White privilege

Posted: November 30th, 2013

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White privilege

The cartoons display the vice of racism towards people who are not white. There are different situations where people show discrimination towards black people because of their skin color. The first picture shows a white person sharing an opinion on immigration laws. He thinks the government should make laws to allow only white people to immigrate in the country. According to him, white people are the right people, and black people do not deserve to be in the country. It is vital to note that this man does not give any valid reason why black people should not be let into the country. He just dislikes them because they have dark complexion.

The artist has used a boy called Bob as an example of a white boy to illustrate racism. In the next illustration, Bob’s parents easily secure a mortgage as opposed to a black couple also seeking it. Bob’s parents are easily given, but the black couple is turned down. Acquiring a home is a necessity to everyone and no one should be denied if he or she could afford it. When black people are forbidden to fulfill basic needs, they are subjected to a miserable life. It is impossible for them to have a decent life if they cannot own a house.

Racism does not only apply on adults but also on children. White children are respected, but black children are mistreated. For instance, the cartoon shows Bob when he was caught with drugs by a police officer. The white officer was lenient with him and did not charge him. The same officer arrested an innocent girl and escorted her to the police station. Racism makes law enforcers break the law and become corrupt. Leniency towards offenses made by white people encourages them to continue breaking the law. Bob is likely to continue using and dealing with drugs because he is aware of officers’ leniency.

I have realized that racism renders black people vulnerable to many risks. They cannot be protected by the law because white law enforcers are neglecting them. They cannot contribute to the development of the country because they are denied all the possible chances. For instance, the pictures have a situation where a black man cannot get employment, regardless of his qualifications and skills. The employer tells a new white employee that he is welcome, and they only offer jobs to the white people. The black applicant is told there is no opportunity for him.

I think that lack of employment and quality education limits the chances of development to black people. They cannot contribute to the development of the country because they lack knowledge and basic requirements. The biggest population with poor people will be the blacks since they are low-income earners or jobless. All people are equal, and color complexion should not make people dislike each other. It is unjust to deny some citizens their rights, yet they did not choose their race. All through the years, white people have witnessed contribution of black people to the society and country as a whole. Therefore, they have no reason to discriminate against them.

Black Americans originated from Africa and the first time they went to America they were slaves. I tend to think this is one of the contributing factors to racism. They were seen as inferior, and this notion was passed to the future generations. Racism still exists because some people still believe black people are worthless, and so they do not belong in America or any other country for white people. However, I have made an observation and noted significant improvement in the white people’s attitude towards black people. Not all white people are racists, and racism has reduced at a huge rate. In fact, USA is being ruled by an African American president. This is an indication of white people’s acceptance of black people in their country. Many black people have also been allowed to become citizens in America. However, Robert Jensen notes in his book “The Heart of Whiteness: Confronting Race, Racism, and White Privilege” that pretending that racism is over could make the situation worse. Jensen notes that overt racism may have declined considerably, but it is people’s mindset, which should change. Therefore, unless everyone gets equal opportunity despite of his or her race, then a problem still exists.

From a personal standpoint, I have noted that racism is everywhere in the society but is sometimes coated as being normal profiling by those around us. For instance, a police office will not treat a white suspect in the same manner as when he arrests a black individual. In fact, when a police office pulls over a white woman for an infraction on the road, she is likely to go off with a warning. On the other hand, a black man with a similar offence is more likely to get a ticket, or be grilled over being possibly intoxicated or in the possession of drugs or weapons. This is usually considered as normal profiling, but it is racist in its core.