY

AB commented July 19

A

AB

Bergen County, NJ

@Samuel Russell Well put! Could not agree more with the disappointment that I had when reading this article and how it truly missed the mark.

3 Recommend

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Edward Kiernan commented July 18

E

Edward Kiernan

Ashland OR

This woman’s ability to maintain her persecution complex as she flies around the world in first class is remarkable. I also don’t believe her story of being cut in front of while in line and then blatantly racially insulted. I’ve seen too many made-up stories like this, especially by activists, to be that easily fooled. But I’m sure the NYT’s readership believes every word; liberals beset by white guilt never learn.

18 Recommend

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Creighton Goldsmith commented July 18

Creighton Goldsmith

Creighton Goldsmith

Honolulu, Hawaii

White privilege is real.

1 Recommend

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Chip commented July 18

C

Chip

Florida

White privilege? You can have mine, no one ever lets me use it. Don't tell it's time to have a conversation about race . . . obviously, you aren't ready.

6 Recommend

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Steph commented July 18

Steph

Steph

Southern California

This is one of the most beautiful and lucid pieces I have read in the Times, and I thank Ms. Rankine for writing it.

3 Recommend

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Thom Hessel commented July 18

T

Thom Hessel

New York, NY

Times Pick

Oh, Ms. Rankine. I wish you so much luck talking to white men about their privilege. I feel like I'm aware of my white male privilege, that I have benefitted from that privilege in ways I don't, or maybe even can't, know. I don't know what to do with that. I've brought it up with white friends, and have heard that "I've worked hard to get where I am" so many times. No one's denying that - those people may have worked hard, but still benefitted from institutional racism. They may not have even realized the benefits. Knowing one's white privilege is to be empathetic. I can not know what it is to be black or brown. I can not know what it is to be a woman. But when I listen to the stories of black and brown people, when I listen to women's stories, I believe them (too many stories not to), and know that they have had challenges that I definitely have not. I think that underlines the issue. We need to move the focus away from ourselves, we need to listen to other people. By listening to other people's stories, we can compare to our own, and then learn about ourselves. Empathy is the way. But right now we're stuck in self-centered tribalism. Good luck not just to you Ms. Rankine, good luck to all of us.

690 Recommend

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8 REPLIES

Raye commented July 18

R

Raye

Colorado Springs, CO

@Thom Hessel Thank you Thom for a beautiful response. Spread the word!

21 Recommend

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MaryTheresa commented July 18

M

MaryTheresa

Way Uptown

@Thom Hessel I love you. Please keep speaking out this way. Best comment ever. Thank You.

13 Recommend

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Ian commented July 18

I

Ian

Detroit

@Thom Hessel as a middle-aged white man, I agree with this 100%. I constantly hear white middle-aged male peers deny having white privilege because "I worked for everything I have!" But they don't get randomly stopped by police for driving through prosperous neighborhoods, or followed in stores, or seated in less desirable tables when they go out to eat, or told that the Air BnB they tried to book is "not actually available that weekend." When their kids are playing in the park, no police are called, and if the kids are caught shoplifting nobody presses charges. There is such an internalized and subconscious belief in our society that non-white individuals want things "for free" or get things "handed to them" that many (perhaps the majority of) white men automatically assume that white privilege must mean the receipt of an unearned economic benefit.

20 Recommend

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Joe commented July 18

J

Joe

Nyc

Times Pick

I have two problems with the "white privilege" narrative and construct. 1) I feel more and more that I am viewed as an oppressor, a "devil" as some of my African American friends would say (can I even say "friends" without being labeled a racist?), by default - with no opportunity to recount my personal efforts to overcome the racism in this country, to talk about how my family is mixed, including my children, etc., to confront racist attitudes and behaviors whenever and wherever I encounter them, etc. This is very disspiriting. I feel a hostility in many interactions with people of color these days and I can't help but get defensive about it. 2) Where does this end? I mean, our identities are shaped in many ways and everyone can be a member of a group that has been oppressed or disenfranchised: the Italians, Polish and Irish were treated harshly in this country upon arrival (among others); those with physical disabilities face daily indignities; gay men and women, transgender, they are hated and villified by many - publicly; the Muslims today; intersectionality seeks to address this but often falls apart (witness the women's march issues involving Jewish and African American women). A white guy can be poor and relatively powerless - yet is told he is privileged. This contradiction strikes me as some sort of cosmic joke. Is it a privilege to be on welfare? lol I don't have any answers to this and am not trying to assert any certainty here. Just some observations.

426 Recommend

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22 REPLIES

David commented July 18

D

David

Germany

@Joe Have you seen the Louis CK sketch on being white? It really summarises what white "privilege" means: It does not mean that you didn't work hard for what you have, or that you have never suffered in your life; just that if you had had to do everything over again as a black man (or a black trans woman) it would, most likely, have been a whole lot harder. So here's to appreciating that advantage, and acknowledging that it was built on the hardship of others.

121 Recommend

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James F Traynor commented July 18

James F Traynor

James F Traynor

Punta Gorda, FL

@Joe " A white guy can be poor and relatively powerless - yet is told he is privileged. This contradiction strikes me as some sort of cosmic joke. Is it a privilege to be on welfare? " You see, it's a privilege because, at least, he's still white. And that's all he's got and he knows it, and many of his kind would defend it to the death. And you apparently don't get it and that is the real cosmic joke

66 Recommend

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donethat commented July 18

D

donethat

Minneapolis, MN

@Joe The privilege is bestowed at birth, you had nothing to do with it. Every move forward that non-whites take are at the privilege of their white counterpart. The same is true for women's rights. We were not born privileged, privilege has been granted only when governing males are inclined to grant them.

45 Recommend

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Kestril1 commented July 18

K

Kestril1

New Jersey

So glad you didn't hesitate in the end. I could feel the ambivalence about truly engaging a white man in this conversation, in the ebb and flow of intellectual references that, although useful and relevant, kept this piece on safe ground. I kept reading, waiting for a real encounter, and I'm so glad I did. The final paragraphs describe such a lovely, powerful moment of real connection. You went there so gracefully, so powerfully, so subtly but with an authenticity that held you and this man in a place where you could really engage. And he did. A really beautiful moment. Thank you.

4 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Mike commented July 18

M

Mike

Brooklyn

It’s fake. This didn’t happen. Sorry.

3 Recommend

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patfla commented July 18

P

patfla

Bay Area, CA US

Maybe the ways in which Europeans and their descendants (my descendant is half Chinese) have benefited has to do with the facts that Europeans were the first to navigate the whole of the globe (hard to have the Triangular Trade without those navigational skills) and Europeans invented the scientific laws on which modern civilization was built. In particular, mechanics from Isaac Newton and electricity thanks to James Clerk Maxwell. It seems to me that it would be very difficult to both accomplish these things and not derive a great deal of power. Along the way, these people also fashioned modern democracy without which you don't have this conversation - and do you, without modern democracy, have the US Civil War in which well over 500,000 of those white men kill one another in the process of ending American slavery? You can, if you like, argue that the Civil War wasn't about slavery - except it's a fact that the Civil War gave rise to Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and the corresponding changes to the Constitution.

8 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Jean commented July 18

J

Jean

NY

I always find its funny when a white person say whites invented this or that. And derive some Kind of pride out of that. They always act as if all whites have the capacity to do what Newton or James Clerk did. No Newton elucidated the rules of Classical Mechanics. But what have you elucidated? Nothing. There are a few geniuses among us. They come in all shape, shade and sizes. The rest of us just stand on their shoulders. Stop the madness.

2 Recommend

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Rob commented July 18

R

Rob

Berkeley

This is a home-run article !! Thank you Professor for sharing your experiences, insights, and questions. I wish I could take a class with you. I will look for some of the (text)books you reference. We can all learn about the vast textures of the human condition if our hearts and minds are open.

12 Recommend

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Arvay commented July 18

A

Arvay

Fairbanks, Alaska

Thank you for thinking these things out and putting them to paper for us. As an Asian-American woman, I can identify a bit with both sides. Like white people, we have a lot of positive stereotypes, but like other people of color, we often get marginalized as well. I often ignore little snubs (I also get them as a woman engineer) in favor of saving energy, although I know that to mention these things, to bear witness, to fight, are important to effect change. To be like the author and devote my life to thinking through and writing and teaching about all of the intricacies of race relations and microaggressions sounds exhausting. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking up the battle.

6 Recommend

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Jeff White commented July 18

J

Jeff White

Toronto

She talked to white men only? So white women have no privilege? Not even Ivanka or Melania or Ann Coulter or Hillary Clinton or Alice Walton or MacKenzie Bezos or Nancy Pelosi? How can Rankine see anything out of the blinkers of her rigid ideology?

20 Recommend

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3 REPLIES

PeteH commented July 18

P

PeteH

MelbourneAU

Even rich white women are burdened just because they're women? That explanation would fit the victim narrative that's popular these days. If only we could find an intersection... Ivanka is Jewish, right? Bingo! Intersectional burden! QED.

2 Recommend

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Ariel commented July 18

A

Ariel

San Francisco

@Jeff White Yes, she talked to white men, only- for this article. But nowhere did she say that white women have no privilege, nor was it even remotely implied. It is your vision that appears clouded by indignation.

3 Recommend

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Jeff White commented July 18

J

Jeff White

Toronto

@Ariel Not even remotely implied? Then why did she only talk to white men "for this article" that centers on race? You really think she's going to follow up with an article on the privilege of white women? No, she follows the ideology that even female billionaires are, in some inexplicable way, oppressed. That's why affirmative action job competitions often privilege everyone except white men, no matter how rich these oppressed people may be.

1 Recommend

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BillAZ commented July 18

B

BillAZ

Arizona

A breathtaking peek into what it means to look at the entire world through a single lens. Every narrative is controlled through that viewpoint. Ms Rankine cannot even relax sitting next to a "woke" white man she likes. She has to critique his level of "wokeness" - because really, is whiteness ever really "woke"? Gosh, that must be so much fun for him. The story of the white man who occupied her space rules out completely that he wasn't just a jerk he was an icon of white privilege; a symbol of privilege and oppression. This over-interpretation of the world through race delivers the conveniently satisfying and predictable formula that Whiteness = Oppression and is as lapidary and eternal as E=Mc2. There is no way around it and it will never be anything but that. It must be exhausting being the world's "privilege" police.

72 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Teal commented July 18

T

Teal

USA

@BillAZ Thanks for saying it. Unfortunately your rebuttal will be seen by the race-fixated as proof that you are fundamentally biased against non-whites.

1 Recommend

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Allison commented July 18

A

Allison

Los Angeles

I can recall being confronted about my white male privilege (username is my partner's) twice in my life. The two examples were as different as the two men on the plane, except, here I was the common white person. In one case, I was on a bus with my high school men's and women's basketball teams. I was a freshman and didn't know many people. When I was called out, I was confused about what I had said that was a problem. I was confused because I was too afraid to listen -- I felt a heightened teenage fear of being socially outcast by my teammates. (That fear turned out to be unwarranted). I wonder how my behavior appeared to the black woman who tried to get me to face my privilege. The other incident was one of my best friends at school. When she spoke to me, she was direct and unmistakable, but because of our mutual trust and friendship, I was listening, and we engaged in meaningful conversation. I'm not suggesting that years of friendship are required before confronting white privilege, that would be absurd. What I am saying is that if white men want to promote less segregated spaces, they could begin simply by adopting a default stance of basic trust.

1 Recommend

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SP commented July 18

S

SP

Stephentown NY

I would be identified as a white male by most observers, and my family was white, but in truth my origins are mixed. Some kids in high school sensed it and I was given crude nick-names that I literally fought to extinguish. My kids would be seen as the benefactors of white privilege by a casual observer....and they are privileged by virtue of the support they received growing up in an affluent educated and caring family. Their friends growing up were a diverse group in every way. They succeed now and are raising their own families.I joke and say we are "Heinz Hounds" a mix of 57 varieties. The emphasis on white privilege has a ring of truth at times. I know my then-teen-age son was likely treated well before a judge because he was a "good student in a good school with a good family". I don't doubt that a browner kid from another background might not have gotten a pass. BUT I am tiring of the constant refrain of white privilege as the explanation for disparity of outcomes in life. Call it a general weariness of identity politics. And then we have the joker in the white house pouring gas on every fire. No wonder tolerance and compromise seem like a fading illusion.

6 Recommend

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J House commented July 18

J

J House

NY,NY

I have lived and worked in Malaysia for the past 20 years, although I also live in the U.S. The Malaysian government manages what is called a 'Bumiputra' system, that might be described as state-sponsored 'Brown privilege', or, 'affirmative action for the majority'. It is well intended, in that in Malaysia most of the country's wealth resides within the racial minorities, not within the political and racial majority, However, in practice it increases, not decreases, racial resentment, and certainly has not created economic equality in the decades it has been in practice. There is a seething current of racial resentment in the country, and much of it is due to political policies meant to do well for the people.

11 Recommend

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mattc commented July 18

M

mattc

new york

You are just as bad as the white males you accuse of asserting their whiteness for cutting you in line. I'm a white male, and often frustrated that people cut in front of me in line for example, leaning on the fact that I'm not going to jostle them out of the way. I've seen just as much boorish behavior on the part of women and people of color as I've seen from white men in this regard. Furthermore, I have ACCIDENTALLY cut people in line before -- not realizing that they were waiting patiently before them, and then feel sheepish and embarrassed once I realize what's happened. I've had others -- yes both men and women, black and white -- do the same to me. I usually feel a little sympathy for them, as I know they probably feel a little embarrassed themselves once they realize what they've done. I think you would do well to think a little more about fundamental human nature than seeing absolutely everything through the lens of white male privilege. There is institution racism and sexism, and there are racists and unfair struggles for women and minorities -- that cannot be denied. But you've really fallen down a silly rabbit hole with complaining about people butting in front of you in the first class line.

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2 REPLIES

SH commented July 18

S

SH

California

@mattc What I got from that story was not the cutting in line, not at all. That's relatively commonplace. What I got, and what I found shocking, was what the man said in response to her politely asserting her place. And it would be shocking to me whether or not she heard it, or it was meant for her to hear. It says something deeply disturbing about the man's perceptions and how they manifest in behavior. To me, so much about this discussion has to do with our perceptions, our blind spots, which every one of us, regardless of background, can work to see fairly, in order to be better human beings. Those perceptions also mean we read different things in the same account. Being able to recognize that is important.

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DC Reade commented July 18

D

DC Reade

traveling

@mattc we all are much more kind and considerate to each other in the line at the local thrift store. For what that's worth.

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Kate commented July 18

K

Kate

Seattle

Times Pick

It is so hard to have these conversations. I'm afraid. Yes I know that I'm privileged. I read articles written by non-whites about all the stupid things we say and do. I want to be part of the solution but I don't know how without causing further insult. As a woman in a male dominated family and career I get that I don't get it, just as I see that the men don't get it.

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4 REPLIES

Samuel Russell commented July 18

S

Samuel Russell

Newark, NJ

@Kate "All the stupid things WE say and do??" Talk about stereotyping. Speak for yourself please!

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sonora commented July 18

S

sonora

denver

@Kate As a woman, can't you tell the difference between the good guys who are really trying to understand and sympathize with women's issues and the jerks who don't want to engage in any meaningful way? So too with members of racial minorities. I'm cool with any discussion coming from a good place, and all of my friends are too. Feel free to engage with people. Sometimes it might not work out, but I bet that most of the time, it will.

