America’s white fragility complex: Why white people get so defensive about their privilege

[guillaumeb]

3. is this a self-defense strategy to protect the ego?

The US was founded on white privilege. The country was built largely on slave labor. Mix in the genocide of the First Peoples and we have a recipe for white supremacy.

But many white people will insist that all race based discrimination ended in 1865. Any differences in educational accomplishment, wealth accumulation, housing, and a host of other things can be explained as some people work harder than others. I am certain that many rich people would insist that they are rich simply because they work hard, not because their wealth and color give them more access to successful situations.

Many Americans also have a very cartoon-like view of American history, where all the wars are explained as defensive reactions to outside evil rather than the natural result of the expansion of the American Empire.

So when we combine American exceptionalism with a distorted view of history and add in race based prejudice it should be no surprise that many people feel they have earned what they have based solely on their personal accomplishments.

It then becomes necessary to deny that racism exists. To admit to racism one would have to admit that the foundation of your American success story is based on a lie.