White Privilege

Is Actually

Individual Achievement

 

People with a racialistic mindset, stereotype a very large diverse group of people based on skin tone alone. Regardless of their economic, intellectual, educational, health, physical condition, location in the nation or country of origin, these racial minded people lump every person with a certain range of skin tone as exactly alike in circumstance and situation.

 

They are all 'White' and they each share a special exclusive “privilege” not available to other people with a different range of skin tone. In this view, a so called 'White' person from Appalachia, who arrives in New York City as a hobo in a railroad boxcar, has privileges not available to a poor black millionaire basketball star arriving by limousine.

 

So called 'White Privilege' is an accepted subject on many college campuses and endorsed by many professors in the institutions. It is indicative of the absurd curricular now passing as education today at some university institutions. Using the same stereotypical terminology used to define 'White Privilege', in actually the terminology should be 'White Achievement'

 

The book, The Black and White of Racism by Waylon Allen addresses this issue:

 

Any advantage or achievement an individual person has, regardless of skin color, has a history and cause. It does not just pop out of thin air or just infuse the skin with whiteness and privilege. There is a reason why someone has a situation or position of excellence. Most often it is earned, sometimes if is inherited, it might be simply good fortune like winning the lottery.

 

If an individual can excel in this nation, then they will likely prosper regardless of so call “privilege” or skin tone.“We have very dark skinned people immigrating to this country from India. Many come from circumstances that an average America would consider very poor economically. Often their skin is darker than many so called “Blacks”. Yet they excel in fields of technology, science and medicine. As in the field of Basketball, the most capable and qualified excel and achieve in their perspective fields. For a racialist that uses skin tone and color as a racial designation there might be a dilemma here. They might want to think of successful immigrants from India in terms of very dark skinned “White” people just to make everything fit in the racialist mind-set. (2)

 

If you were to check the demographics of all the individual people in America, you would find that the economic, educational, life experience, and total racial heritage of each individual is varied and different. Likely you would not find any two individuals, outside each person’s family, that are just alike regardless of skin color and tone. (3)

 

You do not see many so called “White” professional basketball players. This is not because “white” basketball players are discriminated against, or are unable to play the game. The reason so called “Black” people dominate the field is because they each individually excel at the sport. There are some sports that so called “White” players seem to excel. In each individual case, the achievement in the sport is based on individual ability and capability. This achievement through individual excellence is reflected throughout all aspects of sports, business, science and entertainment in America.

 

You would find that there are very rich people both so called “White” or “Black”. You would also find that there are very poor people of all skin colors. Being a particular skin color does not exclude that individual from being wealthy or less fortunate economically. (4)

 

According to the National Center for Children Poverty, the numbers belie the existence of some "white privilege" birthright for all people with “white skin”. The following facts are from a news release with the title: Poverty by the Numbers By Race, White Children Make Up the Biggest Percentage of America’s Poor.

 

“A fact sheet released today by the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) shows that, contrary to some common stereotypes about America’s poor, at least one-third of the 13 million children living in poverty are white.

 

The NCCP fact sheet shows that among America’s poor children, 4.2 million are white, 4 million are Latino, 3.6 million are African American, 400,000 are Asian, and 200,000 are American Indian.”  (5)

 

So, if “White Privilege” is actually the results of “White Achievement” what are thoes achievements? The author of “The Black and White of Racism” notes:

 

"I would prefer the following to point out “Human Achievements”. I would prefer to think of the “Human Race” rather than “Blacks”, “White”, “Latinos”, and “Asians”, etc.

I would prefer it if the members of the human race were considered individuals rather than the tribe or aggregate. However, I have to use the racialist vernacular to deal with the racialistic mind-set.

 

“White People” and Western Civilization have earned privilege and advantage because:

• They gave the world the concept of Democracy.

• They gave the world the concept of Individual Liberty.

• They gave the world the concept of Money.

• They gave the world the concept of Economic Systems.

• They gave the world Electricity.

• They gave the world the concept of paved roads.

• They gave the world Automobiles.

• They gave the world Airplanes.

• They gave the world Radio.

• They gave the world Television.

• They gave the world Cell Phones.

• They gave the world Computers.

• They gave the world most of the cures for disease.

