White Privilege Covert Racism

Crash & Burn: Racism Transcends Time Once a ruling class establishes itself, those who are different, usually by race or wealth, are cast to the lower edge of society, where they must fight to overcome their predisposition. In America, white males have long been at the top of the social ladder, where many have fought to preserve their status. Although times have changed, racism continues to persist in American society, but it has largely shifted from overt racism to covert racism. Examples of the shift in racism can be seen the movies Mississippi Burning, The Color of Fear, and Crash. Additionally, author Peggy McIntosh’s article “White Privilege,” illustrates how white privilege preserves covert racism.
The movie Mississippi Burning was
In her article she points out how schools fuel covert racism. She defines covert racism when she writes, “I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets.” She points to education as the foundation when she writes, “My schooling gave me no training in seeing myself as an oppressor, as an unfairly advantaged person, or as a participant in a damaged culture.” As pointed out earlier, education plays a role in supporting overt racism, and McIntosh suggests that it supports covert racism as well. McIntosh focuses on white privilege but does not link it to racism. Although covert racism exists, it is different than privilege. Privilege insinuates an unfair advantage offered to one over another; implying that whites cheat the system. The fact is whites are offered the opportunities and rights that should be afforded to all people regardless of race. Non-whites are repressed and oppressed by covert racism, which is the byproduct of the white privilege. McIntosh expounds on the idea when she writes, “In proportion as my racial group was being made confident, comfortable, and oblivious, other groups were likely being made inconfident, uncomfortable, and alienated.” Rather than linking the two ideas together, it is more of a cause and effect relationship—because of whites receive more privileges than non-whites, non-whites feel targeted for their race. Until whites can share their privilege with non-whites, they will continue to support and preserve covert