I Used To Be A Naysayer

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 or if it was around, but the message was the same.)

However, it raised awareness within me of at least the possibility there was a phenomenon afoot, even subtle, giving non-white people a different experience in life than white people. I decided I was going to investigate and find out for myself - instead of just remaining defensive and in disbelief. Was the average black person indeed experiencing the downside of White Privilege? I found the answer was Yes! So I researched to find out why. So this is another view of addressing White Privilege that is important to focus on: raising awareness.

Expanding the views of a human being is a process, not an event.

That experience led me to take interest in and investigate the scientific evidence involved behind this phenomenon. I found a "lowest common denominator" in human nature that could underpin such phenomenon as well as other similar phenomenon that is not specific to racism.

There are a vast number of Americans who do not believe that prejudice is still a problem, and consequently that black people get more help than they deserve. This is called modern racism in academia, and called White Privilege in society, which is the end result.

My message to all those who do not believe this is so, is to look at this with more of an open mind than before. To do so one must accept the possibility they hold ambivalent attitudes about those of another race, and that perhaps some of those attitudes are implicit. Finally, this does not challenge your belief that you are not racist.

One technique you might use to help you have an open mind is if you find yourself drawing negative conclusions about those who do believe White Privilege exists (e.g. conspiracy theories), or negative conclusion about blacks (e.g. they are unfairly taking advantage and playing the victim), to force yourself to stop, "step back", and reconsider how you are looking at it. Instead of fighting against broadening your view, why not consider it?

What I intend to treat here is fundamental human nature we all exhibit. We all are implicitly "racist". However, I prefer to replace the term racism with preferential or biased. The reason is even overt racism of the past is a manifestation of fundamental human nature we all share. The differences come from how we elaborate or respond to our fundamental nature. Some of the aspects of involved human nature may not be involved en mass as before, but there is some that were influential then and are tipping the playing field today.

So let's try to get passed defensiveness and reactivity to the message that we all have a tendency for racial preferences operating below our level of awareness, but that we can learn to mediate those preferences consciously and even to retrain our preferences.

Years ago before I took the first step with an open mind, I used to be defensive and would find myself rationalizing why I didn't believe White Privilege existed. Today I not only believe it but understand the underlying science as a universal human phenomenon. I am not joining any political bandwagon; I'm just accepting what I believe to be true.

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