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donethat commented July 18

D

donethat

Minneapolis, MN

@Kate Reminds me of the male lament,'what do women WANT?' The simple answer is ask.

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Barbara Coyle commented July 18

B

Barbara Coyle

North Carolina

Loved this essay. More like it.

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Grennan commented July 18

G

Grennan

Green Bay

I would like to stop identifying with being white. It's an involuntary trait that's a product of reproductive decisions long before my birth, like other hereditary characteristics such as height, myopia, and production of ear wax. But here's the thing. The very ability to opt out -- the fact that I can perceive it as a choice -- is existentially part of the invisible privilege Ms. Rankine describes. A thought experiment for white readers before they dismiss what she is saying: imagine yourself opting out of being white. (This does not mean discarding whatever cultural residue you retain from Scottish forbears (or Frisian, Basque, Andorran, etc.)). Your reaction may illuminate Ms. Rankine's thesis.

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David commented July 18

D

David

California

In California, for example, non white students strongly dominate the most highly elite universities in the University of California system. And in NYC, for example, non white students strongly dominate the most elite high schools in the City. So it is confusing to many white men to be told they are privileged, when they have never attended one of these extraordinarily elite schools which are dominated by non white students. It is especially confusing to the unemployed white person in West Virginia for example, or the white man sweating in the coal mines in West Virginia, in order to support his family and pay his taxes. In what sense are these white men privileged? Are their any poverty stricken white men in the country? In what sense are they privileged to be white, male, and poor?

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3 REPLIES

Patriot commented July 18

P

Patriot

USA

@David Because, the author imagines, if the unemployed white man in West Virginia ever got to fly first class, other white people wouldn't try to jump ahead of him in line prior to boarding, or some such nonesense...

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Kyle Reese commented July 18

K

Kyle Reese

SF

@David, As for the majorities of non-white students at the California public universities, this may be attributed to the hard work of many Asian American students. As you know, public universities in California may not favor one race over another regarding admissions policies, and are banned from considering an applicant's race. So those slots that do go to Asian American students (or other minorities) go to them because of merit. They simply worked harder, and were better students than many whites, because of their efforts. They receive no "handouts". So no, as far as California public higher education goes, whites are not being "discriminated against". They just don't work as hard, earn as good grades or receive as good test scores as many of their minority peers. So why should they get a spot when the university sees many minority applicants who are more successful than they are? The fact is, whites don't yet understand that they need to work as hard as the rest of us do, to become successful. Do you want to get into those top universities? Do what my minority child did (Middle Eastern ancestry, no affirmative action breaks) -- work your backside off like she did. Until then, don't keep whining about it.

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Ariel commented July 18

A

Ariel

San Francisco

@David So, because bad things still happen to white people, there is no inherent benefit to having white skin? You're missing the point, intentionally it would seem. The privilege of the poor white person in West Virginia needn't elevate him to a better position than the Black Yale professor to be real. All it has to do is guarantee his status above the poor black person in West Virginia.

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Michael commented July 18

M

Michael

Brooklyn

It's interesting that the author chooses air travel as a device to extrapolate broader meanings about privilege in America. It's interesting because she imagines the white experience of America as a spacious First Class cabin, replete with a complimentary drink service, when in fact, most of us are slumming it in a part of the plane she clearly hasn't visited in quite some time: economy. (A hint, Ms. Rankine, should you decide to seek us out for future study: we're the ones queued up past the entrance to the gate while you're being whisked from the Executive Platinum lounge to your fully-reclining seat.) Most white folks I know, myself included, are well aware of this nation's shameful history of racial violence and bigotry. We're aware that it continues to this day. Many of us, in fact, believe quite seriously in rectifying those inequalities. What we resent is being lectured about our privilege by a tenured Yale professor whose First Class plane ticket would pay our yearly rent. How is that for an analogy about privilege in America in the 21st century?

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1 REPLY

DT commented July 19

D

DT

Singapore

@Michael Amen. I am glad for posts about racism in a prominent newspaper. But could they be a bit less clueless, please?

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VOD commented July 18

V

VOD

Boston

I wish I could sit next to you on a long long flight. The conversation would be fascinating!

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Jack commented July 18

J

Jack

Seattle

Disclosure: Older White Male Clauda Rankine's article saddened me deeply. As a white person we can never truly understand what it means to be black or brown. The indignities and abuse people of color face is so diffuse and pervasive it is unimaginable. And we can only begin to get a true glimpse of that inhumanity when we partner with a person of color. Although my wife is a Latina, in my past I have had partners who were African American, Asian, African emigre, and Native American. The anger, frustration, and downright soul hurt these women would feel from their interactions with white privileged men left me so hollow. I could not imagine how these women managed to navigate the world day after day. It gave me insight into the enormous reservoir of strength they possessed. It also forced me to see my whiteness in a wholly new light. Being born a white man in America is winning the social lottery, plain and simple.

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Terry McKenna commented July 18

Terry McKenna

Terry McKenna

Dover, N.J.

Maybe the writer needs to answer this question: how would and average working man (white) come to think he has white privilege. Let me share my own example. My mother's father was killed in a coal mine accident. My mother eventually became a nurse, the only one of her family to complete high school - she want beyond it. Decades later she raised 5 kids but her husband died suddenly while she still had 2 kids in high school and 2 in college. I went on the grad school but did not get a job in my profession. While adjusting my career, I worked 2 jobs, went into debt, eventually landed on my feet but am still working at 68 to create some sort of retirement. It may be that I have more than a black man - I accept that. But it hardly constitutes privilege except in the world of social theory. And I have the perspective of age. But ask a 40 year old white manager of a paint store who has a wife and a few kids and scrapes by. Does the writer really believe that he thinks he is privileged? If there is an underclass who are harmed, that does not make the existence of those who are not harmed into privilege.

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1 REPLY

Daniette commented July 18

D

Daniette

Houston

That’s economics, and certainly there is discrimination against those who have less, but her reference is socio. So while as a white person one may struggle economically, one’s very presence or right to exist has likely never been questioned.

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Elliot commented July 18

E

Elliot

New York

How much easier it is to orate, from on high, about the injustices and inequalities of the world, than it is to dig in and attempt to rectify just one little corner of the world. Help someone learn to read, donate to a scholarship fund targeted at a disadvantaged cohort, work day in and day out at a senior center or "man" (excuse this use of gender) a rent-stabilization hotline. How tiresome to be preached at by a college professor enjoying the perks of academic privilege while teaching a class on "whiteness". And the dirty little secret is this: castigate someone for an in-born characteristic (in this case being white) and there will be a subtle, yet hard as nails resistance.

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J House commented July 18

J

J House

NY,NY

Racial identity politics is increasingly showing to be a destructive force in American society. That it is being taught at the university level , Yale no less, is even more disturbing. It is creating a racial grievance industrial complex as a result, thus the call for 'reparations', the banning of free speech on campus and university and corporate quotas that fly under the radar. Is this really the solution to form a 'more perfect union', that is 'indivisible', worthy of being called the 'United' States?

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Al commented July 18

A

Al

NYC

I noticed that a lot of (white) commenters take issue with the description that they are privileged because they are not victims of racism. Compare my last traffic stop (I'm white) to how most black people are treated. I work at a college in a black neighborhood in NYC. I was pulled over for making a right turn on red - generally illegal in NYC but this corner had a sign allowing it. I immediately told the cop that I made a complete stop before making the turn and that it was legal. His response was that there was no sign at the corner. I told me that the sign was there since I started work at the College. He immediately told me I could leave - I guess he wanted to know why a white person was in Harlem. He never asked to see my license, registration or insurance card or any other ID. Can any of you image that a cop would treat a black person the same? The cops would run their license and plates through there computer, likely issue them a ticket (the turn was legal), arrest them if there were any warrants (even misdemeanors) and being shot by the cops would be a very real possibility. How can any one say that I wasn't given privileged treatment at that traffic stop.

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1 REPLY

Foodlover commented July 18

F

Foodlover

Seattle

@Al. Maybe he suddenly got a call on his radio that you neither heard or understood to go to another more serious situation than a traffic ticket. Maybe that is why he suddenly dropped you and told you to leave.

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CA. commented July 18

C

CA.

Colorado

I wish the author could have the understanding and experience of how some white males treat other white males. Suggested reading, the classic: What Makes Sammy Run. I’d also be curious to know how the author feels she ranks in the gene pool relative to a man and relative to a woman from a poor village in India.

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Larry commented July 18

L

Larry

Santa Cruz CA

I have heard that the greatest thing you can do to reduce racism in this world is marry someone of another race. Kudos to the author for having done so.

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Anonymous commented July 18

A

Anonymous

USA

As a white man in my late 30s, I can cite a great many examples of privilege outside of the workplace, some that would be humorous if we didn't know they rested on my whiteness and maleness. For example, I was once pulled over for speeding. As the officer approached the window, I retrieved my wallet and had no worries whatsoever that I would be mistaken for reaching for a weapon. He asked, "do you know why I pulled you over." I said, with no real concern or nervousness, "I was going 45 in what in what is probably a 35." He said, yes it was, and that since I'd been "so nice about the whole thing," he was giving me a warning. At that point it has to be pretty obvious - after all, what had i done or said that could merit being received as unusually nice? It's a much different story professionally. For example, I have worked within a University administrative division of almost 100 people where I was literally the only white male under 35, with less than 10 of us in total. I was viewed with open suspicion, and it was made clear in any number of ways that my advancement would be, de facto, an injustice. This was on a campus with a student population that was 84% white, which no doubt drove the sense of purpose for my colleagues of color. Correcting a historical wrong still meant I had to let go of a career there and move on. Being "woke" doesn't make me feel better about it. I have only one lifetime to live out.

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CD commented July 18

C

CD

Ann Arbor

Given the title, I kept waiting to see what people's answers were. Sadly, it doesn't seem there was much asking going on.

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Karen commented July 18

K

Karen

Massachusetts

I interpret "white privilege" to be a misnomer and believe that is should more correctly be described as "privilege of the majority". An alternative would be "dominance of the majority". Non-african, non-asian and non-latino people have been in the majority in North America since 1492. It is difficulty to understand how any majority population on any continent would not have privilege historically.

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4 REPLIES

David commented July 18

D

David

Pittsburg, CA

@Karen That is an excellent point because it is the reason for the Bill of Rights, to protect the rights of the "minority." That minority can be religious, political, racial, ethnic, etc but the eternal problem, for societies, is always between "majority" and "minority" however those are defined. And "majorities" nearly always oppress "minorities" to various degrees. Societies of "color" or different "ethnicity" have the same general problems.

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Ann Ferland commented July 18

A

Ann Ferland

Lexington, KY

@Karen Since 1492? You do realize that that Columbus and the subsequent explorations concentrated on South and Central America, right? And that the European colonists who arrived in the 17th Century on the Eastern Seaboard of North America were still greatly outnumbered by the natives living in the interior?

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SH commented July 18

S

SH

California

South Africa under Apartheid.

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Disillusioned commented July 18

D

Disillusioned

NJ

You would have to be a complete racist, or abysmally ignorant, or blind to believe that racism does not infect every aspect of life in America. I am not sure the term "privilege" is the most appropriate description since it doesn't sufficiently convey the horror and depravity of slavery and the current vestiges thereof. Your article provides examples of the more subtle aspects of racist thinking and behavior. There are far more terrifying and offensive examples that take place daily.

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Usha Srinivasan commented July 18

U

Usha Srinivasan

Maryland

My husband and I--naturalized citizens here, of Indian origin, were flying from Birmingham AL to Baltimore, Maryland. We had a suitcase that needed an overhead bin. A white man had placed his bag overhead and we asked him if he could hold his bag so we could put the carry on bigger luggage in the bin. He refused and then he said, "Make me!" We turned to the flight attendant who had been watching this without intervening and asked her the rules. She said that the bag the man had, did not need an overhead bin and our suitcase did need to be stowed up. We asked her to tell him that. (We were by the way traveling in a plane that was full and all the overhead bins were taken.) The flight attendant reluctantly did tell the man to make way for our suitcase and the man was made to remove his bag and we placed our suitcase there. When the plane landed the white man sidled over to my husband called him a vile obscenity and told him he'll see him outside and take care of him after we deplaned. We were forced to call security and left after the man could not be located. That was an unforgettable incident for me but clearly the man felt we should have deferred to him and we should have capitulated to his privilege and should not have pushed the issue. White privilege is most condescending when it comes from one's liberal friends. I find I am subjected to it when I act "white" like I am privileged too! Man, that incenses white people like nothing else!

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Liberty hound commented July 18

L

Liberty hound

Washington

My so-called "privilege" has allowed union officials to lay off my dad and hire unqualified or absentee black plumbers so they could meet their quota. They were quite up front with the guys they were laying off. That, when combined with the recessions of the 1970s, had the effect of pushing our working family to the welfare line. As a guy who went into the military for education and a career, my "privilege" allowed promotion boards in the 1990s to set aside 35% of promotions for women and minorities. In federal civil service, it allowed Federal hiring authorities to choose lesser qualified candidates over me. Or to quote a couple: "You're the best qualified candidate we've ever seen, but EEO blocked you three times. If you were black or female, I could hire you today. But you're the wrong sex and color, and if you quote me, I'll deny I said that." --Navy GS-15 "We won't look at your resume until next fiscal year. It's tougher on you guys. We have too many of your kind." --FBI official, Norfolk Field Office, at a tie they were hiring 2,000 special agents. "Our problem as a community is that we are too white and male, and we have to fix that." --Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, U.S. Navy Reserve Intelligence Program. This is just a sample of my privilege of being a white man. So I don't really want to hear your complaints about so-called "white privilege."

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7 REPLIES

Beth Boam commented July 18

B

Beth Boam

Chicago

I have worked for the last 15 years at a large company. The company is very diversity oriented. When there are multiple candidates who are qualified for a position we (the hiring managers) are told if there is a qualified diversity candidate that person should be hired regardless of whether or not there are other non diversity candidates that are more qualified.

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Debbie commented July 18

D

Debbie

NYC

@Liberty hound Says yet another clueless white guy. Just like my men friends who too are clueless and prefer to remain that way. Otherwise you would be forced to acknowledge the truth about how other people are treated and have been for generations. It will take several more generations before we no longer need these conversations.

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Bucketomeat commented July 18

B

Bucketomeat

The Zone

@Liberty hound Rachel Dolezal has already provided you with the template for the easy life. Follow her lead.

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Bucketomeat commented July 18

B

Bucketomeat

The Zone

It’s an eye opening experience to walk into a store with a melanin enhanced friend, being melanin deficient myself, and getting followed around by store employees.

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Liberty hound commented July 18

L

Liberty hound

Washington

@Bucketomeat When my wife and I moved to Maryland, we needed a new stove and a computer. So we went to Circuit City Superstore in Lanham, not knowing the demographics of the mall. We were the only white people in Circuit City ... and from the looks of it, the only customers. The sales staff couldn't be bothered with us, even though they were doing nothing other than talking and joking among themselves. In the end, my wife ... and the $3,000 we were prepared to spend, went someplace where we were appreciated. Not surprisingly, the Lanham Mall closed, and Circuit City went bankrupt. Good riddance.

