Privilege is No Excuse for Exclusion
This is what passes for a *problem* for the kinds of rich, privileged white people who are the most pissed off about the Supreme Court upholding affirmative action at University of Michigan.
Black and Latino students in Michigan — which contains some of the most segregated schools in the country — worry about having a minimally decent high school education. Some of the relatively privileged non-white students get to worry about getting into some college and finding a way to pay for it. White students worry about getting into schools of their *first choice*, despite the fact that more whites get accepted to schools of their first choice, nation-wide, then any other racial group.
It’s bad enough that white privilege is so entrenched and defended. It’s even worse to hear white folks whine when it is so much as superficially challenged or even acknowledged. If the white men depicted in this photo are Michigan students, one has to wonder whether its reputation is well-deserved or whether they’re really bad students. Repeat after me, again, class:
bq. It isn’t racism when white people fail to get precisely what they expect, when they expect it, for as long as they expect to get it.
(Yes, I realize these probably aren’t Michigan students; they’re probably low-paid flunkies from the Cato Institute or some other white-privilege-defending, right-wing group. But the point remains: white people who sue universities over affirmative action policies, claiming ‘reverse discrimination’, are the special forces of white privilege. And we shouldn’t pretend otherwise.)
I have an idea: how about extending universal education to the university? If everyone could go to college, no matter their class or race or high school record, that would blunt some of the advantage of white folks and help non-whites, too. But then the prestige of a public institution like Michigan, a prestige which is partially a function of artificially-manipulated shortages, would likely suffer. But that’s not such a bad outcome; it’s not the same thing as quality of the educational experience suffering. Quality would not suffer in a universal system.
But if we implemented that policy, the white people who already get accepted at the best public institutions, relying on the rest of us to subsidize their education, would sue someone about *that*.
June 24th, 2003 at 4:18 am
Ok, how about when Michael Jordan’s or Ludicris’s kids get to college. Do you propose they get the same race point advantage over some financially poor white country kid from the Ozarks. Shouldn’t this really be about class versus race? There’s still more poor white folk out there than black!
June 24th, 2003 at 11:48 am
There are more poor whites than blacks because there are more whites. So? How about adding in all people of color. The fact is that in the U of M system, income IS one of the factors considered for acceptance. But is Steve Stock proposing that poor Whites need some additional consideration because they are the so-called majority? Seems to me that poor whites don’t have to contend with a little factor called systemic racism.
June 28th, 2003 at 4:34 am
According to my US News America’s Best Colleges Guide from 1998 (slightly out of date, but I doubt the figures have changed much), University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is 71% non-Hispanic white. The state of Michigan as a whole is 78% non-Hispanic white, according to the 2000 census. This means that whites are actually underrepresented at the University of Michigan. Whites are actually underrepresented at most prestigious American universities. Why don’t affirmative action supporters ever mention this fact?
“Privileged white people”, indeed.
June 30th, 2003 at 4:31 pm
To: Affirmative Action Oppenent…
I’ll assume the census numbers you quoted for the State and U. of Michigan are accurate. Do you not see the problem in those facts? Do you think it is by accident that the black minority population of the US is only 12%? The fact that the decendants of the laborers, on whos backs without which their would be no U. Michigan, make up less than 15% of the population IS THE CRIME. Please go back and study the history of the immigration laws of the US (as written by & for the priviledged.)
And please do not compare the (”No Irish Need Apply”) signs, or Anti-Jewish sentiment of the 20th Centruy to Slavery & Jim Crow. In both examples, wait a generation and or alter the sir name a bit and boom, instant acceptances and upward movement towards the American Dream. It also didn’t hurt that they were all caucasian. Take a look at French Pres. Jacques Chirac, Mexican Pres Vincente Fox & former Iraqi Pres Saddam Hussein (younger of course)! A little repositioning of the facial hair, ba boom!
Minorities are over represented in the criminal justice system but underrepresented in the education, economic and social systems. Do you just think that blacks (young blacks males in particular)are “programmed” from birth to be criminals? If not, then the representation inequalities mentioned above must be the result of the environmental conditions. Who is ultamately responsibile for their environment? Why are there so many alcoholic Native Americans living on reservations?
June 30th, 2003 at 11:24 pm
Racial diversity and multiculturalism on campus are just as vital to any student as good books and good teachers.
One thing that most people involved in the affirmative action debate forget is that a school of higher learning is meant to prep its students for success in the real world. This means that a university with a history of racially skewed admittance can only hurt its student body.
