Quote:
Originally posted by lifesaver
Everyday.
When they dont make me prepay at the pump because I am white.
When I test drive a car, they let me take it off the lot by myself.
When I get a paycheck that is larger for the same amount of work.
When I apply for a home loan, and if declined, I know its because I didnt qualify, not because of my skin color.
I am sure there are lots more, but those are the ones off the top of my head...
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Peggy McIntosh "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Napsack."
Whiteness isn't celebrated because whiteness is invisible. It is considered mainstream and generic. So much so that in many social realms where race "isn't an issue" or "anyone can fill this position," whiteness is the standard and this is evidenced by the decisions people make across social contexts.
No one's to blame for the perpetuation of this, so there is no "woe is us" or "shame on you all". This is ingrained in our society. When people generally say they "don't see color," they are lying. There's no need to lie. There's nothing wrong with seeing color. We're conscious human beings who see all of the categorical inequalities that we've created (Charles Tilly's Durable Inequality). It's what you think about and do when you "see color" that makes the difference.