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Bucketomeat commented July 18

B

Bucketomeat

The Zone

@Liberty hound This relates to white privilege how?

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Jake commented July 18

J

Jake

Philadelphia

Nigerian immigrants are the most successful group in the United States. Asians are not far behind. How could this possibly happen in a nation ruled by white privilege? Answer—it can’t. While privilege as this overarching method of control is simply a myth.

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1 REPLY

Daniette commented July 18

D

Daniette

Houston

Spoken as a white male?

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dre commented July 18

D

dre

NYC

Another take. Why is one person born on Park Ave & another in a mud hut in an impoverished country. There are countless examples of apparent privileges, advantages and injustices...since the dawn of time. Is it all pure chance, pure blind luck. And does it mean fundamentally the universe is meaningless if everything is dumb luck regarding our apparent advantages as well as our obstacles. Or is the universe based on a merit system that we can't comprehend, but maybe it's true. Maybe the Eastern philosophies teach something worth pondering: the idea that we've all lived many lives prior to this one, and this one reflects all of our choices & actions in prior embodiments. Our fate in other words is created by our past actions (karma) and also by embedded beliefs we carry subconsciously into this life. In sum, we attract what we are. Maybe our condition in life is self created. That doesn't mean we shouldn't appreciate all the good things we have. We should be aware & have some humility, and also do all we can to help others. And even though there are differences among all of us, there is a deeper equality that goes beyond those differences. All need to be treated as fairly as possible and given to the degree possible the opportunity to unfold their potential. We should all appreciate the good things we are fortunate to have, but maybe there is more to the story as to why we have them. We should still care about the well being of others, & try to help them as we can.

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1 REPLY

Steven Pettinga commented July 18

Steven Pettinga

Steven Pettinga

Indianapolis

@dre Perhaps, people who live in "mud huts" and hunt & forage for their food are happier than we are. Nuts & fruits and animals for meat take an hour or two a day to achieve their sustenance. They can take the hot parts of the day off and cook dinner when dinner time comes. They spend the rest of their day with their family & friends. We are not living some magical, wonderful life. It is, but it isn't. It is what we are used to. Yet, spending the most of your day tending your kids and taking care of your parents for much of the world is enough.

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Brian commented July 18

B

Brian

Here

The problem with the author's POV here is that she is defining any advantage a white male may experience as White Male Privilege. Most white males don't actually get to travel in first class. Or qualify to go to Yale. What advantage have they actually received? What privilege? They have none here. Affirmative action actually perpetuates the problem. How? Any preference, no matter how well-intentioned, in dividing up a sharply limited and fixed size pie like Yale freshman admissions means that a strike is being called against you, though you didn't swing, and the ball didn't get to the strike zone. Anger. Privilege - NO batter remembers the mid-thigh over the corner ball call that they got 2 pitches before. And thinks that perhaps justice has been served on some level. What's wrong with this justice? If you can't clearly identify a fair strike zone for all, how can you know what to swing at? Why should a tighter strike zone be called for a white, or a black, batter because of pigment? Have either earned it? No. Should it matter to me that 50 years ago, Willie Mays had questionable strikes called often? What does that have to do with me, at bat on this pitch right now? Reparations? The problem with affirmative actions of any sort are that to offer them, we have to be honest and admit that we are agreeing to perpetrate individual injustices to offer them as a solution to history. We all hate injustice, but dwell on those we suffer personally. Anger.

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2 REPLIES

Brian commented July 18

B

Brian

Here

@raph101 Respectfully, you have no idea who I am, what my background is, or what I stand for. And you completely missed my point, though perhaps intentionally to try and make your own.

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Brian commented July 18

B

Brian

Here

@raph101 You missed the point. Most people, including most white males, live outside the velvet ropes that exclude us from Yale and the first class lounge. And it is true that on our worst day, any American of any sex or ethnicity is inside the velvet ropes compared to most of the rest of the world.

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Victor Lacca commented July 18

V

Victor Lacca

Ann Arbor, Mi

I don't think much of it. Is it there? To an extent yes because of access to a relatively affluent scio-economic environs. But I do the slog every day-getting up working as a skilled tradesman, not afraid to snake a drain or divert on a Sunday afternoon for some needed task. I'd be happy to be treated to a competent doctor of color or be courteous to the next person struggling to get home no matter where they come from. My childhood was lily white looking back at it, I'm proud to now live in a mixed neighborhood of caring people of all backgrounds. I hope we get to a colorblind society. It's not easy.

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1 REPLY

Z97 commented July 18

Z

Z97

Big City

@Victor Lacca, you didn’t read the article carefully enough; “colorblind” is now racist!

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David commented July 18

D

David

Pittsburg, CA

The only way you are going to solve these social problems is through "mutual respect." How you get there is another story. As Dr. King knew that can only occur in the heart and character of individual people. It can't be mandated by government or talked through to the nth degree by professors. When I was young we talked about "disadvantage" rather than "privileges," but I suppose it comes to the same thing. There's no question in my mind an unfair burden has been put on blacks but I'm not sure what whites can do about it except to continually encourage blacks that they are very much a part of the society, they are wanted, their energies are valued. It bothered me that my cousin's black husband had to go to the local police station and tell them who he was when they moved into a white community. I know as a white guy I went through a period of discomfort trying to adjust to this society, a period of being nervous in job interviews, of being judged because I had long hair and a beard, a period of always thinking what the other person was thinking of me until I "grew up." Until that is I had a lot of diverse experience and good, solid knowledge of the society and world. All great resources, spiritual or intellectual, have the aim of freeing people from all this social anxiety whatever it's cause. Society, itself, is a jungle. You have to bring to that society a lot of internal resource. Confidence does not have color.

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2 REPLIES

JS commented July 18

J

JS

NY

@David Actually, there is a lot we as white people can do. We can spend our money to support businesses owned by people of color (esp. women), we can educate our children about the systemic racism that exists, we can read everything we can get our hands on about how to dismantle racist structures. WE need to do the work. It has too long been on the backs of the those who have been oppressed. And surprise! It is actually rewarding and very positive. My group of friends expanded exponentially once I started to educate myself and actively become anti-racist. Being passive keeps your world small.

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David commented July 18

D

David

Pittsburg, CA

@JS did all that as a young person in Berkeley and Oakland. It was part of the ethos of the time and I have wonderful memories of it.

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Melissa M. commented July 18

M

Melissa M.

Saginaw, MI

If you can only see race, you can only see racism.

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1 REPLY

Joe commented July 18

J

Joe

NYC

And if you refuse to see it, you can’t see racism. It seems the only solution is to see it as it truly is. That would include not tying to one up people who see it as it is, or put them down.

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David commented July 18

D

David

California

Anyone taking or teaching a class at Yale is privileged. Anyone born in America or other first world country is privileged. Anyone who has food and shelter is privileged. Anyone who can appreciate good art and literature is privileged. Anyone who has a loving network of friends and family is privileged. Anyone who has the ability to enjoy life's pleasures is privileged.

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1 REPLY

Eileen commented July 18

E

Eileen

Portland, Maine

@David So true. But just because we all are better off than some by some measures and worse off than some by other measures, it does not necessarily follow that between black and white, male and female, those privileges are apportioned evenly. The author's point is still valid: those who are white and male tend to enjoy far greater privilege than those who are black and those who are female.

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Jim commented July 18

J

Jim

Virginia

Read this article and then you have the answer to Firedman's essay in the same paper "‘Trump’s Going to Get Re-elected, Isn’t He?’"

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2 REPLIES

Jim commented July 18

J

Jim

PA

@Jim - The country has gone mad at both ends of the political spectrum, while the sane majority rolls its eyes.

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raph101 commented July 18

R

raph101

sierra madre, california

@Jim That depends on how many people believe, as you do, that nonwhites and non-males really ought to know their place. I wonder what your descendants will makes of the fact that you were so put off by uppity women and POC that your only recourse was voting for a racist.

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ms commented July 18

M

ms

ca

This was a thoughtful piece but I wished the author had written more about actually talking to random white men. I was looking forward to seeing those conversations and disappointed she only mentioned a few situations where the question wasn't even tackled directly. However, I do understand these conversations are not easy. As an Asian-American woman, people of color definitely talk about "white privilege" with each other, even if we don't name it that way. During various times in my life, my friends who are non-white have brought it up and it's allowed me to better understand what it is like to grow up Latina or go shopping as a Black man. In a mixed crowd though or one that is mostly ostensibly white, the conversations are not had or quieted. I'm not sure how to encourage such conversations. On a recent flight, there was a young, white couple with 3 young children sitting with them in 2 rows. The children actually were reasonably behaved but not the parents. The mom actually climbed over the airplane seats multiple times to get to the aisle instead of just asking the kids to move a bit. I remembered thinking if she wasn't white, she would have been called out by the airline stewardess for safety reasons for doing what she did.

7 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

mattc commented July 18

M

mattc

new york

@ms Insane. Climbing over your own kids is an example of white privilege now? Good thing is was the mom and not the dad, as he would be guilty of white male privilege.

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Elena commented July 18

E

Elena

SoCal

Yes, climbing over your kids, placing the soles of your shoes on surfaces that are commonly touched by other people’s hands or bodies, and not suffering dirty looks or social approbation, is a distinctly white privilege. Not being embarrassed by that behavior is white privilege. In white-dominated spaces, people of color are not cut similar, generous slack. When they are managing their kids or otherwise existing as humans while flying/talking/eating/resting/reading/perambulating a mostly-white flight cabin, They come under close white scrutiny. They get policed by flight attendants, and if They object to the double standards, it could mean remaining, or returning, to the gate, and removal from the plane. This bias is not news. If you are unaware, you need to wake up.

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8 Degrees N commented July 18

8

8 Degrees N

The friendly skies

61 YO white COO guy, and yes, I'm aware that I get tons of privileges that others don't get. I've suspected that some prominent roles I've held came my way for any combination of those and other subjective factors. I've seen skilled people in work settings passed over for myriad reasons - race, gender, orientation, weight, height, wardrobe, you name it. But beyond that, white privilege extends to how I'm treated in a store, by the police, the repairman, pretty much everywhere. I sometimes wonder how people of color don't lose it every day, when they're followed around a store or don't get the extra assist from the attendant. Its not enough, but I must say, these situation are changing/improving right before my eyes. I see examples of fairness and equality happening more and more all around me. At my company in Baltimore, we orient our hiring towards people of color, many of whom are kids getting their first jobs. We hire them at $15 per hour, no benefits. We train them and if they stay with us and perform, they get full time jobs with good pay and benefits. They have advancement opportunities. If I have a hire to make where 2 people are equally qualified and one is a person of color, they will get the job. Am I discriminating against 'my' people? Yep. Am I giving an unfair advantage to a person on color? Nope. I feel like I'm giving them the fair shake that they didn't get the last time they stood in line to board that plane. It's the least I can do.

12 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Foodlover commented July 18

F

Foodlover

Seattle

@8 Degrees N Sounds like two wrongs make a right in your book. Nice.

2 Recommend

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M commented July 18

M

M

CA

Kinda hard to swallow this nonsense coming from a person in such a lofty position at a wealthy university.

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3 REPLIES

Alx commented July 18

A

Alx

iowa city

@M, then I think you missed the point entirely. Despite that lofty position in daily life, every day, she faces invisibility in situations....and faces her blackness being the first and defining thing about her, her legitimacy in daily situations questioned. DAILY.

2 Recommend

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raph101 commented July 18

R

raph101

sierra madre, california

@M -- I think you meant "coming from a woman and POC who should shut up and be grateful."

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Z97 commented July 18

Z

Z97

Big City

@Alx, she THINKS everyone is questioning her legitimacy due to her blackness. The examples she provides don’t necessarily demonstrate that, though. It is doubtful these men were actually thinking anything like what she assumed. Her racial psychodrama was a one-woman show.

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ra commented July 18

R

ra

Portland, Oregon

Agreed. Interpreting every act as being about race may not be disprovable, but that doesn't mean that it's correct. In a world with only one race, how would you describe the jerks who would still cut lines, because race is just one of many factors that give people privileges? What do you call it when a non-white man behaves deplorably? Yes, being white is the biggest privilege, in most places in the western world (and many places elsewhere), most of the time. But blaming race for every bad thing white people do, and presenting the argument that white people are uniquely bad, presumably due to their genes, has the danger of making racism more appealing -- to anyone of any color.

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John commented July 18

J

John

Kirk

I am still reading this article. Maybe there is a good reason for the overall flow of the article, but as a black person myself I agree with your therapist. You gave way too many words to this white man. I am an academic and have actual white people treat me like I don't belong there. "Lata for a white guy in line" I have white people really in my life telling me I'm not equal. This whole thing about you being in a space he thought was for himself, you taking it a bit too far. He's just a rude white guy, forget him. I appreciate the article, but this micro-micro-aggression and your description of the power it held over you sends the wrong message to young white liberal wokes, and empowers Trump supporters to invalidate the reality of the inequity of the black experience. It's bigger than being cut in line or being treated rudely in stores. Being black and having to prove your even smart enough to be in the room, is a much bigger issue to me. Being black and constantly making significantly less than your white coworkers is a bigger issue. White people insisting that they can teach us about racism is the bigger issue. White people using "political"as an excuse to be against inclusion is the bigger issue.

12 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Michael commented July 22

M

Michael

Manila

@John, Thank you for a thoughtful response that relates to life outside the exclusive academia bubble.

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Marsha Pembroke commented July 18

M

Marsha Pembroke

Providence, RI

Disappointed with this piece. Partly because I have taught university courses that have dealt with White Privilege, including McIntosh, but more recent writers, too. So, there was little new here. But my biggest disappointment was the headline's promise of sit downs; of conversations with white men about their privilege. HEADLINE: "I wanted to know what white men thought about their privilege. So I asked." Now, that would have been wonderful. A scholar, a college professor, a well informed and smart woman, a black academic asking white men about their privilege would have been valuable! Instead, the bulk of the essay was introductory material, rambling, digressive, and never getting to the point of actually asking white men about their privilege! Instead, the professor observed White Privilege in airport queues! Her only real "interviews" or conversations with white men were from *someone else's* film -- and those, too, came late in the piece. What a let down! She would have been better off asking her students' for permission to use excerpts from their interviews. That could have been supplemented by her own. The anecdote at the end, with an open man, who was remarkably honest wondering else he had misspoken about, was marvelous. But that was just one talk, and missed the entire range of white men, rural, suburban, enlightened or not, Trump or Obama supporters (or both), high school or college educated, etc. What would they say, and to her?!

36 Recommend

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1 REPLY

marie commented July 19

M

marie

NYC, NY

@Marsha Pembroke Your criticism is valid, however just consider for a moment that there are a couple of degrees of depth to the subject matter of this article, and hence the title can be interpreted beyond just the first degree literal meaning. What the author is also aptly demonstrating (as a number of commenters noted and appreciated), is how difficult it is to bridge the considerable gap between black woman and white man in order just to have the conversation she seeks; how the context and history of race in this country clouds communication and perception, for her as well as her interlocutors. Getting a glimpse of her sincere thought processes, complete with misgivings and doubt, allows many people to empathize with a black woman and walk a few steps in her shoes. This is exactly what many people fail, or never even get a chance to do, and exactly one of the things that stalls an honest exchange between between people of different races . The author provides this window into her thoughts to allow us to do that in some small measure. Of course, you have to and have the insight and desire to empathize in order to appreciate this second degree perspective. But it clearly is one the author deliberately wanted to provide.