Past the issues of racism entrenched in the selection of students, and the very real issues of the environment having a strong effect on the success of minority races, I think everyone loses when races become direly underrepresented at the university level.
July 1st, 2003 at 7:09 pm
Let me start by saying that I’m no big fan of affirmative action. Mainly, b/c it has helped more white women than any person of color (male or female). Sure, some people of color have benefited from affirmative action. However, if you look at the time affirmative action came into play (late 60’s early 70’s) have you seen an increase in white women on college campuses and in the workforce or people of color? To any objective person, the answer is quite obvious and I do not include secretaries or administrative assistants in my analysis b/c white women have always been “allowed” to hold those positions. So in the final analysis, affirmative action hasn’t really provided the remedy to the group (African Americans) it was intended to assist. So I agree affirmative action should be changed, but not toward some color-blind-we-are-the-world standard. Affirmative action should be set up to address the past wrongs committed in this society against people of color, mainly African-Americans and non-white Hispanics.
Let’s get some definitions straight. Most people of color cannot be racist in America. Everybody can be prejudice, but in order to be racist you have to combine your prejudice with power to influence another person or group’s outcome. Most people of color don’t have that kind of power. So terms like “reverse racism” and discrimination are not applicable to these sorts of situations.
There are three main points about affirmative action that some people fail to miss.
One, there is usually no concrete evidence that people of color get in at a cost to whites. What is usually presented is that some people of color have lower GPAs or test scores as compared to some disgruntled white students. What is never presented (at least from my experience) is that there are and will continue to be some whites whose academic credentials are not that great, but who ultimately are admitted while disgruntled whites and some deserving students of color are left out. So why are the students of color presented as the undeserving and underqualified ones who are taking the rightful place of some “deserving” white student? The notion that merit should determine everything is fallacy that people need to get over. If that were really the case, we would have a different president in the oval office. Not to mention, that merit is a subjective term and cannot and should not be limited to two categories.
Two, if the students of color did not deserve to be at these schools, why don’t they flunk out or withdraw b/c the work is just too much for them? In other words, if they do get in based on affirmative action (which is still debatable), does that mean they graduated based on affirmative action also? Most of the bitter and uninformed will answer “yes” to that question, so take those responses for they are worth.
Third, one commentator mentioned history which is always very key in analyzing programs like affirmative action. I agree. Slavery, Jim Crow, individual acts of violence against people of color, government sanctioned violence and institutional racism contributes to a history of unequal treatment and results in this country. To put it in very simple terms, look at history as a 400-meter race. Blacks and whites started out together before colonialism and genocide (transatlantic slave trade). However, with all of those things mentioned at the beginning of this paragraph, whites were able to start the race unencumbered (at least by those experiences). Whites start out free to pursue the American Dream while blacks are chained and beaten. The fact that some whites have to deal with the everyday hard knocks of life does not compare with the experiences of blacks that deal with the hard knocks of life and a history of racism. When the whites hit the 200-meter mark, the whites determine (please look at the irony) that they will release the blacks from the chains and allow them to run in the race. In order to practice the “separate but equal philosophy” the blacks can participate in the race but they can’t have any training; will not be allowed to wear shoes; and must run with a bag over their head. Now, when the white runner reaches the 300-meter mark, he decides (please continue to note the irony) to give the black runner some of his old shoes and says its o.k. to take off the bag and allow the black runner to be “equal” and all of those in the past should be forgotten. When the black runner gets a little burst of wind at his back (affirmative action) the white runner claims that burst of wind is cheating (reverse racism) since the whites have now changed the rules in theory which state that all runners must abide by the same rules. Never mind that 90% of the race participants, timekeepers, race organizers, and judges are white.
Now imagine that the above-mentioned race is a relay race where generations of whites and blacks passed the baton off to the next generation based on the amount of ground he/she was able to cover during their time. You can insert Asians, white Hispanics, and an elite class of East Indians into the race at various periods, but in the final analysis we are all now equal in the eyes of the white runners…
July 3rd, 2003 at 12:19 pm
Alright it really lights my fire when a “white” person comes up with an action to try to take rights away. First thing Affirmative Action was passed and has been in process for awhile. Someone is just now complaning about it. They don’t complain when a “white” student is pick over a minority just because they have the money to do so or the color of there skin and that is one of the only problem that draws lines between the “white” people and minorities.
