Examples of White Privilege That Are Often Overlooked

Defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as “the fact of people with white skin having advantages in society that other people do not have,” these privileges underline and emphasize racial inequalities. It’s a sad-but-true notion that requires our attention so we can address the biases shaping our socio-economic statuses.

Statistics show that at 468 top American colleges, the ratio of white students against minority students was 3:1 in 2017. Overall, 73% of the students at top tier research universities are either white or Asian.

White people are still the employees of choice by many employers. They are more likely to get callbacks for job interviews, receive job offers, promotions, and career-advancing assignments. Needless to say, this privilege drives the wedge further between races in the workplace, influencing economic equity across different racial groups.

The privilege extends to favorable mortgage terms and a wider range of investment opportunities. Simply put, white people are more financially stable than Black or Hispanic people, which sadly sustains the wealth gaps between racial groups.

White individuals often receive better quality care and more equitable medical treatment, resulting in better patient outcomes, more attentive service, and greater access to advanced treatments and preventive service. Naturally, this affects life expectancy in different ethnic groups, continuing the notion that race determines people’s health and well-being.

Meanwhile, people of color may get charged with serious offenses, go to jail before trial, and receive a harsher sentence. All things being equal (e.g., severity of crime), people of color are burdened with harder punishments. Is it because white people have better representation in court? Or the judges and juries are more sympathetic towards white individuals? Maybe. But this still means racial inequity in the justice and legal systems.

With most Americans thinking that the police and justice system treat Black people unfairly, there’s a definite strain in the situation. White privilege means that police are quicker to profile or target non-white people as suspects, creating a huge disparity in treatment that affect the safety of whole communities in general.

More affluent areas with better facilities seem to be reserved for white families. This advantage puts white people with higher property values and safer schools. As wealth accumulates mostly in white neighborhoods, you don’t have to wonder why life expectancy is shorter in segregated Black neighborhoods.

With only one President of Color ever sitting at the White House, white individuals still wield a wider political influence and greater representation overall. This goes from local authorities to national leadership. This imbalance does little to help the empowerment of non-white groups in policy-making and legislation.

Despite efforts by studios and networks to become more diverse in casting, white actors (and actresses) still get more recognition through films, TV series, news, and advertising. Not only is there a racial issue in the pay gap, but also a gender issue. Enough said.

This dominant cultural norm forces stereotypes to appear, swallowing the rich contributions of other ethnic groups to the social and cultural tapestry of our society at large and hiding them from view.

And yet, white privilege goes largely unacknowledged—seemingly invisible, even—by those receiving the benefits. For this systemic inequality and racial disparity to disappear, we need to make the topic more visible. Only then can we take steps to reducing it.