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Matthew commented July 18

M

Matthew

California

My favorite part is the reflection on "whiteness" while enjoying the idyll of the author's backyard in a wealthy college community. It begs the question: while living a life of privilege, why do the inconveniences and indignities of air travel justify casting aspersions upon hundreds of millions of people who supposedly live with this new social disorder of whiteness? When will our scholars realize that this concept of "whiteness," which is, admittedly, a concept created out of whole cloth by academia and for academia, is very offensive to the majority of people living outside the higher education system. It has no purpose other than to encourage virtue signaling amongst those living in the ivory tower. Arguments about "whiteness" polarize and poison the public discourse as much as those about "blackness." Obsessing over what makes us different rather than what we have in common is why Trump will win again. Finally, you can't interrogate a question. Please correct this.

17 Recommend

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4 REPLIES

Sleater commented July 18

Sleater

Sleater

New York

@Matthew, "whiteness" existed long before "academia" and the "higher education system," as you seem to be suggesting. Just read Kant, Herder, Hamann, Fichte, de Maistre, or Thomas Jefferson, let alone the US Constitution, US laws on immigration, etc., if you are unaware of this. "Whiteness," and white identity politics, are often treated as fine so long as they're not discussed, which your comments only underline. But white supremacy as a concept and practice long precedes Trump OR "academia," by which you seem to mean liberal American universities, most of the oldest of which also are intimately linked to and were funded and in many cases built by chattel slavery.

3 Recommend

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raph101 commented July 18

R

raph101

sierra madre, california

@Matthew I wonder which ivory tower it was that calculated a Black man would have only 60% the value, worth, opportunity, and rights -- only 3/5ths -- of a white man. I wonder which egghead artificially refused to serve people of color at the lunch counter, which professor it was who loftily discussed riding in the back of the bus. I do appreciate you being forthright about your belief that if the rest of us insist that all people be treated equally and fairly, your only recourse is to vote for the racist. It helps us understand that in your world, only when you are protected from competition from the whole of humanity is the world truly fair. It provides the information the writer hoped to learn by talking with white men but was stymied by entitlement and fragility like yours. She didn't want to make white men uncomfortable, perhaps to avoid having to listen to frankly racist explanations like yours.

1 Recommend

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Z97 commented July 18

Z

Z97

Big City

Ralph101, the 3/5 compromise was designed to minimize the political power of the slaveholding states, not the human value of blacks. Slaveholders wanted slaves, who were numerous in the south but couldnt vote, to be counted as whole persons for the purpose of political representation. Northerners, many of them antislavery, wanted slaves not to count at all. 3/5 ended up being the compromise. It had nothing to do with racism and everything to do with not using voteless bondsmen as a base for political power.

3 Recommend

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MSB commented July 18

M

MSB

Oregon

A very interesting article. My main problem with it, though, is that she chose to discuss the issue of white privilege in the first class sections of airliners. I wonder what responses she would have gotten in coach, or on a Greyhound bus, or a diner, or a union hall? I think the article would have been richer, and more complex, if she had widened her source of white interviewees.

13 Recommend

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David M commented July 18

D

David M

Chicago

I'm white male and have had white privilege. However, I don't consider it a "privilege" not to be prejudged. To call it a "privilege" raises it to an honor - it is not - it is a basic right.

4 Recommend

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Frank Scully commented July 18

Frank Scully

Frank Scully

Portland

This article is pretty well written and very sincere. But I get the sense that the author thinks of most white men as two-dimensional lower quality carbon copies of Donald Trump. I'm glad she finally found one in first-class who owned up to a social mistake, but most white men are regular imperfect people, living their lives and would really not be viewed through a highly sensitized anthropological lense, as she seems to be. And as I assume the author and most people would also not want from others. I've felt this judgment myself. I can see it, probably similar to how I've heard/read black people reporting how they perceive a white person's judgment (note that perceiving others is not a racial trait). I have about as little patience for it as anyone should. While the sensitivity and judgment may be understandable, I'd suggest bringing it down a notch. People can feel it, just as you can feel it from others.

5 Recommend

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Sleater commented July 18

Sleater

Sleater

New York

Fantastic piece, and I was glad to see Prof. Rankine finally broach the topic of white privilege with one of her white male interlocutors. I also appreciated that despite space limitations, she went into some depth in thinking through related concepts like white entitlement, white fragility, and whiteness as property. White supremacy, in the broad sense of the term, hovers behind all of them. At any rate, I am looking forward to her forthcoming book of essays.

2 Recommend

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Farron commented July 18

F

Farron

Tuckahoe NY

Great article with a lot to think about but I have one question. As a white woman, about 10 years your senior - is there a way to separate your being black from being female and older in your analysis? I find that the older I get, the more invisible I become. I don't get served in restaurants either while tables with younger and male customers are recognized. Black, female and middle aged can be a triple whammy.

3 Recommend

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AJF commented July 18

A

AJF

NJ

I love the personality the author infuses into this work, truly a great read. I usually stay away from these kinds of articles, because race relations are typically a conversation white people avoid. However, I read this carefully and was not disappointed. During the article, I kept thinking that the author was stuck in her head during this process of asking a white man about privilege. Perhaps it was the intimacy of the article? Unsure. I would like to ask the author to consider that while our racial divides are visible, not all white people think about it in the same terms. Don't be so eager to force the discussion a certain way. While the author makes a point to remind herself that she is there to listen, her actions show that instead of a conversation, she's dying to correct these people at every chance and force them to subscribe to the same way she is thinking about race. The man who cut you in line? Perhaps it was an honest mistake; but he's not given that benefit of the doubt. He's prejudged and the author made a point to smile at him, as if in spite of her taking up space, which she assumes offends this man. I can't help but compare this to the ways the right stereotypes a social justice warrior. This is all not to say that this conversation should not be happening; it most certainly should and everyone should be doing so. However, to have an honest conversation, we need to consider that everyone (including whites) has a viewpoint worth looking through.

3 Recommend

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Sean commented July 18

S

Sean

California

I won't argue against the idea of white privilege, I know it exists, but I'm kind of saddened that class privilege is ignored here in the complex calculus of someone's view of the world. It's briefly entertained and then dismissed early on. So our view into white male privilege is seen through the lens of people who fly first class between different continents, usually routinely from the sound of the discussions. I'm willing to bet that's what, maybe 1% of the population? The only value I can honestly glean from it is the comparison to another immensely privileged and small environment: Yale. And even there, I have to acknowledge that for those students, they're placed in a totally artificial environment to encourage study and deep diving. Real world expectations and pressures are removed and space is made for introspection and study. You expect more openness to nuance and into deep diving and reflection there. Again, I'm not discounting white privilege. It's there. I imagine the author had to work harder than her white co-staff to get where she was. And that is unfair and wholly worth opposing. But I read her article and see her moving through an almost alien world to me. I hope she doesn't take the conclusions and lessons she learns from wealthy white guys who can afford 6-12,000 dollar plane tickets like it's no thing and apply them to the rest of the world. Some of them may apply, but I promise others don't.

6 Recommend

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James commented July 18

J

James

Los Angeles

It's troubling that this is what passes for scholarship on campus these days. Subjective and unverifiable assessments of first person accounts of airline travel simply don't provide a reliable foundation for these types of wide-ranging conclusions and generalizations. This article implicates issues that are critically important for our society to work through. However, if its conclusions are to be broadly applicable--as opposed to a jumble of mildly interesting psychological musings of its author--then it would help to introduce a level of scholastic rigor equal to a typical junior high school science fair.

10 Recommend

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Lisa Spiegel commented July 18

L

Lisa Spiegel

NYC

Such a thoughtful and beautiful artifice. As a 58 year-old white Jewish woman who is so pained by our fraught American history and present day problems I welcome the intimate interiority of this piece. We would all be better people if we could examine the subtle thoughts and reactions we have and question them with an open mind and heart. Thank you for writing this.

4 Recommend

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Sándor commented July 18

Sándor

Sándor

Bedford Falls

This was an interesting article. Rankine's observations—informed by her personal experiences and pedagogical background—were insightful and enlightening, although it was unsurprising to learn that white males are unaware of the extent of their privilege. However, the emotional and substantive arc of Rankine's narrative is undone by the penultimate paragraphs in which she bonds with a privileged white male over their mutual veneration of the Baby Boomer subculture. As a growing body of work by sociologists has demonstrated, Boomer subculture is perhaps the most prejudiced generational space in America today, and its hitherto undeconstructed hegemony embodies white male privilege itself. More so than any other generational subculture, Boomer culture is known for its privileged whiteness and silencing mechanisms. Walk into any grocery store or any Republican Party convention and you will discern its reach. The late 19th-century equivalent of Rankine's narrative would be her bonding with a Southern Bourbon over their shared love of farcical minstrel music or the racist paintings of Modesto Brocos. It is deeply problematic that Rankine—who is ever vigilant least she sanction white male privilege or internalize its dehumanizing assumptions—has uncritically embraced a monolithic, homogeneous subculture which renders minorities invisible.

1 Recommend

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Kai commented July 18

Kai

Kai

Oatey

An articulate and honest article. Yet one feels sad about a woman who spends so much mental, emotional and psychic energy obsessed with white men, as if we are one amorphous glob of humanity where one part substitutes for another simply based on the color of the skin. Everything a white man says is immediately sieved, examined and condemned if it does not to conform to the exquisitely tuned sensibilities of the writer. If one defines racism as "prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race ..." how is this across-the-board judgmental bias any different? Affirmative action helps less qualified applicants get accepted to Yale (for valid reasons, of course) - is this so difficult to acknowledge and accept? Or is acknowledgment of the truth between two social equals impossible because the skin color always takes precedence? Dr. Rankine sees herself as conducting social experiments while flying but isn;t she really just confirming her own prejudices?

8 Recommend

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Gus commented July 18

G

Gus

Midwest

Does a fish know water? White privilege is pernicious, pervasive, and sometimes hard to see. Not long ago I witnessed a white man outside a famous restaurant ask a black middle class professional in a suit to get his car. The black man politely responded that "the valets are over there" and the white man was clearly embarrassed. So I understand, and I understand that some white men wouldn't be embarrassed at all to have been caught in that situation. But please remember, as a black woman and scholar in the Ivory Tower, that there are many white folk who also have been left behind, they aren't middle class, they don't travel on planes, they don't eat in nice restaurants, they aren't welcomed everywhere simply because of their skin color, and some of them don't have the best of manners either. They need to be part of your experiment.

2 Recommend

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Alan commented July 18

A

Alan

Livermore

Are some people racist? Sure. But there are a whole lot that aren't, that respond solely to how others talk and behave with no regard to how they look. A great deal of what we say and do are ambiguous and can be interpreted many different ways. If all you are looking for are symbols of racism in people, I'm sure you'll find them. Whether they are there, or not.

3 Recommend

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Jakatak commented July 18

J

Jakatak

Minnesota

If someone cuts in front of me I get to brush it off, that's my white male privilege. Ms. Rankine is stuck having to assess why. Nothing done to me is because I am black. Everything done to Ms. Rankine has the possibility of being done to her because she is black. That sounds exhausting.

3 Recommend

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Dana commented July 18

D

Dana

Houston

Basically, white privilege is a term used to describe an entire system created for white people and European Christian culture, primarily male-oriented. To whites, especially men, this isn't privilege. This is the way life is. Anyone wanting to share in the same "privileges" doesn't understand that they have problems, too! without them understanding that other people have different problems dealing with a world not designed for them. Most whites can point to someone who had greater privileges than they do, without realizing those are usually other whites or very wealthy nonwhites.

4 Recommend

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Pat M commented July 18

P

Pat M

Astoria, NY

As a working-class white male high school teacher of immigrant parents I’m offended by this article.

10 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

Nicky commented July 18

N

Nicky

Alberta

@Pat M The best pithy description for white privilege I've heard is "it's not that your life hasn't been hard, it's that the colour of your skin is not one of the things making it harder." Give that some thought and then reconsider your offence. Your comment suggests that you've missed the entire point of this article.

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Pat M commented July 18

P

Pat M

Astoria, NY

Your pithy reply to my comment is as presumptuous as the article.

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los62 commented July 18

L

los62

Francestown, NH

Enlightening and astute. Sure to create substantial cognitive dissonance and hopefully strip away some of the many layers of denial...

1 Recommend

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GWPDA commented July 18

G

GWPDA

Arizona

Let us also recognise how routinely 'white male privilege' is exercised blindly and blithely. When it is used specifically to gain benefits and superiority it is -only now- becoming possible to oppose it with any chance of success. Even then, the fight itself comes near to the opponent's destruction thru sheer exhaustion, if nothing else.

2 Recommend

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Peter commented July 18

P

Peter

Baltimore

Truly an astounding article. So let me get this straight: An extraordinarily privileged woman, teacher at one of the world's finest institutions, enjoying the privilege of flying first-class (which 99.99999% of the world has never done), coming back from a privileged "safari" no less (was the Land-Rover air-conditioned, when she surveyed the lions and giraffes?), is trying to figure out how best to ask the highly leading question to rich white men, "what do you think of your privilege?" Ironic, to say the least. Brings new meaning to the term "privilege." But what I found most shocking and disturbing was her pithy and disparaging treatment of those, like me, who hope and try to act as the great Dr. King dreamed, that our children will be judged "not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." I guess she does not like that quote, because if that blissful day should ever come to pass, she would be out of a job. I hope that her cross-examination of white males is a step designed to help us achieve Dr. King's dream. If not, then she is no force for justice, and has no business "teaching" the subject of race.

53 Recommend

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Len commented July 18

L

Len

New York City

I think Professor Rankine should teach a new course: “Promoting Dualities of Black/White” in which she could expound the fact that such promotion does not result in unity, just more conflict.

8 Recommend

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India commented July 18

I

India

Midwest

I'm so glad that my grandson did not apply to Yale, the school his grandfather attended. I would hate to see his parents pay $70,000 a year to be taught by such as the author. I was born white. I didn't get to choose my race, anymore the Ms Rankine got to choose to be black. In my 75+ years, I've never been told to go ahead of blacks in any line, nor what I hired due to my whiteness. I was highly qualified for every job I got. I have no idea whom they turned down or why - getting a job doesn't work that way. But I'm getting sick and tired of being told I should wear a hair shirt due to having been born white. I am who I am and Ms Rankine is who she is. It's what we do with what we were born with that matters. Clearly, she did something or did she just get hired for "diversity"? And why on earth did she marry a white man if she finds this "privilege" to be dominating her every thought?

12 Recommend

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Ash. commented July 18

A

Ash.

