Racial Inequality and White Privilege in the United States

This article discusses the issue of racial inequality and white privilege in the United States, highlighting the need for education and collective action. It includes a critique of two articles on the topic.

Running head: PSYCHOLOGY
Psychology
Name of the student
University name
Author’s note

1
PSYCHOLOGY
Table of Contents
Discussion of Article 1:..............................................................................................................2
Discussion of Article 2:..............................................................................................................3
Critique of the articles................................................................................................................4
Bibliography...............................................................................................................................6

2
PSYCHOLOGY
Discussion of Article 1:
The article discusses regarding racial inequality which has been rampant within the
United States. There has been huge amount of controversy regarding the privileges provided
to the white Americans in comparison to the black people. The article discusses the exact
lines on which the racial discrimination has been done. The discrimination could be discussed
with regards to a number of parameters such as economic stability, social inclusion,
educational and health support. Some of the discriminatory attitudes have continued since
time immemorial. In the past there had been incidents of cruelty against the no-so-white
people such as their lands had been stolen, being enslaved, tortured, murdered, wrongfully
imprisoned and put into concentration camps. The article correctly highlights that to prevent
or stop the incidents of racial discrimination; firstly it becomes crucial to educate the public
regarding the exact nature and context of racism. As argued by the author, there have been
huge amount of retaliation from some of the white Americans recently who are defending the
white privileges endowed upon them by highlighting individual or personal struggle.
However, the white Americans need to understand that talking about discrimination do not
mean pulling down the struggles or the hardships faced by them1. On the contrary, it simply
means putting everyone on the same page or making the rights equal with regards to
education, health, social inclusion2.
1 Howerton, K. “White Privilege Doesn’t Mean What You Think it Means”. Huffpost.
huffingtonpost.com, 6 Dec. 2017. Web. 9 Jul. 2018.
2 Collins, Patricia Hill. "Toward a new vision: Race, class, and gender as categories of
analysis and connection." Race, Gender and Class. Routledge, 2016. 65-75.

3
PSYCHOLOGY
Discussion of Article 2:
A lot of argumentative talk has been on the rise recently regarding the privileges
given to white males. The white people have increasingly been talking about the struggles or
the difficulties faced by them in their lives and that it had never been easy for them to achieve
success either. As argued by the author, there is a certain section of the society, though
belonging to the white race are economically less privileged3. Additionally, discriminations
based upon colour of the skin are equally distressing for the white people. As expressed by
Fortgang in his piece of writing, the author goes on to correctly highlight the form of racism
which pulls every individual within a collective streamline and belittles individual
achievements or establishments. The author goes on to highlight that he feels sympathesized
by the discriminations and the inequalities to which the black Americans are subjected.
However, the matter of inequality has been built into a political agenda, which sees
everything the white has, as privileges4. The collective voices are prejudiced which negates
the seed of hard work implanted by the white people. The author further argues against the
belief that everything which has been handed over to them is a boon from the patriarchy. He
retaliates by saying that his family had seen hardships and was not easy for them his
ancestors to claim the social position where they stand today.
3 Fortgang, T. “Why I'll Never Apologize for My White Male Privilege”. Time. Time.com, 2
May. 2014. Web. 8 Jul. 2018.
4 Robinson-Wood, Tracy. The convergence of race, ethnicity, and gender: Multiple identities
in counseling. Sage Publications, 2016.

4
PSYCHOLOGY
Critique of the articles
In my evaluation though the articles, I have come across two different viewpoints.
One view point says that racial discriminations are still continued by way of holding onto a
perspective where the white defends the privileges provided to them by way of enlisting the
struggles which have been faced by them5. I felt that there was a need to educate the
community regarding the real nature of discrimination which is always collective. In the
context of fighting against discrimination, it is always meant to provide a collective relief
based upon the volume of the problem rather than attacking against individual privileges6.
However, it has been reported that the lack of effective remedial actions and policies has
resulted in social gaps7. The problem is that two distinct communities have been formed
based on the lines of year old mutual resentment. As reported, thinking about collective
community good the privileges need to be equally distributed8. On the other hand, some of
5 White, Richard. It's your misfortune and none of my own: A new history of the American
West. University of Oklahoma Press, 2015.
6 Bell, Lee Anne, and Maurianne Adams. "Racism and white privilege." Teaching for
diversity and social justice. Routledge, 2016. 151-200.
7 Wallis, Jim. America's original sin: Racism, white privilege, and the bridge to a new
America. Brazos Press, 2016.
8 Hastie, Brianne, and David Rimmington. "‘200 years of white affirmative action’: White
privilege discourse in discussions of racial inequality." Discourse & Society 25.2 (2014):
186-204.

5
PSYCHOLOGY
the white people may be suffering from economic instability. Hence, the lack in revision of
policies may be a limiting factor.
I think, some of the questions in the articles were biased as each side had highlighted
their peril and none talked about the development of a commonly accepted solution. In this
regard, arguments and counter arguments have been presented for and against the white
privileges. However, I think it missed the aspect of implementing and promoting equality.
One piece of literature says that collective community rights should be supported. The second
piece of literature defends the white privileges. However, both the pieces of literature fail to
discuss the equality status quo which could be provided to support the white as well as the
black Americans.

6
PSYCHOLOGY
Bibliography
Bell, Lee Anne, and Maurianne Adams. "Racism and white privilege." Teaching for diversity
and social justice. Routledge, 2016. 151-200.
Collins, Patricia Hill. "Toward a new vision: Race, class, and gender as categories of analysis
and connection." Race, Gender and Class. Routledge, 2016. 65-75.
Fortgang, T. “Why I'll Never Apologize for My White Male Privilege”. Time. Time.com, 2
May. 2014. Web. 8 Jul. 2018.
Hastie, Brianne, and David Rimmington. "‘200 years of white affirmative action’: White
privilege discourse in discussions of racial inequality." Discourse & Society 25.2 (2014):
186-204.
Howerton, K. “White Privilege Doesn’t Mean What You Think it Means”. Huffpost.
huffingtonpost.com, 6 Dec. 2017. Web. 9 Jul. 2018.
Robinson-Wood, Tracy. The convergence of race, ethnicity, and gender: Multiple identities
in counseling. Sage Publications, 2016.
Wallis, Jim. America's original sin: Racism, white privilege, and the bridge to a new
America. Brazos Press, 2016.
White, Richard. It's your misfortune and none of my own: A new history of the American
West. University of Oklahoma Press, 2015.