• They gave the world the concept of Universities.

• They gave the world classical music.

• They gave the world Opera (Sorry!). (6)

 

The author continues the Cultural Advantages achieved by so called "White People":

 

"...Even though there is now an academic movement to defame the descendants of the benefactors of Western Civilization, (do) not be deceived. Consider the contribution Western Culture has made to humanity. Those that would undermine rather than appreciate the beneficence would never give up what has been bequeathed to them. They may disparage and discredit the contributors but they would not be willing to surrender the contributions.

 

The advantage (so called, White people) do have is being from a lineage reaching back about 2400 years that has been influenced by Western Civilization. Western Civilization is rooted in classic Greek and ancient Roman culture which advanced through time in Europe expanding scientific, technological and philosophical knowledge. (The) ancestral ascendancy of (what are called "White People") was an intellectual evolution that literally transformed the natural physical environment with cities, rapid transportation, business enterprises, educational institutions, hospitals, restaurants, government facilities, museums, entertainment venues, food stores, and service establishments for example.

 

In reality this is an achievement of humankind that expresses the potential for human progress. I am ignoring other advanced and significant civilizations since they are not relevant here.

 

With the development of architectural, engineering, scientific and manufacturing abilities in Western Culture, progress seems to be limited only by their imagination and physical dexterity. Where primitive native people were dominated by the natural environment, the citizens of Western Culture were beginning to dominate, in some ways, their environment. Where the native people were subject to the climate, people in the Western world were beginning to reside in buildings with controlled temperature, perhaps, not even knowing the weather outside.

 

In many ways this is an extraordinary advantage that, in the view of some, would be privilege.

 

I feel that it can be reasonably argued, however, that the quality of life, the enjoyment of life, and the emotional satisfaction of living can be as good, or even better,  for a group of people living, say, in the Amazon jungle in the most pristine primitive environment. These people may have a more intimate relationship with nature and their families than we can even imagine. Realizing that life is a mental translation of the physical, then they may live in a state of bliss impossible in the hustle bustle of the modern world.

 

But the point is, in America today, many of us strive to obtain the most social, educational, and economic achievement possible. Most want to have the best spouse, live in the best dwelling, have the best job, earn the best salary and have the best social status available. This sometimes results in frustration and envy that spawns resentment and animosity. Rather than appreciate and enjoy what they do have, they distress over what they do not have. They mentally choose dissatisfaction over happiness. (7)

 

In reality, American's today are combined in linage. As stressed in other discussion topics, there simply are no pure "White" or "Black" people...in fact there is no such thing as "White" or "Black " people, that is a racist distinction that is not supported by any fact or science. As citizens, we all share the same cultural achievements based on the fact, that regardless of our skin color, we are all homo sapiens that are biologically the same. We all have mixed DNA. In fact, DNA only indicates our ancestral places of origin on the Earth, making each of us simply members of the human race from different geographical locations.

 

If we can abandon false racial divisions and embrace our mutually beneficial American Culture, which is based on the principle that we are each equal as people and citizens, then we can all enjoy and share in the wondrous potential future we can have as a nation. (Read Article  "Equality Is Not Being Exactly the Same" below)

 

Or we can go down and decline as a nation in a turmoil of blame, accusation, resentment and animosity. As a polarized people in conflict with each other, we will first lose from within and then eventually from without. Facing the challenges we do today as a nation in the World, we need each other to survive. Divided we fail, united we all succeed and prosper.

 

Stop now being Black, Brown, Red, White, or Yellow. Don't allow anyone to deceive you with some phony racial division. Be free, be individual and be a full-fledged American citizen.

 

Written by Waylon Allen,

July 4, 2017

 

 

 Reference:

(1) "The Black and White of Racism" by Waylon Allen, page 78

(2) "The Black and White of Racism" by Waylon Allen, page 18

(3)  "The Black and White of Racism" by Waylon Allen, page 13

(4) "The Black and White of Racism" by Waylon Allen, page 17

(5)  Poverty by the Numbrs. National Center for Children in Proverty. [Online] http://nccp.org/media/releases/release_34.html

(6) "The Black and White of Racism" by Waylon Allen, page81

(7) "The Black and White of Racism" by Waylon Allen, page 82,83)

 

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