White Privilege has been written about elsewhere. Below is an important link to many significant essays on the subject. But Richard Muhammad, The Black World Today, stated its historical origin: "The Dred Scott decision in 1857 declared a Black man had no rights a White man was bound to respect, and enshrined privileges enjoyed by America's Caucasian males as the law of the land."

White Privilege is defined as a right, advantage, or immunity granted to or enjoyed by White persons beyond the common advantage of all others; an exemption in many particular cases from certain burdens, assumptions, stereotypes, liabilities, or responsibilities; to give to White persons special freedoms or immunities.

Some time ago, I was interviewing Dr. Bonner, sculptor and medical doctor, for the lead story in Gibbs magazine and that White Privileged person intruded into our interview. As we sat outside at a coffee house in Oakland, my tape running and questions going, a White thirty-something male sat behind us, replacing the Black thirty-something male who had been there when the interview began. The Black male had sat without any seeming notice of what we were doing--I am not one who talks with such pomposity that the world must stand at attention to hear me (a trait that seems ubiquitous in our chic American bistros). Our conversation was discreet and individualized. But as the interview went on, we started to notice that the White male had replaced the Black male, as the White male had nudged himself closer to us and made several intrusive comments about what we were talking about.

We passed his comments off as the words of one in need of recognition, conversation, or just a poorly raised individual. Dr. Bonner gave him a card about her art shows and asked him to visit--that was her polite way of recognizing him and hurrying him off the scene, our scene, so we could continue the interview. However, minutes later, we saw that he would not be hurried along, and he would not allow us to continue the interview unmolested by his importance. He began to actively overhear our interview.

Finally, near the end of the interview, as we had started reflecting on various social conditions (White Privilege was one), he got up, stood over our table, and started telling us that he could not help but overhear our conversation. And as we offered him the courtesy one would offer to the desperately in need of conversation person or the mentally ill, that is, a momentary indulgence of a temporary intrusion into your right to be left alone, we recognized that he was attempting to affix himself to our interview.

He did not appear to be mentally ill, but he seemed of average White intelligence. Yet, he was assuming a right to encroach into and make himself a part of our private conversation. Furthermore, he was assuming that what he had to say was of such import that we wanted or needed to hear it and that he would add substance to our discussion and possibly to our being. Where were these assumptions, and the many others I am sure he had, coming from?

There are many rationalizations that can explain his abrasive encroachment, without any regard for our right to be left alone. But White Privilege can also explain it and may, in fact, be the sole cause.

Dr. Bonner waved her hand in a gesture that said, move on, a gesture he did not regard because he was absorbed with himself and sure that we wanted to have him or his "light" in our conversation. After all, isn't that why people go to bistros?

Since I have seen too much of White Privilege, and I do not regard it as a legitimate right I should accord Whites, I repelled what he was attempting to say to us about himself, by rudely saying to him that we were not interested in what he had to say; we wanted to be left alone.

With that said, he turned red, his lips started to quiver, and he went from us, saying that we had attitude!  And that we did! We did not allow his meaningless words, unsolicited by us, to intrude into our discussion, and we did not regard any assumed white right he thought he had to insert himself into our communion.

Many argue that White Privilege is an extension of White racism, and as long as ethnic minority people accept it, Whites will use it. 

Martin Luther King, Jr., once wrote that the privileged seldom give up their privilege position voluntarily; it must be demanded of them.* It is egotistical for anyone to think that what he or she has to say is so important that others must give regard to his/her words or presence. 

This is one of the notions of White Privilege as practiced by many whites in the USA. This is also a behavioral flaw, and this man's action demonstrated that his parenting was woefully lacking. []

_________
*A Letter from A Birmingham Jail, 1963

8.22.05

Home