WA

I am glad to read this article. However, every time the author spoke to someone, I also felt she had a chip on her shoulder. She was already perceiving everything said with a laser shield. There is such a thing called "reverse-racism". And I am someone who has (I finally accepted the reality in 2016) been at the receiving end of racist behaviour. I am a mutt, you can't really tell who and where I am from, so the default from a lot of white folks esp. in the mid-west or South US has been, she must be "the other." Yes, white privilege is actually white dominance. But white men who realize shouldn't be made to feel you have to watch every single word around people of colour. Easy conversation can only occur when we are truthful and when someone crosses that line, then you pull them back and make them realize... this is how you came across to me. Otherwise the divide will remain divide, and white-men who understand their privilege but afraid of being criticized for being "woke" would remain away. Getting face to face with someone towards whom you're biased or whose presence has without you realizing granted you privilege-granted-by-history-by-default.... and actually talking openly and with candidness is the only way to move forward. Avoiding one another... to wit: as the author has done till now despite having a white spouse, is the real problem.

5 Recommend

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3 REPLIES

Laurie commented July 18

L

Laurie

Maryland

@Ash. No, "reverse racism" does not exist. People may have prejudices, but racism is a long established system.

1 Recommend

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ra commented July 18

R

ra

Portland, Oregon

@Laurie: Racism now has many definitions. Among them is the belief that members of some races are inherently superior to members of other races. Anyone can be guilty of that; it's not clear whether the author is guilty, but she makes it difficult to not ask the question.

2 Recommend

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Ash. commented July 18

A

Ash.

WA

Prejudice is the first base for racism. The rest follows from there. Do I blame folks if they have it, no... this is how they tackle what they're subjected to. Don't generalize. One has to take on people individually, the exact counterpoint to racism- which rests all its prejudices on the foundation of mass-generalizations about a gender, religion or colour.

2 Recommend

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Rudran commented July 18

R

Rudran

California

Very thoughtful. And genteel. Privileged almost. Compared to say getting shot while walking down the street eating candy or ice cream; or sitting quietly in your own car with wife and daughter. Its time to speak loudly, boldly and baldly. No more genteelness in first class seats of airplanes. Those white guys are above the fray and least interested. If people cutting the first class line is the good professor's horror story, I'd say she has had a privileged life. Its time to fight for the man in the street. Where cutting in line is the least of his problems.

3 Recommend

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David commented July 18

D

David

Here

If the author wants to have real conversations - ones that result in people being open and honest and focused - she'll need to remove the chip from her shoulder. Is she trying to educate herself and others about deeply rooted problems in our society, supporting an opinion (although there are certainly facts surrounding white privilege), or just venting. What is the objective? I couldn't tell from the article. I like the premise though.

3 Recommend

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jdnewyork commented July 18

J

jdnewyork

New York City

The term "white privilege" is based on the concept of "institutional" racism; both are offered as the cause people of color have much lower success rates than whites in America. People of color obviously have it harder than white people here. What I take issue with, however, is the idea that "white privilege" is the cause of all white success, the exclusive cause of black failure, and that white people's lives here can only be understood as "privileged" especially when compared with the lives of people of color. "Institutional racism" and "white privilege" completely ignore the role other factors play in the disparities between black and white in America. They make it seem that privilege is inescapable, and lead to the "woke" community being blind to the justifiable anger white Americans feel when their lives are characterized that way. My father was a refugee w/o a high school diploma whose mother had the "privilege" of spending his first years in America in a Nazi detention camp. My mother had to abandon her college education to help support her family; both their fathers died very young. It is a sick joke to use the word "privilege" to describe the cards life handed either of them. When the "woke" community wakes up to that fact and stops denigrating the hard won success of people like my parents, they will gain more white support, and it will be my privilege to support their fight for equal opportunity and political equality for all Americans.

5 Recommend

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RTM commented July 18

R

RTM

Canada

Great article. Though the author might have gained even more insight if she had approached each man as if he were an individual human being — rather than a part of some monolithic group known as "white males."

4 Recommend

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Aristotle Gluteus Maximus commented July 18

A

Aristotle Gluteus Maximus

Louisiana

What white privilege? What is a privilege anyway? What about black privilege? Will a white man get all of the respect and consideration in all of his daily endeavors in a black community? Am I allowed to extend this discussion outside the borders of the USA? Is there a social entity of black privilege in nations like Zimbabwe and South Africa, countries that have been reported on enough to consider them as examples? Of course there is. Black people in those countries, as a matter of state sponsored, articulated policy are stealing, taking property from white people just because they are white. But let's keep it domestic. What exactly is the notion of privilege? How does one attain privilege? Can a white man have the privilege of serving as a member of the Congressional Black Caucus? No, he cannot. Are law abiding citizens who make active contributions to civil society and community allowed to have privileges not extended to criminals, or those who don't contribute to the community? Are dues paying members of a social club allowed to have privileges not extended to those who don't pay dues? Try to walk into a Sam's Club store without showing evidence that you paid your dues. You will be turned away. You will be discriminated against. If you are black you can say it was racial discrimination. A small child who doesn't yet understand such club memberships could easily conclude being denied entry was am example of racist discrimination, especially if an adult said so.

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2 REPLIES

Sleater commented July 18

Sleater

Sleater

New York

@Aristotle Gluteus Maximus, are you so unaware of history that you do not know about colonialism in what is now Zimbabwe (which was a British colony known as Rhodesia), and the mass appropriation of land, resource and wealth from the indigenous Black African populations, or in South Africa, which was colonized not only by Britain but by settlers from the Netherlands, who eventually imposed a form of brutal, legalized racial segregation called apartheid, that included mass appropriation of land, resources and wealth from the indigenous Black African populations? Ignorance may provide innocence but it's no excuse. Please, open a history book before you start commenting on "black privilege," particularly in a society in which white people have benefited from 400 years of legally sanctioned mass appropriation of and, resources and wealth from the indigenous populations, followed by brutal, legalized chattel slavery, racial segregation, sanctioned violence and murder, exclusionary immigration laws, forced internment of non-white people, and more.

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Aristotle Gluteus Maximus commented July 18

A

Aristotle Gluteus Maximus

Louisiana

@Sleater I know about that history in Zimbabwe and South Africa, but my comment is a challenge for you to consider. It is still justifiable for black gangs to target and murder white farmers to take their land in South Africa today? Mugabe was still a racist by any definition. But his racism caused him to ruin the economy of his entire nation because he hated white people so much. The white farmers were the ones who produced food for the nation and they were run out. Nobody knows how, or is willing to learn farming so the nation, including the black majority, suffers. It's the same story in South Africa today. Black citizens take over productive white farms and then don't do anything with them. They lie fallow. It's just racist hate. They chased out,or killed, the white man and that was it. That's all they wanted, There was no intention to farm or build a business to contribute to the nation, even a black nation.

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Rich Murphy commented July 18

R

Rich Murphy

Palm City

I am a long way from being in college and I don’t even know what White Privilege is. Nor do I know why Spanish and Middle Easterner women are considered “colored”, I thought black was the preferred term du jour.

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janet commented July 18

J

janet

Toledo, OH

It is the quintessence of white privilege to deny the existence of white privilege. Would any of us expect a white person to be told "Why don't you go back to where you came from", a statement that even the President of the United States can say with impunity to people of color. Thanks to Ms. Rankine for writing a brilliant and insightful piece for the Times.

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Mari commented July 18

M

Mari

Left Coast

White privilege? Yes. Fact. Fortunately, I believe the majority of Americans are not racists. Yes, there are quite a few racists but majority? No. Most people want to do their best. We have to seek the GOOD in each other.

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HT commented July 18

H

HT

NYC

Is it 'whiteness' or a generalized rudeness, a competitive environment in which strength of position is allowably challenged under any circumstance. I'm white and it happens to me. When it happens to me, you have made a mistake. I am more than happy to point out your rudeness. I do not mind being loud or persistent. In a different environment, I can accept that to be black and respond as I do can bring severe consequences. That is white privelege.

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C.Carroll commented July 18

C

C.Carroll

Florida

When I was in West Africa I wasn’t concerned about black privilege, the same for Beijing and Asian privilege. If the author would like to exchange her academic privilege for my white privilege I would be more than happy to oblige.

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Le Michel commented July 18

L

Le Michel

Québec

Here are my white Québécois privileges. I'm less likely to be bothered by police I'm less likely to be taken for a ride I'm less likely to be a tenent I'm less likely to be hired as a civil servant I'm less likely to have access to subsidised housing I'm less likely to build cultural walls

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kdoyle6 commented July 18

K

kdoyle6

Colonie, NY

Wow. This is so inbred and we are all so clueless. Raising awareness offers hope. It's not just for white males. It is also females. The other day, at a hotel, I got into an elevator with 5 Indian men and myself. They immediately started to speak in English to each other and all huddled in the corner of the elevator, which was on the small side. They were gentlemanly and polite to me. Had I not had so much space, I would not have recognized the threat I was to them and I have no idea what to do with this or about this. Our bar for inclusiveness and civility is drooping like a bomb. It's disturbing.

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KatWomanNYC commented July 18

K

KatWomanNYC

New York

Brilliance. Thank you, Professor.

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OneView commented July 18

O

OneView

Boston

The struggle of course is to separate what is truly unique and human from what is "privilege." In other words, to understand that privilege played a part, but only a part, in some set of endeavors a human being undertakes. If you do not make this leap, you annihilate the humanity of the "other" and then wonder why the response is resentment? The author wants to destroy the humanity of "white males" by declaring that any success in their endeavors is only a result of the color of their skin. Once that step is done, it is then only short leap to understand that how one defines "privilege" becomes far more important than the benefits that privilege provides. Rich people have privilege as do poor people as do white people as do black people. We all, in some ways, are privileged. What privilege do you value? And what privilege are you jealous of because you lack it?

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DSM14 commented July 18

D

DSM14

Westfield NJ

I wish she had spoken to the poor and working class white people who are commonly ignored in such articles. Of course, they would not be in first class on airplanes or classes at Yale.

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mberger commented July 18

M

mberger

long island ny

After absorbing all the commentary here and 24/7 on the Mainstream Media, I will reflect on my experiences while growing up as a fat jewish kid. It was a daily ritual of trying to get through the day with deflecting what seemed to be one vicious diatribe after another. Well, at that time I never realized what extraordinary parents (plural) I had. They (again Mother AND Father) instructed me that I should always live with the mantra that "Sticks and Stones", well you know the rest......

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Philip Wright commented July 18

P

Philip Wright

MInneapolis

I wish I had this so called "priviledge" . I EARNED everything I have. Try it sometime.

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3 REPLIES

Laurie commented July 18

L

Laurie

Maryland

@Philip Wright This is a typical, dismissive comment made by a white man who cannot spell the word privilege.

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Philip Wright commented July 18

P

Philip Wright

MInneapolis

@Laurie Ms. Laurie - there are two ways to spell it.

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Philip Wright commented July 18

P

Philip Wright

MInneapolis

@Laurie Ms. Laurie - there are two ways to spell it. I have an idea. Since I am an immigrant, I can go back to the country I came from. Will that help your warmness ?

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JS commented July 18

J

JS

DC

Times Pick

The word "privilege" is a deliberately loaded, inaccurate, and ineffective word on this issue. "Privilege" connotes something far beyond what is deserved - like family royalty or caste - and Americans automatically chafe at it. White people often deserve what they have gotten in society; the problem is that black people have gotten far short of what they deserve. The words used instead should be "white injustice."

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5 REPLIES

SCZ commented July 18

S

SCZ

Indpls

@JS Or white presumption?

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Maurie Beck commented July 18

Maurie Beck

Maurie Beck

Northridge California

@JS Professor Rankine also thought the term “white privilege” was misplaced, but not because she considered it loaded. She wrote, ‘I would have preferred if instead of “white privilege” she had used the term “white dominance,” because “privilege” suggested hierarchical dominance was desired by all. Nonetheless, the phrase has stuck.’ Semantics. However, you knew exactly what she was writing about. There was no misunderstanding about meaning. You write that Americans chafe at white privilege because they often deserve what they have gotten in society, that they achieved their station in life through hard work, not inheritance. But you know that is not true. Their inheritance - not just their personal inheritance, but also their white inheritance - provided an opportunity for their hard work to pay off. Or, like Trump, his work was detrimental to his fortune, because even with all that money he went bankrupt multiple times.

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JillE commented July 18

J

JillE

Ohio

@JS To me, in practice, "privilege" is "the benefit of the doubt". As a white male, it is assumed, you got into Harvard/Yale because you had the grades. As a black female, no matter my grades, the assumption is I did not have the grades, but am an affirmative action admittance. As a white male, if you walk out of a store with a pair of sun glasses on, the assumption is, it's an accident. If I do, I tried to steal them. If you are in first class, it is assumed you can pay to be there. If I am, it is assumed I don't belong there. The list goes on. I am stopped in the grocery store frequently with people assuming I work there. It is assumed that I shouldn't have the things I do, even as a senior level engineer. The list is long. Privilege is not having to justify why you are where you are. Why you have the things you have. How you can afford the vacation, house, etc. And yes, you are qualified to do what you do.

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Rich commented July 18

R

Rich

Hartsdale, NY

As a white male, I am not going to pretend that I have a full understanding of what its like to be black in America, other than I know, both from what I see and hear first-hand and from what I see in the news all too much today, that minorities unfairly face issues and problems that most white people don't have to. But I do feel qualified to comment on some of what the author discusses here. I do fly frequently (exceptionally rarely outside of coach), and I've had people of numerous ethnic persuasions, both male and female, attempt to "cut the line" on me. Perhaps some of them think they can get away with it because of "white male privilege," but one thing is certain - they are all jerks. And I have no doubt that you have a much higher percentage of jerks in first class (and those people are mostly white as I see when I walk through there on my way to my seat in the back). Bad example of white privilege, good example of bad behavior.

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7 REPLIES

James Sanders commented July 18

J

James Sanders

Costa Rica

Times Pick

As a “white male of privilege” I take exception to being told I am/might be a jerk. I was not born into privilege. I risked much, indeed...everything along the way to get to where I am now. I do not cut into lines. I do fly first class. I am not going to pretend that capitalism is designed to produce anyone but the likes of “me”. Unfortunately, it cannot succeed for everyone...it is definitely not zero sum.

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Dan commented July 18

D

Dan

CA

@James Sanders As a "white male" you were, of course, born into the privilege that your skin color affords you.

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Steven Pettinga commented July 18

Steven Pettinga

Steven Pettinga

Indianapolis

@Dan Go to rural white counties out here in fly over country and see how much "white privilege" has showered upon us. You wouldn't be jealous.

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E David commented July 18

E

E David

New York

After reading this article, I now see why Trump is a shoo in for re-election. This ridiculous obsession with race and white privilege is beyond the point of out of control. You make the assumption that everyone who is white is flying in first class and eating caviar. Get with it. Most of white America has challenges as well. This is not a way to win them over. And finally, what type of nonsense are they teaching at our top schools these days? No wonder higher ed is as scorned as it is.

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Lee commented July 18

L

Lee

Pa

Racism isn’t just about color. It’s about gender. Ask any woman. Peace.

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2 REPLIES

Mon Ray commented July 18

M

Mon Ray

KS

@Lee You are disrespecting trans and gender-fluid people with your comment.

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Lee commented July 18

L

Lee

Pa

@Mon Ray Meant no such thing. You're reading too much into it and you've missed my point entirely. Peace.

