Rant for today. People dont understand what white privilege is about. Its not about power. Its about status derived from the colour of ones skin. Someone in Pontiac Michigan called police to report that a black man was walking down a street with his hands in his pockets in freezing weather. So - naturally - the police stop him to ask if he was a robber. There is no mention that a robbery has occurred. The black mans indignation at being racially profiled is taken as further evidence that he is behaving suspiciously. A caucasian man walking down a street in Pontiac Michigan knows he would never be treated like this without more. That is what white privilege is about. Its not just about wealth and power. Its also about knowing with certainty that being caucasian means you will not be treated as black people or other minorities, and believing that your future is filled with possibilities and opportunities. Canada has a negative growth rate. That means without immigration, Canadas population will decrease. Immigration at present is largely from countries populated by people of colour. This suggests that within a few generations Canadas white population will be in the minority, and any discussion of white privilege will disappear eventually. It may take time, for old habits die hard, and like South Africa, people in with privilege try to hang on to that privilege even in the face of diminishing numbers or minority position. When California was faced with the possibility of having a majority Latino Spanish speaking population in the 1980s, those in power passed an amendment to the States Constitution (Proposition 63 in 1986) declaring that English as the only official language of the State. Privilege is like a bag of candy. Most might share some, but giving it all away is pretty much out of the question.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 16:13:03 +0000
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