Everyone in this country has the right to an education!!! It shouldn’t matter how much money it cost to get into the school, but the fact is it does matter. If it didn’t we wouldn’t be having issues like this brought up. Minorities are placed into there situation they don’t choose them. Minorities did have a choice to be in that certain class, they are only trying to better themselves by going to school, college, graduate school and so on. Well I’ll put this in term everyone might understand, for many years so called “minorities” were pushed out like they are nobody’s discluded from everything. ( if you know the truth about history you know what I am talking about)
When “minorities are down kick them, when there up kick even more” I would say that is the thinking of a white person. White people just don’t understand there are reason for all these laws that apply to Native American, Hispanic, Afirican American. Our ancestors fought for the soul survival of US and we now have seperate right upon which white people are still try to segregate. Let the ones who are in college be, they are trying to make something of themselves so they don’t have to suffer and can live the AMERICAN DREAM” whatever that might be. In a society where the color of your skin is a major issue and how big your wallet is matter’s. Where “equal rights” are suppost to be subjected but never really are. Get used to is WHITEY’s we the minorites are coming back.
July 22nd, 2003 at 11:13 pm
Examples from a High School in the Inner-City:
–96% African-American High School Students
–Lowest Reading Scores in the Entire State (majority at 3rd-4th grade reading level)
–English teacher showing Disney videos 3 times a week
–Final Exam: Compare and contrast Aladdin and The Lion King
–Teachers sleeping at their desks
–Teachers reading the newspaper during class (silently to themselves while kids talk and do each other’s hair)
–Large population of kids with drug-addicted parent and / or other family members
–Large population of kids who have been sexually-abused
–Large population of kids who desperately want to have a chance at living the life that others have so readily available to them
–Large population of kids who are ACTIVELY trying to get themselves out of high school and into college (and doing it in a positive manner despite their negative atmosphere)
–Large number of students who must work to help support their families and thus cannot be involved in the numerous extracurricular activities that look so good on a college application
–Large number of kids who cannot attend college due to financial problems, academic deficiencies, or lack of awards and accomplishments
Please tell me. Exactly why don’t some people see the undeniable connection between the high numbers of minorities living in poverty and attending inadequate schools AND the fact that minorities–particularly people of color–have HISTORICALLY been denied access to opportunities BECAUSE of the prejudice held against them?
Yes. Everyone is responsible for themselves. And everyone, whether a poor white child from Appalachia or a refugee from Africa, MUST take responsibilities for themselves and their lives and RISE ABOVE whatever obstacles are in their way. But, in many circumstances, people of color–MERELY BECAUSE OF THEIR COLOR–just don’t have the as good of a chance as the poor boy from Appalachia. Because the poor child from Appalachia can rise above his situation, drop his accent, and put on a suit and tie and MAYBE get that job or that scholarship. BUT–a person of color cannot ever lose his or her color and the stupid pre-conceived notions that some people STILL have about them.
AND–if those of you who can’t liberate yourselves from your privileged, narrow-minded selves are wondering–I AM white.
August 26th, 2003 at 12:09 pm
The Appalachia boy mentioned in the previous post can indeed drop his accent and put on a suit and tie. But do you advocate that he should change into a black boy to be treated fairly when it comes time for him to apply for a college? People, it’s really simple, if you base decisions on race, then that is racism. As far as the relay race example, I hate that there was slavery, I hate that we now currently occupy Native American’s land, I hate that Jews were persecuted in Germany. But quite frankly, I didn’t have a single thing to do with any of them. I grew up in a dirt poor family, so I don’t see how any thing in the past help me to get a leg up on our dirt poor black neighbors. I went to the same schools as them, I worked hard on the farm like them. So exactly why is it that you think that the black neighbor’s son should have an advantage over my white son? The only difference between the two is the color of their skin, and I thought the whole point of everyone is created equal is to not treat one person different from another because of the color skin they were born with.
August 26th, 2003 at 12:32 pm
But do you advocate that he should change into a black boy to be treated fairly when it comes time for him to apply for a college?
You have to be black to be treated fairly in applying to colleges? That’s crazy.
People, it’s really simple, if you base decisions on race, then that is racism.
No, it isn’t. In fact, that’s completely wrong. Do you really think that’s what slavery and 150 years of racial apartheid in the US was about? Merely “basing decisions on race”? That’s simply not believable as an explanation of what was going on with racism in the US (or anywhere else, for that matter).
Slavery and racial apartheid were systems of oppression established so that white people, as a group, would gain a range of social privileges. White folks — as you can attest, as someone who grew up in a “dirt poor family” — didn’t parcel out those privileges equally, of course; that’s where class hierarchies come into play. But even the poorest white people in the US gained some differential privilege over black (and other non-white) folks.