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In deed commented July 18

I

In deed

Lower 48

“I Wanted to Know What White Men Thought About Their Privilege. ” I want to know why people in cults think their dogma is The Truth others are obliged by morality and reason to accept? And at elite schools. And teaching their dogma at elite schools? Step away from privilege talk and the real subject of these talkers is themselves wanting for themselves what they decided others have. The fruit of elite schools ladies and gentlemen. Go around the world and talk to people not the fruit of elite schools and almost none will have any patience for this nonsense. Privileged indeed. And whiteness? Intellectual bankruptcy. Utter complete vain closed mind greedy arrogant ill educated intellectual bankruptcy.

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New Jerseyan commented July 18

N

New Jerseyan

Bergen

Any chance Yale might offer Professor Rankine's course on Coursera? I would really like to take it.

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Mercury S commented July 18

M

Mercury S

San Francisco

What an exhausting piece. The author expects white people to have galaxy brains. Simply looking for a job requires impossibly high levels of awareness. Apparently, even expecting to ever get a job at all is white privilege. Standing in a boarding line is white privilege. Getting a drink served is white privilege. I have to wonder why the author did not consider his male privilege and entitlement in demanding that she be served a drink. Who is he to get involved? Let’s start with basics. Voting right protections, criminal justice reform, better educational opportunities. And no, don’t give me that bunk that until we are all treated nicely in an airport lounge, no other progress is possible.

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vbering commented July 18

V

vbering

Pullman WA

All this talk about whiteness is merely a power play disguised as enlightenment. White men know this and will resist. They will prevail because others are too weak or outnumbered.

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Steven Pettinga commented July 18

Steven Pettinga

Steven Pettinga

Indianapolis

Please let me know what White Privilege is? Men, who find themselves divorced or out of a job have nothing to back them up besides homeless shelters. If you are an unemployed 16 year old female who delivers a baby, you get free medical care, you get to drop your baby off to school beginning at age 3 or 4 where they get three meals a day and they don't have to be picked up until 6PM; then public housing is provided; if it exceeds 30% of your income, the government picks up the tab, along with help on utilities, phone, & internet. If you do have a job, but make less than the poverty level, you get an "earned income "Tax" credit. By the time they have two or three kids, they are in a trap; how do you make the equivalent of $18,000 tax free? They can't; they become wards of the State & Nation. The college admission rate for men and women is 40%men and 60% women. Boys have been ignored from elementary school through college, medicated, and disciplined into sheer zombies. If you are a smart female, the path to opportunity is wide open; it's even better is you are not white. White privilege; I think it's the Caucasian burden.

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Taz commented July 18

T

Taz

NYC

I recommend to Prof. Rankine that she fly in steerage, where all the passengers are equal-opportunity nonentities.

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Detached Observer commented July 18

D

Detached Observer

Albuquerque

I don't see how it's at all helpful in the "conversation about race" to denigrate white males to their face for not recognizing their "privilege." Of course it makes them (or should I say, us) defensive.

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terry brady commented July 18

T

terry brady

new jersey

Professor Rankine, you're on the right track and please keep going as there seems an endless supply of white men clamoring into first class. I'd advise you to develop a scorecard and watch the demise of the white male (as opposed to privilege) as women are dominating numerous academic and professional pursuits. Big, bold white men have technically expired and lag in all categories of important thinking and doing. In the scheme of industrialized competitiveness, ultra-white men are likewise expired as non-white intelligence, competitiveness and success far exceed the lily=white man when measure on a global scale. The evidence is revealed in the global patent literature as pure-European (white Anglo-Saxon protestant ethnicity; or whatever that is?) drastically lags the black and brown and other ethnic world). Essentially, white privilege makes you dumb as a stump and it is only a matter of time before (white male) foolishness and obfuscation lands you under the bus as non-competitive. However, for the moment, white privilege gives these dumb power puffs cover and preserves their way of life but not their children that will live in a colorfully diverse world.

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chambolle commented July 18

C

chambolle

Bainbridge Island

In a world with seamless global communication and unlimited mobility, the concept of ‘race’ should lose much of its meaning — and that’s what frightens the ‘privileged race’ most. We’re all one species; meaning we can all intermarry and have children. When geographic and cultural hurdles prevented it, ‘race’ and ‘nationality’ could remain very clearly defined. These hurdles no longer exist - ‘build the wall’ is just one of many futile gestures aimed at re-establishing the barriers to the ‘race-mixing’ that white supremacists have always feared. As this essay notes, what is ‘white’ has long been in flux; and what America called ‘The Great Race’ of pale-skinned ‘Nordics’ and ‘Anglo-Saxons’ as recently as a century ago has been expanded to include many who were then called ‘genetically inferior’ and largely excluded under the restrictive immigration laws enacted in the 1920s. Prior to that time, tens of millions of ‘non-white’ Italians, Turks, Greeks, Poles, Irish, Slavs, Eastern European Jews, ‘Asians’ and others ‘poured into’ and ‘invaded’ the U.S. First the rap on them was they ‘would never assimilate.’ Then it was they DID assimilate, and watered down the ‘pure white genes’ of the self-anointed ‘real Americans.’ Alas, just 100 years later, many of those former ‘non-whites’ have joined a more broadly defined ‘white race’ in order to demonize and exclude a new class of scapegoats with darker skin, who speak foreign languages - just as their recent immigrant forbears did.

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Anonymous commented July 18

A

Anonymous

Brazil

The entire essay is her railing against the pseudo "woke" white men who attempt to understand her and then dare to offer a dissenting opinion to her own, but she ironically spends the entire article assuming the worst intentions based upon a dubious sampling of scattered incidents and attributing said incidents to the perpetrator's gender and race.

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Hal commented July 18

H

Hal

NY

Utterly brilliant!

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Andrew commented July 18

A

Andrew

HK

It was very interesting (and rather sad) to hear the self-revealing comments of the people quoted, but as an exercise it seems unlikely that challenging anyone about their "privilege" will get a good response. Perhaps asking people what they are thankful about, might start off the conversation in the right direction (perhaps around Thanksgiving. to make it easier for all..?). I am grateful for everything I have received and I know that I certainly haven't deserved all of it. I certainly think that those who have received such advantages should be aware of their responsibilities under God to look out for others who have not received such benefits. I do find it sad, however, when discussions devolve into talking about our "rights" being set against others' "privileges". Now for the difficult part - I sense an accusatory tone flowing through the article, which makes me uncomfortable and nervous of what a conversation with this author would be like. It reminds me of a feeling I sometimes have when speaking with African Americans, but not with Africans. Am I being too sensitive? Probably... yes... I need to get over it... let's all try to get over it.

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Lily Quinones commented July 18

L

Lily Quinones

Binghamton, NY

Times Pick

If anyone spoke about me in the manner that this man did, he would have heard from me right then and there. He has no right to treat anyone like that and I fail to understand why the author had to smile every time he looked her way during their flight. I would have stared him down every single time. I truly believe that until white people become a minority in this country they will fail to understand how minorities are treated. This is the reason why they are doing everything they can to consolidate power and prevent others from having any way to improve their situation.

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9 REPLIES

Janet Miller commented July 18

J

Janet Miller

Green Bay

@Lily Quinones Even if we became a minority here, when the same tests are given to American Blacks and English Blacks, there is little difference in results.

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AC commented July 18

A

AC

Jersey City

@Lily Quinones I believe many white people do understand how minorities are treated in this country and that is what scares the bejesus out of many of becoming a minority. The fear is that they too will be treated that way. For many it is an unconscious fear but one that comes from a rational place of knowing that if they were given power over people they formerly oppressed they would wish to exact some level of revenge. Racism in America has very few true perpetrators but many accomplices.

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ml2018 commented July 18

M

ml2018

Nyc

@Lily Quinones White people often are minorities. LGBTQ, disabled, non Christian, non-native English speakers, etc. Race is not the only category that defines majority/minority relations. You are correct that white people will need to become a minority to know how racial minorities are treated. But please trust that, as a person who with a significant physical disability that affects my mobility, the burden of being on the margins of society is quite familiar to me. White fragility is real but so are ham-fisted sociological truisms about groups of people in which radical differences of life experience and complicated matrices of privilege that extend far beyond race exist.

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Logan Five commented July 18

L

Logan Five

New Orleans

What a great article. It's had me deep in thought all day and sharing it and having conversations with friends about different points. As a white man, there's really nothing for me to add or respond to this, it's something to take in and consider/contemplate and maybe use to try to better myself and maybe even the space around me a little, if I can. I wish we had a lot more conversations like this.

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Truthbeknown commented July 18

T

Truthbeknown

Texas

Thoughtful piece. I will say that not every social interaction is based, conditioned or in response to racist, sexist or other bias. A lot are just related to poor upbringing.

2 Recommend

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alexander hamilton commented July 18

alexander hamilton

alexander hamilton

new york

Wow. A three-act play in the author's mind, all about some random guy in an airport. All she could see was white white white white white. Somehow, this line became almost a forgone conclusion: "Later, when I discussed this moment with my therapist, she told me that she thought the man’s statement was in response to his flight mate, not me." Of course the author is seeing a therapist. Anyone who obsesses all day long over another's person's skin color could use a little guidance. If you think that's harsh, consider these lines: "How angry could I be at the white man on the plane, the one who glanced at me each time he stood up the way you look at a stone you had tripped on?" As if she had a clue what he was thinking. Oh, right, it had to be about her and her non-whiteness. Or this: "The third time [the flight attendant] walked by without the juice, the white man sitting next to me said to her: 'This is incredible. You have brought me two drinks in the time you have forgotten to bring her one.' She returned immediately with the juice." How does the man's skin color factor into this narrative? Because the flight attendant fawned over white skin but ignored dark skin? To the author, this is the only possible explanation. The man sitting next to her simply observed, “She isn’t suited to her job.” Wrong!! It was, and must always be, about white white white white white. Good luck with the therapy.

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June N commented July 18

J

June N

Nashville

Thank you for this.

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Brookhawk commented July 18

B

Brookhawk

Maryland

Thanks for your point of view. I wish more white men would read it and understand. I wish we could get to the point that color of skin is nothing except color of skin, that I can discuss your blackness with you and you can discuss my whiteness with me. I wish in particular that people of privilege could understand that respecting someone who is not of their privilege does not diminish them.

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willt26 commented July 18

W

willt26

Durham,nc

Chinese men have dominated China for thousands of years. They must suffer from white privilege. How can you even talk to someone that looks at you and, on the basis of your race alone, determines you to be 'priviledged'? Racism is out of control in this country. Every person is privileged in relation to someone worse off than them. The underlying racism of these beliefs is that all white people are privileged and no white person worked for that privilege. If white people made these kinds of statements against a minority they would lose their job. Racism against whites is now an industry in this country. More stereotypes please!

5 Recommend

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Teed Rockwell commented July 18

T

Teed Rockwell

Berkeley, Ca

If you are a privileged person, that doesn't mean that everything is handed to you. It means you have to compete with thousands of other privileged people, and work very hard at it. Consequently it's very easy to believe "I did it all on my own", and that you never benefited from privilege. My Anglo Saxon ancestors came here in 1630, and the history of my family is one of alternating wealth and poverty from generation to generation. I'm sure my ancestors believed that these differences in wealth were all a matter of who worked the hardest and most skillfully. Actually, these differences were determined at least as much by luck as skill, even for them. But skill and hardwork are much more likely to be decisive factors in success when you were born into privilege, even when that privilege is coupled with poverty.

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1 REPLY

Logan Five commented July 18

L

Logan Five

New Orleans

@Teed Rockwell Truth.

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Dagwood commented July 18

D

Dagwood

San Diego

Simple question for a white person, especially a male. Imagine that you woke up tomorrow, everything exactly the same, except you were a dark-skinned person. Is that a trade you’d make? (Or imagine that, if you’re male, that you awoke as a woman. Trade?) Why? Why not? Or ask them to try even imagining, for the rest of the day, that they are African-American/Female/Both. Feel any different being aware that others see you as Black/Female/Both?

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3 REPLIES

Logan Five commented July 18

L

Logan Five

New Orleans

@Dagwood White male here. Of course not. Any white male who says he'd trade places with anyone else is not to be trusted, either because they are a liar or in a state of astonishing ignorance or denial or both. The first time I really came across this question (in my lifetime) was in the film "White Man's Burden" with Harry Belafonte and John Travolta. It's been so long now, I don't know if that film ultimately ended up somehow being apologist for racism or not (although I would imagine not if Mr. Belafonte was involved), but it certainly got me to thinking as a man in my 20s about this very subject. How much easier is my life, even in light of legitimate hardships I've endured and legitimate hard-work I have put forth, than someone whose very existence in this country is a struggle compared to my experience; a struggle to be acknowledged, a struggle for basic fairness, a struggle against the Law Of The Land rigged against them (as exemplified here by Stand Your Ground Laws, Voter Registration Laws, gerrymandering), and so many other ways we could never list them all? And what should that mean to me? How should I proceed if I understand this to be true? My parents certainly didn't need to plan where they could safely stop during travel in this country just to not be denied a hotel room, food, or to avoid being murdered. So, no, I wouldn't trade.

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David commented July 18

D

David

Pittsburg, CA

@Dagwood If I woke up as Lebron James or KD or Steph or Oprah or Obama I might take that trade. No, I would take that trade for certain.

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Z97 commented July 18

Z

Z97

Big City

Where I live and work being black wouldn’t bother me a bit. And I’d have a whole bunch of new hairstyles to choose from.

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Human commented July 18

H

Human

Here

Do you think that perpetually trolling white men is going to get them to pay more attention to your cultural pain? My educated guess is no. People who finally come to realize that they are being continually trolled (IE, they don’t get to respond or have an opinion because - y’know, white privilege.) are going to hit the ignore button as an automatic reflex. Not sure that’s the endgame you are after, but its a likely outcome. Why? Because if they do respond with anything other then submission or compliant agreement they are attacked for it. If it’s not a dialogue and it’s not about equality then you will lose the people who you need to have pay attention and hear you.

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Paul commented July 18

P

Paul

Brooklyn

A wordy, long, verbose, esoteric piece. Let's talk about reality. 1- A small fraction of whites are racists, so are a small fraction of blacks and other groups. 2-Wanting to live within your own group is not racist, it's preference as long as you let everybody do their own thing. 3-Playing the card whether it be Trump's white dog whistle or Hillary's identity obsession or Rev. Al black card harms both sides of the fence. 4-Play by the rules, work hard, don't play the gender, race card and you will succeed. 5-If #4 doesn't work, sue like so many other groundbreakers did in the past.

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Bill C. commented July 18

B

Bill C.

Falls Church VA

The greatest white privilege is we never have to think about race. Unless we want to.

7 Recommend

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barbara commented July 18

B

barbara

nyc

I am a white blond green eyed woman. I understand that for women, that is a stereotype. When Trump took office, I focused on his attitudes toward women. It is white privilege... a male habit. Sexuality is always in the mix. White men have repeated abused women here and in colonized countries. I think a lot about what white means as the tone of it has become increasingly uncivilized. As a white woman, you live in a box. There are lines you cannot cross. White means class divisions. It means you are culturally inbred. There are moments when the door opens and you get to enjoy the diversity of life. Trump is trying to close it.

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Lotzapappa commented July 18

L

Lotzapappa

Wayward City, NB

Next time, try flying coach. You meet a nicer class of people there.

