White privilege is that particular social privilege which benefits white people more in certain societies, especially if they’re otherwise under similar social, economic, or political conditions. It’s a double-edged sword in that it benefits those with white skin by giving them privileges that they can’t really count on in society unless they actually have to use those privileges. White privilege, therefore, is very important for those of us who want to have the power and influence which we all know are usually enjoyed by people who do have it but cannot actually get there through our hard work alone.
White privilege also extends beyond the privileged and the not-privileged. It even extends to people who are considered to be racial minorities, which includes people of other ethnicities, cultures, nationalities, and beliefs. These people will often experience different treatment from others because of their race or ethnic background which makes the person who has to deal with it feel like he’s being punished for something he doesn’t really do. That’s the white privilege in action! There’s no doubt about it! The white privilege of course helps the white man a lot, but what about the white woman? It’s unfair to say that women are treated better by other men and therefore that they’ve got white privilege as well, but in general they get a bit more leeway than men in society.
And it gets worse; many people of color don’t actually understand what white privilege means. They don’t realize that they can benefit just as much as anyone else, so they don’t fight against it. The white privilege in our society is definitely an enigma. Some people try to live by it and some people just ignore it completely, but for the most part it’s a real problem that needs to be addressed.