The Myth of White Privilege

Dorothy melts the Wicked Witch of the West, by W.W. Denslow, from The Wizard of Oz (Public Domain)

Now that I have your attention, let me clarify: Of course, there are certain privileges which come with light-skin. So, you don’t need to rattle them off to me — that would just be preaching to the choir. The myth of white privilege is that it is a net benefit to those on whom it is supposed to be endowed. This is the myth that was foisted on poor whites by slaveowners, to keep them from allying with enslaved blacks. This is the myth which is responsible for the premature end of Reconstruction, the beginning of Jim Crow and the terror of the KKK. This is the myth which Donald Trump sells to his supporters like snake oil. However well-intentioned those who focus on “White Privilege” today, their focus only reinforces the myth which is the foundation of racism in America. It’s time to throw a bucket of water on this myth.

Before I jump in, let me clarify one more thing. I am not interested in blaming anybody, nor in exonerating anybody from blame. My interest is in solving the problem of racism. What follows comes from that perspective.

THE ORIGIN OF WHITE PRIVILEGE

What we now call “White Privilege” can be traced to the writings of W.E.B. DuBois. But what he was actually saying has become twisted in the current discussion. The theme of DuBois’ book — Black Reconstruction in America — was a lament over the failure to join white…