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Ivan commented July 18

I

Ivan

Memphis, TN

We are all benefitting from some kind of privilege. It may be your race, gender, health, social status (of yourself or parents), intelligence, living in a country where you can obtain and retain property, educational opportunities, etc. Every single American can easily find someone in this world who had less privilege than them (and someone who had more). Everybody should recognize where they had a leg up and show compassion for those who didn't. People love the narrative that they are "self-made" but nobody is 100% self-made, and most grossly underestimate the role of luck and privilege.

3 Recommend

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DJM commented July 18

D

DJM

Vallejo, CA

Fantastic.

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Jeff commented July 18

J

Jeff

USA

While I don't disagree with many of the general points the author is making, I found it surprising that she was so comfortable telling other people what their experiences were rather than letting them own their own experiences and narratives. She seems eager to project her own theories directly onto every interaction she has, even if the projection doesn't fit. It also makes me uncomfortable that she finds it appropriate to teach a class on "Whiteness in America" when she has so much trouble even asking a very narrow sliver of upper-class white people what their experiences are like.

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Gregory J. commented July 18

G

Gregory J.

Houston

OK Claudia, as an immature "mature" white male who tends to skim-read, the end of your article gave me a quick-choke... I wannabe a Christian. I was raised Catholic, decided on atheism when I couldn't accept any more "parental superficiality" and received an A+ for a bio 1 exam essay on cellular evolution, then returned to faith following a knocked-off-my-high-horse conversion. The explanation of "what I was going through" was provided to me by a Franciscan priest who was raised Jewish, and freaked out when he took a walk on the beach and heard a seagull telling him, "take and read!" (the same phrase heard by St. Augustine) (Did St. Augustine know a lot of black people? Did he read a translation of the Song of Songs that proclaimed "I am black and lovely" rather than "I am black but lovely") I spent this morning re-reading and reading more of the speeches of MLK Jr (born, as we know, "Michael King Jr.") For several not-too-distant years, I felt that I could not really credit someone's interior worth unless they had experienced the System: "I was in jail, and you came to visit me." Now, I think of the slaughter of the native peoples and their brotherhood with nature. I think of George Rodgers' beautiful photos of the Latuka rainmakers, after his photojournalism of the German camps, and "Inheriting the Trade" by Thomas deWolfe. I think of Simone Weil, "The Love of God and Affliction" and I will tell you what I think of white male privilege: A spiritual handicap.

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David commented July 18

D

David

NYC

Why the focus on white men? My Mother is a white woman and I find her behaviour to be much ruder than mine. I was queuing up to enter a theatre in Italy the other day and a line formed just as you described next to the existing one almost exclusively full of women. I live in Asia now and white men seem to me to be rather nicer to those around them than most Asian people of either sex. And as others have said you were travelling in First Class along with pompous old fools no doubt. But their pomposity is not due to their sex or colour but their sense on entitlement based on their wealth. For every slight that you recount here I can recount a good deed done by a white male, sometimes that white male is even me. There are points to be made about white male privilege but by trading on anecdote and by using selection bias you aren’t making many allies. One last thing, you bring up Asians but only as a weapon to beat up another rather stereotypical white guy response. Do Asians benefit from white male privilege? If not how come they outperform white males by almost every measure.

6 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

C Kim commented July 18

C

C Kim

Chicago

Do Asians benefit from White Male Privilege?! A question that could only be asked by a White person. Are you kidding? Asian males and females are the victims of assumptions, stereotyping, and discrimination on account of their race. The assumptions, stereotypes, and discrimination may be different than those faced by Black men and women, but they are no less illegitimate and no less malign. Suggesting that Asians benefit from White privilege is deeply offensive. Like the time a White 60 year-old man said to my Asian husband (in an attempt to apologize for a racial slur he had just thrown at my husband): “sorry man...in my eyes, you are White.” Oh brother.

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David commented July 18

D

David

NYC

@C Kim Yet again an anecdote. Yes there are stupid racist people in this world. But do Asians end up with worse outcomes. I come from a Jewish background even though I do not have a religious bone in my body. But I’ve been called things and relatives of mine were out into ovens not that long ago. People will call people from the next village names, that’s what humans do, but if privilege means anything at al in this context it means having worse outcomes not just occasional discomfort.

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gc commented July 18

G

gc

AZ

This particular privileged white male appreciates and piece and will be rereading it.

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david moran commented July 18

D

david moran

ma

what a string of interactions, almost unbelievable

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Sci guy commented July 18

S

Sci guy

NYC

White Privilege is a racist concept to begin with. It presumes attributes based on skin color. There are millions of destitute white Americans who are most certainly not privileged. Talk to me about socio-economic privilege and I will listen. Keep talking about race-based privilege and I will dismiss you as a racist.

6 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

PJ Atlas commented July 18

P

PJ Atlas

Chicago, Illinois

I come from a lower socioeconomic status background. I can tell you with great certainty doors have opened to me because of my fair hair and blue eyes that were not open to minorities. I did not know it then, I thought it was because of my hard work but I am certain of it now.

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Alx commented July 18

A

Alx

iowa city

@Sci guy. It is an unfortunate phrase, as the author herself contends. But, if you can get past that what it is about is not attributes, but advantages based on a power structure that preferences white people just because they are white. Examples, not being stopped by cops as often, not being questioned as to why you are in a particular place, not being followed around a fancy clothing store by the security folks....

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Sparky commented July 18

S

Sparky

NYC

As a professor at super-elite Yale, Ms. Rankine is fairly privileged herself, no?

4 Recommend

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1 REPLY

C Kim commented July 18

C

C Kim

Chicago

Yes she undoubtedly is, which she acknowledges in her essay. The majority of posters to the Comments fail to understand the concept of White Privilege. It is not something one practices or can embrace or avoid—that is the point. A person benefits from being White (hence: experiences White Privilege) just by being White.

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HLR commented July 18

H

HLR

California

Great, great, great writing! Can you put your course online?

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David commented July 18

D

David

Atlanta

I find it someone ironic that a black woman is opining on what “whiteness” is. I certainly wouldn’t give much credit, if any, to a white professor pretending to tell me what the black experience is in America.

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1 REPLY

DrNick commented July 18

D

DrNick

Chicago

@David did you not read what her class was about? Constructions of whiteness, not about BEING white. My goodness...

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Mon Ray commented July 18

M

Mon Ray

KS

Did I get this right? The author of this article, a black person, was teaching a Yale class on whiteness? Did Yale have a white person teaching a class on blackness? I suspect not. It seems to me that Yale has succumbed to terminal political correctness.

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1 REPLY

DrNick commented July 18

D

DrNick

Chicago

@Mon did you not read what her class was about? ( in plain language: political, ideological) Constructions of whiteness, not about BEING white. My goodness..

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Frumious Bandersnatch commented July 18

F

Frumious Bandersnatch

New York

So the guy in line was busting his friends chops and you thought it was all about you and even your therapist thought it wasn’t. But the fact that it was not about you really bothered you more. Do I have this right? Thanks for clarifying your struggle. It’s really about the lack of privilege commensurate with your ego.

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Cassiopeia commented July 18

C

Cassiopeia

Northern Sky

So you've got Trump spewing his racist vitriol on the one hand and this woman spewing "white privilege" on the other and you wonder why this country is so divided and Trump got elected.

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Markus commented July 18

M

Markus

Jasper, WY

What privilege?

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zebra123 commented July 18

Z

zebra123

Maryland

And nobody talks about what constitutes real privalege in America: namely wealth.

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djefferys commented July 18

D

djefferys

Kingston, WA

Asking white men about their privilege is like asking fish about water.

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asdfj commented July 18

A

asdfj

NY

I hope I never have the bad luck to sit next to this author. What an obnoxious way to behave on public transit.

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Lotzapappa commented July 18

L

Lotzapappa

Wayward City, NB

"Tell me, how do you feel about your white privilege?" Is this not the classic "damned if you do, damned if you don't" question? The nature of the question presumes the guilt of the respondent before he even opens his mouth. The only thing that needs to be parsed is exactly to what degree one is culpable. So the best response is: "I fell good about it, thanks for asking."

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Big-Ex-Republican-Liberal commented July 18

B

Big-Ex-Republican-Liberal

Columbus, Ohio

I understand there is a historical advantage to being a white person, pretty much everywhere in the world. I don't feel guilty for my life, and I'm sorry non-whites have suffered more. I get some of what the author is saying, but I think it's kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy to approach every situation with a filter in-place. I have flown for business for 20 years. I can tell you the queue psychology I see in action isn't race-based. It's selfishness-based. Everyone is crowding everyone else to get on ahead of them. It's bad behavior and it is universal. I've never seen race-related bad behavior on my flights, just bad behavior. Guess I've been lucky! I grew up in the midwest, in a middle class family. I went into the Marines to earn my own way, to get the GI bill, and have always worked to put myself through college and grad school. Some of those jobs were not great...janitorial, house-cleaning, dish-washing, etc, and I worked alongside non-whites many times. I was happy for the work. So if someone asks me about my life today and white privilege, I don't get it. I know non-whites have a lot more trouble with the cops, and I hate it. I have been screamed at and verbally abused by cops for stupid things. It sucks. I wish it never happened to ANYONE. I hate racism. I don't like how many groups have been treated. Nor do I take responsibility for it. America is for everyone.

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Kat commented July 18

K

Kat

Cincinnati

Thank you, Ms. Rankine, for navigating and writing about race with such nuance and understanding. You captured well the alienation that I feel in this country as an Asian American. Born in this country, and here for generations, I will never be considered "American" by many. It colors every interaction, and often in ways that I am told (by whites) don't matter. Going against the myth of the model minority (another bludgeon to enforce white dominance), I tend to be the mouthy one at the airport corralling people to the end of the line. I hope chance might seat me next to you on a flight one day... until then, I look forward to reading your poems and essays.

2 Recommend

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AM commented July 18

A

AM

jackson heights, ny

A fantastic, nuanced piece which misses one big point: it is impossible to talk about privilege without also talking about class. The first class cabin is designed to be a place of privilege, whiteness, yes, but economic class more. What would a white man say from coach? Would the gate attendant be as accommodating if the parallel line was for boarding group 5? Frankly, I would be a lot more interested to learn how someone who is working class sees while male privilege, someone who struggles economically but yet benefits from historic and social assumptions of race.

7 Recommend

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Nicholas Ponticello commented July 18

N

Nicholas Ponticello

Burbank, California

Really beautiful article. It makes me want to ask the same question the man on the plane in the last example asked, "What other inane things have I said?" I want to ask that about my whole life. But even wanting that is a form of white privilege, because as a white man myself, I believe I can "correct" for my white privilege. Just not so.

2 Recommend

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JDStebley commented July 18

JDStebley

JDStebley

Portola CA/Nyiregyhaza

Thanks to my mother's deep sense of fairness and her affection for all who crossed her path, I was made aware that there was no place, none, for racism. I was conscious always that because of a lucky draw in the genetic and place of origin lottery, things would always be easier for me and it has come to pass. But she left an indelible mark on me: that everyone possesses something in common beyond the color of their skin and that I am no better or worse than any man woman or child. It would be up to me to make my way in the world. And I have never, ever been afraid of others as I pass through it. Racism has always been a trait of weak, people with little souls, terrified when they should be grateful, spiteful when they should be kind. I am deeply disturbed by the climate today.

3 Recommend

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Johnson commented July 18

J

Johnson

NY

I know there are instances where I benefit from my white male privilege. I mostly notice it during traffic stops when I am, often surprisingly, let go without a ticket. I don't ask police officers not to cite me--I don't cry or beg for anything--I usually just say I'm sorry if I wasn't paying attention. The truth is, I don't know how to talk about race. I was never taught it in school and my parents (Boomers) always treated the subject ironically, making a racist joke but with a smile suggesting they new their comment was inappropriate. I also hate talking about race. Were someone, a stranger, to ask me this question in an airport I would feel ambushed and avoid them at all cost. In a classroom I would be happy to engage with an individual or group to talk about that which I plainly do not understand. I wish I knew how to have an honest discussion with someone about race without feeling like I was 1) going to be branded a racist for my ignorance or 2) aware of the rudimentary assumptions my companion is responding to--like the author's comment to the man who "didn't see race." My privilege is to declare I wish I felt more enlightened and less en-whitened.

2 Recommend

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Milo commented July 18

M

Milo

Seattle

I'm a white man. History is a liability to me too. This whole conversation about "white male privilege" is absurd because you're trying to force this averaged conception of experience onto people who may not identify with that average. As a conversational device, "white male privilege" will only lead to conflict.

2 Recommend

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kas commented July 18

K

kas

Columbus

I'm not sure why the concept of white privilege is so hard to understand, but for any women having trouble out there, try this: You know how if you walk on a dark empty street at night you're extremely aware of your surroundings and get anxious if a man appears behind you, but you know that a man in your situation wouldn't feel the same way at all? That's the difference between whites and non whites. They are constantly looking over their shoulder for issues that arise in how they are perceived, treated, etc because of their skin color, and these are things we've never experienced because they are white. Hope this analogy helps someone.

7 Recommend

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John Jorde commented July 18

J

John Jorde

Seattle, WA

Times Pick

As a white man who grew up in white suburb in Maryland, it was my mom who taught me about the subtleties of racism. I heard and even repeated some racist jokes as a teenager. In college I wondered why were things the way they were and why weren't there more interracial couples? I realized that black folks had been here longer than most every other ethnic group yet still struggled with equality. When I heard the term "rational racism" in college it gave me a tool to understand white people's motivations. I moved to Baltimore and worked at the public library in my 20's. When my mom came to visit early on and earnestly got to know a few of my black coworkers I heard them say that "I was good people." I began to understand a little bit more about what it was like to be black in America. The most heartbreaking thing was seeing fellow coworkers who seemed excited to be actual friends with a white person, me. I felt like some of my black coworkers were saying "why?, why is this happening to me and us? like a person who has been rejected by a family or group of friends in school and just wants to be friends and be loved by their fellow humans and get to be known for who they are? African American culture is one of the greatest things that has ever happened in the world and in America but if your going to just pick and choose on your own terms then your not being respectful to your fellow humans and if your white, your using your white priviledge to seperate us.

117 Recommend

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Tom Baroli commented July 18

T

Tom Baroli

California

I'd enjoy the privilege of flying around the world first class as a Yale poetry professor, and I'd be peeved by getting cut in the vip line or skipped for fresh squeezed juice too. When I started turning in work this lazy, though, I might start to wonder if I was abusing my privilege.

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Nature Voter commented July 18

N

Nature Voter

Knoxville

I am so sick of this false narrative of white privilege! Come visit my old family home and area where I grew up and you will see we were as far from privilege as someone living in subsaharan Africa, minus the access to water; which came from a well. My elementary, middle, and high school was all in the same building which was built during the WPA days and deteriorating. The vast majority of us were white and came from broken homes or had households that relied entirely on the coal mines for sustenance. My parents were paid in Scrip and built no wealth but did scrape by and worked themselves to exhaustion daily to provide for us. They instilled work ethic and tenacity in my both sister and I so we were the first to attend and graduate college at a local state school. My wife is from a similar if not worst situations and she is now a physician. We have worked and still work hard for everything we have so I would be hard pressed not to spit in the face of someone asking me what it felt or feels like to be privileged for being a white male.

16 Recommend

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2 REPLIES

Teed Rockwell commented July 18

T

Teed Rockwell

Berkeley, Ca

and if you had been in this exact same situation, and black as well, your situation would've been even worse.

