Addressing White Privilege

Since I first started posting about this topic, I realized that although I was focusing on the human nature at a fundamental level, there are other views to consider as well. For instance, I recall many years ago reading about the differences in experiences between black people and white people, and wondering what that was all about – especially since I could not personally recall observing prejudice against blacks even though my life involved me associating with people of all walks of life and ethnicity - especially black people (not just African-Americans). In short, I didn't think of black people any differently than any of the other people of diverse ethnic groups I've associated with, so why would their experience be any different than mine? I was naive. My first reaction was defensiveness against what seemed like imposed guilt. This was my first experience with White Privilege. (It is important to note that I'm not sure I was aware of the term White Privilege then ...

An interesting twist is the proof our Color Coded System (CCS) can be retrained (see post: Fundamental Human Nature ). Specifically, as noted in several studies in psychology and neuroscience, American culture seems to have trained it to where statistically, more people regardless of their race or ethnicity favor whites over blacks. This reveals that symbols and communications in a culture can determine how our CCS influences our thoughts and actions. Others studies show this preference, and negative stereotypes prevalent in our culture, influence and correlate with the statistical differences between blacks and whites academic performance, as well as socioeconomic status. The how underlying this is partially explained by the video in the previous post ( Fundamental Human Nature). So what does this mean? We need to stop pointing our fingers, and increase our education about relevant human nature so we can make strides to remove stereotypes in our culture. But also to educate all - in...

One of the realizations we have to face is there is indeed an uneven playing field in America, often referred to as White Privilege. This term refers to the consequence of and provides social meaning to the condition typically cited in academia termed Modern Racism. Although I believe use of White Privilege can be counterproductive by reinforcing group boundaries, it has a poignant effect that raises awareness of the issue. It can also cause a defensive backlash. It is hoped here that readers can get beyond any reactivity or defensiveness regarding the topic of White Privilege. My intent is to honestly treat the issue with as little political bias as possible. So I urge you to focus on content and not on trying to "read" me. Granted, overt and even covert discrimination resulting in unfair treatment is now usually unlawful, and great progress has been made socially. We do have to recognize that never before in the history of this country have minority groups suffered less di...