As far as the relay race example, I hate that there was slavery, I hate that we now currently occupy Native American’s land, I hate that Jews were persecuted in Germany. But quite frankly, I didn’t have a single thing to do with any of them.
Well, wrong again. You hate slavery but you’re opposed to doing anything to remediate its legacy? That’s a strange kind of hate. As for your not “having a single thing to do with any of them”, surely you’re joking, right? You admit that we all live on land stolen from American Indians, but you don’t have anything to do with that? You benefit from it every day, as do I.
When we ordinarily try to figure out who might help remediate some problem, we not only look to the responsible parties, but we also look to those parties which benefit from the problem. And so it is, or should be, with racism. White people benefit from the way non-whites have been treated, systematically and as a matter of policy and law, for a very long time. That makes you involved, even as someone who was raised in a “dirt poor family” — the other reaction, which you don’t seem to have entertained, is to be pissed off at the upper class whites who benefit the *most* from all this unjustice.
I grew up in a dirt poor family, so I don’t see how any thing in the past help me to get a leg up on our dirt poor black neighbors. I went to the same schools as them, I worked hard on the farm like them.
Most black farmers were systematically excluded from land ownership in ways which never happened to whites as a group. Or doesn’t that matter at all?
So exactly why is it that you think that the black neighbor’s son should have an advantage over my white son?
First, it’s not clear that affirmative action in college decisions is an advantage, all things considered. Insofar as it’s an action which tends to level the playing field, it’s not an advantage at all. Second, let’s assume that some black students do have a (relative) advantage over some white students. Why, precisely, is that problematic? It’s troubling that after 400 years of exploitation and oppression, white folks finally have decided that things should always be totally equal, just when it might be the case that some nonwhites might win a few, measly advantages. Forgive me for not being convinced by this sudden swerve toward justice!
The only difference between the two is the color of their skin, and I thought the whole point of everyone is created equal is to not treat one person different from another because of the color skin they were born with.
But that’s not the only difference. Your son doesn’t suffer a social stigma by virtue of his membership in a social group which he can never escape. Your son — and, more to the point, white people in general — doesn’t face the prospect of job discrimination. He doesn’t face the prospect of unfair treatment from the criminal justice system. And, most importantly, your son isn’t a member of a social group which has been, historically, discriminated against; thus there are no grounds for crafting policies which aim at preventing ongoing discrimination against your son. That is, after all, the entire point of affirmative action.
September 9th, 2003 at 3:16 pm
what are the 3 main points the author is trying to make in white privilege
September 13th, 2003 at 5:47 am
Racism is the belief that one race is inherently superior to another, and then using political, social or physical power to act on those beliefs. Decisions based on race happen everyday in government (most of is benefiting those who look like the law makers). Cystic Fibrosis is a disease that affects those of North Western European origin at a higher rate then others. If the government targets this disease with funding for research towards eradication, that’s not racism, even though it may seem that only whites are beneficiaries. All members of the society have a benefit from the eradication of any human disease. The same holds true for any program that contributes toward social justice.
September 24th, 2003 at 4:38 pm
I think non - white racial monorites are holding whites responsible for there own actions.No one nor race our colour creed or religon,Can say whites are the cause’s of under edgeucated colour minorites.Stop useing whites as a lean,where not your standing post.There are equal amount of whites with the same issues as other colour races.The excuse’s are getting old….
September 27th, 2003 at 12:24 am
Rick,you must have skipped the statistics.Come on man. There are NOT an equal amount of whites with the same issues, or else we wouldnt be discussing this. Duh.
What is wrong with some of you people? I definatly dont consider myself highly educated, but even I can see this goes WAY beyond affirmative action. There is something horribly wrong when this many people are against a remedy to historical systematic racism, that still continues today.
1/4 of the people on this planet cannot read in any language,let alone write. Many more than that are BEYOND dirt poor, most of those are children, and here you all are arguing over who is poorer in America: black or white people. As if it werent already apparent. I swear to you, if there is one thing i would wish for, it would be that every human being living today could spend 6 months in someone else’s shoes. I’d like to see everyone’s opinions after that.
To all of the people who gave themselves away as being intolerant, to all the people who resist change and reason, I pray that you never hold a governing position anywhere on our planet. And if you do, God help us all.
September 27th, 2003 at 11:24 pm
Hey Kendall –
The three students in the picture are Michigan students. Or were — at least one of them graduated this past spring. At the time, they were all members of the Michigan Review, which is the conservative newspaper on campus. (www.michiganreview.com) The one on the left is the current editor in chief. His name is Ruben. And guess what? HE’S MEXICAN AMERICAN.
