I tried to convince a friend such a thing as "White Privilege" existed

[Orrex]

6. In conversations on the subject, I've found it helpful...

to withhold the phrase "white privilege" until later in the discussion, and I avoid the use of "privilege checklists" to the extent possible.

If you open with the straightforward term, it immediately engages the other person's defenses, and it becomes considerably harder to get the point across because the person gets hung up on the idea of "privilege."

I have found it more fruitful to recount examples from my own experience where my "white privilege" has benefited me (in dealing with cops, in customer service, in reactions on a crowded bus, etc.), thereafter observing how these experiences might have been different if I were a person of color. Eventually, after describing the overall phenomenon, I can identify it by name.


One's mileage may vary, but I know that I resisted the notion of "privilege" when it was first presented to me, because it was presented in a way that made it seem (to me) like a personal and deliberate behavior on my part. In my case, a more general explanation-by-example would likely have met less resistance.