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Nature Voter commented July 18

N

Nature Voter

Knoxville

@Teed Rockwell give me a break. Under that very assumption you are reducing people of a certain complexion to predicted failure.

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Chris commented July 18

Chris

Chris

Karta

If "race" is a construct that has no scientific validity, why do we even dignify the usage of racial language, both to define ourselves and others?

1 Recommend

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1 REPLY

H commented July 18

H

H

Planet earth

@Chris Social groups are more than willing to cling to certain beliefs—regardless of scientific validity—if it suits their worldview and buttresses their use of economic and political power.

1 Recommend

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Math Professor commented July 18

M

Math Professor

Bay Area

I wonder how often Professor Rankine looks at a random white male she crosses paths with and sees not a walking bag of white male privilege, but rather, simply, a person - a flawed, imperfect human being who just like everybody else on this planet is sometimes rude, sometimes says inane things (to blacks and non-blacks), sometimes makes incorrect assumptions, regards himself and his family as a little bit more important and a little bit more virtuous and worthy of being judged a little bit more favorably than everyone else; a person, who has zero expectation that his absolutely average, normal, human behavior on a random morning flying back from a business trip is about to be psychoanalyzed, prepared and packaged as fodder to be fed into the NYTimes white male sin narrative-generation machine. If Professor Rankine indeed has the ability to perceive white males as simply people in the way I’ve described, that sure didn’t come across in her essay. But I make it a principle to assume the best about people until they leave me absolutely no choice, so I look forward to reading her follow-up article where she addresses this unfortunate misperception on my part.

7 Recommend

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1 REPLY

Naishadh commented July 18

N

Naishadh

Fremont, CA

@Math Professor Dear Sir: I think you are referring to a white 'person', while she is discussing white 'people'! Maybe I am wrong!

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Eve Waterhouse commented July 18

E

Eve Waterhouse

Vermont

Racism (which is really what this article is about) will continue until the human race can find a way to stop classifying each other by (pick one) gender, ethnic background, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status ... etc. Hopefully, through those individuals who CAN see past these dividers, who marry and have children with those "not of their kind," we will all become more or less the same color, with more or less indistinguishable bodily characteristics, so that we can explore who we all are inside. That's if we outlast climate change and nuclear war.

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Lorne Quarles commented July 18

L

Lorne Quarles

Nashville TN USA

The first article I’ve read word for word in a long time. Thank you.

4 Recommend

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Austin Ouellette commented July 18

A

Austin Ouellette

Denver, CO

White privilege means as many blind spots as a white person tries to shrink regarding issues of race and gender, the blind spot is still large enough to fit a 747 in, and not see it. They didn’t start making bandaids of varying degrees of skin tones until 2015. Band aids were invented in 1920. It was 95 years before anything other than a white band aid was even available. And white is STILL the default carried at box stores. Want a different skin tone band aid? Gotta order it off Amazon. That’s just ONE blind spot. The number of areas where white privilege intersects with daily life are incalculable. Which is why this statement is important: any white person who says there is no such thing as white privilege is not someone to be taken seriously, about anything, ever. Because they’re not serious people.

1 Recommend

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Gwe commented July 18

G

Gwe

Ny

Some day our differences will be as relevant to our identity, power and ability to navigate the world as the size of our feet. Imagine how silly it would seem if we said to someone "I have been thinking about your privilege with those small feet, and you know, as a large footer myself I am uncomfortable with how that helps you navigate the world." or "OMG I can't date that person with such small feet. My parents will be so disappointed if I bring home someone with less than a size 9 foot. It's our identity and our culture to be small footers and I invalidate the whole experience if I got with someone with such large phalanges." Sounds as RIDICULOUS as I hope someday we sound to our ancestors. (If there are any, global warming and all.) In no way I am invalidating your work. It's important and necessary and the path to the world I envision. But I am often amazed by how much importance to our worth is assigned because of arbitrary physical differentiators. Please continue to see the humanity in all you come across before you focus on their exterior. Your is such a valuable voice but it is best heard when you couch it the way you have in this essay. Know too, that external power aside, our internal foibles are surprisingly similar. Underneath all our trappings, most of us are dorks wanting to fit in. Thank you for this piece. Loved it.

2 Recommend

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A Texan in commented July 18

A

A Texan in

Vermont

Thanks, Professor, for the link to McIntosh's essay, which many commentators here clearly have not read.

2 Recommend

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Bill Ormusun commented July 18

B

Bill Ormusun

San Leandro, CA

Privilege is clearly a challenge we as a society have to overcome. But merely describing that challenge only gets us so far - however eloquent and personal the description may be. How should white people act in today’s America? What are the expectations we must live up to? How can we avoid being implicitly branded as racists - or is that even possible? I for one would like to start talking about solutions and how we move forward - not forgetting the past, but dealing with it so we can start creating the future.

1 Recommend

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MM commented July 18

M

MM

Ohio

Such a sad and cynical way to live. Obsessing over such a superficial part of humanity - something that few people in the world have the time or energy to think about; Constantly judging others' actions, putting total strangers into silos based on skin color, then surreptitiously using it against them in casual conversations; Moving through life actively searching for "slights" against you; Projecting your views onto others' mundane comments and extracting malevolence. Very sad existence indeed.

5 Recommend

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S commented July 18

S

S

Columbus

Like the author - I think the term white privilege is problematic: Yes, white people have a significant advantage over black people in this country, but that hardly matters to a white person - it only takes about 15% of the population out of the equation when competig for jobs or other resources. You still need to compete with the reamining 85%. Yes, the imbalance in economic prospects for black and white people exists, but it has a small effect for white people. However, the effect is devastating for black people. The term "white privilege" make white people feel defensive and threatened, but it doesn't make clear how disastrous white privilege is for black people. If we were talking about "black disadvantage" instead, white people would feel less threatened and it would be a more accurate description of the problem. If your goal is to eliminate "white privilege" you need to fight all white people tooth and nail and you will never win. If your goal is to eliminate "black disdvantage" you'll have everyone fighting with you except the die hard racists that still exist. Still not an easy fight, but very winnable.

12 Recommend

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Joe commented July 18

J

Joe

Naples, NY

Thanks for letting me know I come from privilege. My grandparents came here fleeing eastern Europe. My highly educated grandfather ended up as a miner then a small farmer, until his family was forced to leave Indiana during the Depression. The local KKK got together and bid next to nothing on his farm and equipment, so he left penniless. My parents, who never got to high school, worked two jobs their entire lives. My dad was a janitor, my mom a cafeteria worker. My total inheritance was my dad's old woodworking plane. So much privilege. I went to college on grants, scholarships and part time jobs. I hadn't realized how much privilege I had until now. All "white" people are the same. All of us have had an easy life with roses strewn in our paths on a daily basis. Or, maybe some folks are not able able to recognize that the experience of most white folks, like black folks and Hispanic folks and all folks, is one of just trying to get ahead. If you are serious about analyzing the real issue facing this nation focus on social class, not race. It will lead you to a better understanding of how the system operates.

4 Recommend

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Matt commented July 18

M

Matt

Oregon

The second that someone feels that they are being attacked, marginalized or categorized they are going to push back. That seems to be what is ok, the norm, taught and approved now. Unless you are a white male. Sit down, shut up and take it. Isn't that exactly what is being fought against? Using the tools to forward your agenda that were used to oppress you is not the way. I certainly don't feel that I've ever had privilege, but I bet there are plenty lined up to tell me how really wrong I am. Nobody wants to be demonized. Yet here we are, doing it again. Throw any demonized phrase at anyone and they are going to push back. And why not? If it is undeserved, I am not going to live my life with that label. Does the equalization of all require some to go to the back of the line? I'm certainly not going to. So here is the problem that we seem to be all walking into - the willing creation of another "us" vs "them" scenario. Perpetuating the route we got to this point is certainly not going to work, but here we are rushing headlong into the same tried and failed route to a solution.

2 Recommend

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David commented July 18

D

David

Oak Lawn

I also must say that I have been very privileged to be born white. I've faced adversity, but I wouldn't have made it as far as I have if I were born black. I was always given the benefit of the doubt and shown unconditional kindness as a child. In a sense, my accidental whiteness secured me until I came of age.

3 Recommend

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Peter Anderson commented July 18

P

Peter Anderson

Madison, WI

Claudia Rankine is shooting the cause of racial justice in the foot. Twisting words into entirely different meanings in the elite college sociology departments in order to look tres smart may create multitudinous opportunities for publication and speaking engagements, but it does so by alienating the people in the real world from understanding and accepting the need to rectify terrible injustice. The reason that, when I, a white guy, am not afraid of being shot when stopped for a traffic infraction is not because I am PRIVILEGED to not be shot. For that is a constitutional right ("no person shall .... be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law"). The horrifying reign of police killings that appalls decent people is because black men are DISCRIMINATED against. The word privilege is instead a function of the advantages that accrue from economic wealth. When white men without college degrees here this talk that they are privileged, it immediately turns them off for the need to end racial discrimination. Millions of white blue collar workers voted twice for Obama. Why the left today thinks it is smart to commit political suicide by dressing up like aliens from outer space to the great unwashed -- but fundamentally gettable -- public is something we will have to leave to the psychoanalytic profession. By

1 Recommend

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Will commented July 18

W

Will

Phoenix,AZ

I usually find that if we are predisposed to believe something, we usually look around our environment to find evidence that reinforces that idea. It’s human nature. I find that people who focus on being wronged or slighted find what they are looking for to reinforce this. Often they become hostile and aggressive understandably because they feel the whole world is against them. In reality all people are basically selfish and many are discourteous. They usually are that way to everyone. If someone is aggressive or hostile they usually receive that behavior in return. It doesn’t have to be a word, it can be a glance or a tone. In a way they are in part responsible for some of the aggression they receive because they are aggressive to begin with. Asking a “white man” about his “white privilege” using this aggressive, pejorative and shaming term immediately dehumanizes and puts the gentleman on the defense, which again may create the desired response to reinforce this idea. If we want to make progress it begins with not lumping everyone in to categories, but seeing an individual and having humanity for them. No one has had the same advantages or positive/negative life experiences as another within their same “group “. I think if one wants to understand another they have to overcome the prejudices, which all people have and stop making such gross over simplifications such as “white privilege”. By doing so you keep all racist stereotypes alive.

3 Recommend

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Seymour Thomas commented July 18

S

Seymour Thomas

Brooklyn

Incredible, astute, detailed, and unflinching. Rankine identifies and moves beyond these acts of recognition to actually force white people to do the work of reckoning with their own statuses...

5 Recommend

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Pyo commented July 18

P

Pyo

Nyc

So sick of identity politics. Yes, white male has always held power and has advantages. What are we going to do about it? How about empowering young children of color, fighting for their access to better education, so many things to work on than analyzing whiteness and teach about it at Yale, how does that help anyone?

2 Recommend

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MZ commented July 18

M

MZ

California

Subtitle should say: but interrogating that question as a black woman “while traveling” is much harder to do. I wouldn’t quite refer to inconsequential interactions with strangers while traveling as “the real world.”

3 Recommend

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Roy commented July 18

R

Roy

NH

I find it interesting that the author, when considering the fellow traveler who was disappointed that his son did not get into Yale, simply assumed that the father thought his son “entitled” to be admitted. She didn’t ask why, she made assumptions based on race and gender. Et tu?

3 Recommend

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1 REPLY

ms commented July 18

M

ms

ca

@Roy Did you read the article? The father talked as if his son's place had been taken by an "Asian" student - when it could have been a student of any background or a student with specific skills/ traits that Yale desired -- without any evidence to back it up. That's why she thought he was entitled.

1 Recommend

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BKLYNJ commented July 18

B

BKLYNJ

Union County

I dropped my girls off for school the morning after the 2016 presidential election and went to buy bagels. Exiting the store, I held the door for a young(er than me) African-American woman on her way in. Briefly we made eye contact. "It's not all of us," I said. "I just want you to know that." She thanked me.

2 Recommend

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Ecce Homo commented July 18

E

Ecce Homo

Jackson Heights

To me as a white man, the essence of white privilege is that in our society whiteness is normative, and blackness and brownness are deviant. For instance: white people believe that their opinions are objective conclusions drawn from neutral assessment of facts. Non-white people who agree prove that white people are right, like the lone African-American at a Trump rally: "See, even he agrees with me!" But non-white people who disagree don't prove that white people are wrong - unlike white people, who are neutral and objective, non-white people are biased by their race or ethnicity. Thus the outrage in these comments that an African-American might teach a course on whiteness. But in my experience, it's almost exclusively non-white people who have thought deeply about race and its implications. This is not unique to race. In our society, maleness is normative, and femaleness is deviant. Heterosexuality is normative, and homosexuality is deviant. I can't count the number of times my opinion has been dismissed as biased by my status as gay, by heterosexuals whose differing opinions are - of course! - objective conclusions with which I would obviously agree were I not burdened with my gay bias. I get frustrated when white people infer that discussion of white privilege constitutes an accusation of racism, or white guilt; it is not. These discussions are learning opportunities, because, after all, nobody knows everything - not even white, heterosexual men.

10 Recommend

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kim commented July 18

K

kim

nyc

I'm sorry, as a black woman who contends with this issue all the time-- the role of sexism and racism in my life--I would never attempt to converse with any white man on the subject of white supremacist ideology or patriarchy. That is a conversation that has to be had on a national level and there is zero interest in the powers that be even contemplating such a thing. Raise your own children right (it won't protect them from white supremacist and patriarchal violence of course) and pray for the best.

4 Recommend

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Dan R commented July 18

D

Dan R

Columbus, OH

Times Pick

You know when I accepted that I was a beneficiary of white privilege? When I heard a police office yell at my black coworker who was crossing against the light in the very same crosswalk where I had done the very same thing only seconds earlier without a care in the world.

1091 Recommend

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7 REPLIES

Mark Winnett commented July 18

M

Mark Winnett

Pennsylvania

Exactly!

24 Recommend

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historyRepeated commented July 18

H

historyRepeated

Massachusetts

It hit me on the head when riding in a car with my black boss and Brazilian co-workers heading back to our high-tech jobs from lunch. We were pulled over in my boss’ BMW and the officer asked me if everything were ok. Intellectually, I had always gotten it. That day showed me. I incredulously responded to the officer, “Yah, why?” And that is when my white privilege hit me like a ton of bricks and my brain flooded with emotions of anger, embarrassment, and shame.

86 Recommend

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Pam commented July 18

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Pam

Asheville

@historyRepeated That's powerful. Thank you for sharing it.

18 Recommend

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sb commented July 18

S

sb

another shrinking university

Such a lovely piece. Thank you. I needed this today.

2 Recommend

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Dennis commented July 18

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Dennis

Phoenix, AZ

Indeed, being a white male is only one of the good fortunes in my life, most either out of my control or at best only partially in my control. Sure, I had to "show up" and work, but without the alignment of somewhat fortuitous events, including the location of my birth, I almost certainly would not have achieved the modest professional success I have had. And concerning admission to colleges, I have been on enough admission committees to know how haphazard many decisions are, even whether the discussion is at the beginning or the very end of a meeting. Hearing a person say that where they are is entirely of their own doing assures me that the statement is being made by a person with very limited vision.

5 Recommend