So before you go spreading uninformed falsehoods, do your research. Don’t just assume that everyone who opposes racial preferences is a member of the Good Ol’ Boys club. Repeat after me, class: Only Simpleminded People Pay Attention to the Color of One’s Skin. This encompasses two kinds of people: Those who dwell on it, whine about it, and further blacks’ perceptions of themselves as perpetual victims; and racists who are too stupid to see people for who they really are. The REST of us are good people who work hard and give everyone an equal chance. I am one of those people, and the three guys in the photo are those people.
By the way, check out the Michigan Review web site for their current issue — it’s got some great commentary on how the new Michigan admissions policy is far worse than the old one ever was. At least in the good old days there was a paper trail. Now the racism is completely unchecked.
www.michiganreview.com
October 7th, 2003 at 1:25 pm
Sorry, but this article is bull! Whites blah blah blah! What do you define a white person as? My skin is white. In fact if you saw me you would never think that I was Mexican! The look on my teachers faces as the say my last name is sometimes interesting, but the look on their face when they see me is even better.
Isn’t the point of Anti racism to give every one EQUAL oppurtunity?!?! So isn’t given black or white or latino’s more oppurtunities than anyone else racism?
Oh just to mention, I am in the 8th Grade.
October 7th, 2003 at 1:27 pm
And onother thing (before i get cught what my teacher thinks as “chatting”)
This Article seems very Anti- White!
October 7th, 2003 at 1:32 pm
AgAIN!
Sorry I was just reading somethings about how people with more money are accepted more blah blah blah!!!
YES OF COURSE!! If you have money the college wants you in! is it hard to understan that these people need to pay te teachers, lectureres, extra curricluar activities and so forth? Is it that hard to immagine?
Sorry if it sounds stupid but when people whine about rich people and por people and everything in between in ticks me off.
YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT WHETHER YOU ARE RICH OR POOR! THE ONLY DIFFERENCE ETWEEN THE TWO IS THAT ONE OF EM ARE GOING TO WORK HARDER THAN THE OTHER FOR IT!
October 9th, 2003 at 6:48 pm
First off excuse the disorganization of this arcticle, I’m trying to type while looking out for my boss
I GET SO SICK AND TIRED OF BLACKS AND OTHER PEOPLE OF COLOR TRYING TO EXPLAIN, AND RELATE THE TOPIC OF RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION TO WHITE PEOPLE. That seems to me to be the most pointless conversation one could have. White people, regardless of class, sex, religion, ect. will NEVER understand or be able to concieve how frustrating it is to be black in America. How could they? No matter how “anti-racist” they may claim to be, or how many “black friends” they have, as long as your skin is white you have no idea. BLACK PEOPLE SAVE YOUR BREATH ON THIS TOPIC!!! Raise your kids right,teach them how to be black in AmeriKKKa, and leave the rest to God. On the topic of “reverse racism” This is where you realize that having a disscusion on racism with people who have never negatively experienced racism(white people) is pointless. What blacks have to understand is that this is a white mans world. Until we get in positions of real power, we will continue to be blamed for our own oppression. You kidnap, murder, rape, torture, mutilate, and force 400 years of uncompensated labor onto a group of people,(white people, predictably, will argue that these events are in the past and that they have no bearing on blacks today) and then with a straight face have the audacity to call the people whom have been dehuminized, and oppressed racist because they feel contempt towards their oppressors. I don’t like white people. I dont like what they did to my ancestors, and I dont like what they continue to do today. If that makes me a “racist” then so be it. I love my black brothers and sisters, and until we come together as one, things wont change. (any black person reading this e-mail me if I’m lying!!)
October 29th, 2003 at 7:16 pm
ok, i think i had enough about this…
we are all know whites are racism… period
i’m half white and half spanish, and i can’t stand white people… they always put us down…. hell with white people
January 12th, 2004 at 2:01 am
Intelligent black folks feel they need to make excuses for the lesser members of their race. By this I mean all the 800 SAT scoring black kids trying to get into college. It aint the average white folks fault if they dont have much money and arent that smart to begin with. I respect that they have the ambition to make something out of their lives. The point is: Nobody deserves a free ride.
It also isnt whites fault that while blacks make up 16% percent of the total population in America, they also make up 52% of the prison population. That is far to large a percentage, and can not totally be attributed to racist judges or not being able to afford a lawyer.
Most white people dont hate you, although you probably want them to. White hatred towards you would only fuel fire and give you more things to bitch about.
Quit taking things at face value and look a little deeper. I know that is tough for you Kendall, being one of those “proud to be negro” types and all