privledge

In the article we read by Peggy McIntosh she listed how white privledge in present in her life and how it puts her at an advantage. I have been privlidged throughout my life without realizing it too (I'm also adding class privledge). 10 of the ways I am privlidges of being white and middle class are are:

1. I can talk back to cops without being seen as threatening or dangerous and I am more likely to be given a warning when i get pulled over

2. No one supects that I got into college for any other reason than my academic ability

3. I can get away with things at work that are against company (company being aramark...aka the JMU dining halls) policy such as eating on the job, showing up late, taking more breaks than I'm supposed to and staying longer than I'm scheduled to to earn more hours. Eventhough I do all these things on a regular basis, I'm still viewed as a good employee. When people who aren't white do those things they always get caught and always have negative consequences, usually getting written up or fired.

4. When I go out to the bar, the bar tender will come to me sooner than someone who isn't white becasue they assume that I am going to tip them better.

5. My family is able to pay for me to go to college and when i graduate, I will start off with a clean slate. Other people who don't come from families who have enough money to pay for college will graduate with debt putting them at a disadvantage eventhough they recieved the same education as me. Many people who come from families who don't have much money also grow up with the idea that they will never be able to afford college so they never try to get in eventhough they are inteligent and hard working enough to go. They have still been taught through sublte cultural messages that college is not an option, eventhough scholarships and loans exits.

6. I went to UVA before I transfered here and knew people who were in black fertanities and sororities. Most of the the parties held by these organizations didn't have alcohol. They were dry dance parties. Most white fraternities on the other hand had large amounts of alcohol, mostly consumed by underage students. Their kegs were out on the front lawn, beer pong was played on the front porch, and the parties were so big that they spilled outside of the house onto the lawn and side walk. I have been to one of these white frat parties, stood on the sidewalk (public property mind you) with a beer in my hand and seen a cop drive by look at what was going on and keep driving. I was told that cops around here don't really care becasue they assume that UVA students were "good kids." In fact they were suprised to see a cop car at all. However I'm told that at black frat parties where little if any drinking goes on that there is always a cop car parked outside carfully watching people enter and leave the party. Clearly there is a white advantage.

7. I can drive a nice car or wear nice jewelry without anyone assuming that I'm a drug dealer.

8. If I ever get down on my luck and have financial problems, people will actually feel bad for me and assume that it was becasue of unfortunate circumstances, not because I'm lazy

9. There aren't very many deragatory terms for my race and I'm not offended by the ones that do exist

10. I am able to question authority safely