I'm white, Jewish and live in New York City. I can totally appreciate what it is to have had white privilege during the 70's & 80's in that cops NEVER really bothered me in any capacity and it was fairly simple to both get into the universities I applied to when younger (given that I also had the grades, standardized test score, extracurriculars etc) and land the jobs I sought after as a young adult. Being white in NYC was always a blessing when growing up, because everyone (law enforcement, teachers and strangers) typically gave you the benefit of the doubt.
Fast forward to today, as an older, GAY, white man, that just so happens to be Jewish, much of that privilege is gone, because being GAY trumps all other parts to who I am. More than half of the Jews I know don't accept my sexual preference. More than half of my peers in my age group aren't cool enough yet to accept someone that is gay. Not to mention that NYC is so damn racially diverse that having white skin color and facial features isn't the calling card it once was in the 70's & 80's.
Now, is there such a thing as whites that are so poor that their skin color alone doesn't separate them from their obvious economic class? Yes. If you're a downtrodden, backwoods, low-brow, knuckle dragging behemoth that has kids with his cousin and makes meth out of your trailer, then I can see where you might lack the kind of white privilege that is advertised on TV. Having white privilege also comes with certain requirements (i.e. price of admission), that being you must have money. Money separates those that are afforded a certain level of respect and actually heard when they speak, from those that are inconsequential.
White privilege is not so much about whites getting free money or opportunities at their doorstep, instead it means that you will not suffer the same level of hardship afforded to our African American counterparts by Law Enforcement.
That said, did anyone else see George Floyd's porno promo video? Will post in another thread.
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