Why I don't think the phrase/argument white privilege is effective.

[ReasonableToo]

101. I dislike the term because...

...if it was coined by the right, it's a genius way to divide people and coax whites to the GOP side. Many whites don't think that they are getting anything special so they can discount the concept out of hand as nonexistent. They can say that PoC want some special treatment. "It's reverse racism", they claim. Many otherwise fair-minded people get defensive because they don't see privilege and lean toward the right since the right is the side that says white privilege doesn't exist. If the phrase was coined by the left then it's an unfortunate gift to the right for the same reason.

I think what people see as "privilege" is really the way everyone should be treated all the time. Because whites are treated this way and PoC are not, one could say PoC are "disadvantaged" but who wants to acknowledge that their normal way of life is being "disadvantaged"?

PoC don't want to think of themselves as disadvantaged and whites don't want to think of themselves as privileged. Yet the reality is that whites and PoC are not treated the same. They do not operate on a level playing field in most instances.

This country has threads of racism woven through it's history if one would only look. From slavery, of course, to laws against property ownership to laws against voting. Even though the racist laws are pretty much removed by now, the damage of institutional racism has been done. Even though the racist laws are pretty much removed, the spirit of those racist laws remain in law enforcement, the justice system, employment decisions, drawing voting districts, etc. Too many people are still raising their children to hate other races.

Equal civil rights for all - black, white, hispanic, native american, LGBTQ, atheist, muslim - no one should be disadvantaged.

Bonus: The other phrase I don't like is to "tolerate differences" I prefer to RESPECT differences.