A common misconception is that the end of legal segregation was the end of institutionalized racism in America. But, in reality, 50 years after the Civil Rights Act was added to the Constitution, institutionalized racism still exists, with Michael Brown and Eric Garner as two recent victims. To deny that there is still a race issue in the U.S. is to be blinded by ignorance and white privilege.
Here is a brief history lesson. In the 1954 landmark case Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court declared segregation of public schools unconstitutional and the federal government outlawed separate but equal” legislation nationwide. This was not a popular ruling: a majority of the U.S. population in the South passionately supported segregation and violent protests ensued. Opposition was so strong that African American students had to be escorted by the military to newly integrated schools.
Ten years later, thanks to the passionate protests of the Civil Rights Movement, the federal government passed The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made all public segregation unconstitutional, made way for affirmative action, protected voting rights and created a system for equal employment opportunities. An end to segregation had to be mandated by the federal government, a law that would typically be reserved for state governments, because the American public was too racist to actually enact change. While African Americans are granted equal protection and rights in the eyes of the law, they are not granted equal rights and protection in the eyes of society still filled with hostile racism.
Granted, modern-day society is by no means as racist as it was in the 1960s. We were all taught that segregation was wrong and to respect Martin Luther King Jr. in elementary school. Still, several of us assume that the system we have in place is enough to foster equal opportunity and protection and that there does not need to be any more reform. White privilege, defined as rights, advantages, or immunity granted to or enjoyed by white people beyond the common advantage of all others, makes it impossible for non-black society to understand that a change needs to made because they do not see or experience institutionalized racism and, therefore, assume that the system is perfectly fine. However, other races, particularly African American communities, face social, political and economic disadvantages because they live in a society where they are less socially dominant and still face racism and discrimination. While “separate but equal” is illegal, different treatment according to racial stereotypes and racial profiling and lower funding for public facilities in predominantly black areas perpetuates a different kind of separate but equal.
The Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases brought the issues of police brutality in African American communities to public attention. Honestly, I have so much respect for cops and the fact that they put their lives in danger everyday to enforce the law. Without cops, we would live in a lawless society. However, that doesn’t mean that all cops make sound decisions or are reasonable and unbiased, especially when it comes to their treatment toward minorities. While the facts surrounding Michael Brown’s death are still cloudy and open to interpretation, six gunshot wounds on a petty theft suspect is excessive force. However, police brutality factoring into Eric Garner’s death is not open to interpretation. You can literally watch the video of a man that was accused of selling untaxed cigarettes get held down by four police officers in a chokehold and hear him cry out that he can’t breathe several times on YouTube. There are no discrepancies. Yet, the cops pleaded self-defense and used racist stereotypes to explain their judgment when accused of police brutality. The fact that neither cops were indicted shows that our justice system tolerates racism.
I have seen way too many people post on social media that if African Americans don’t want to get killed they should not engage in criminal behavior, citing harmful stereotypes associated with African Americans and comparing them to “hoodlums.” #PantsUpDontLoot even became a trending hashtag on Instagram and Twitter. To say that likelihood to engage in criminal behavior directly correlates with the amount of melatonin in your skin is not only offensive and racist but also incredibly illogical. Criminal behavior most frequently is associated with poverty above anything else. Yet, innocent or guilty, regardless of socioeconomic status and what they are wearing, African Americans are more likely to be accused, stopped, frisked and treated in an exaggeration of standard procedure based on the color of their skin because of racial profiling.
Those who side with the police officers of both cases don’t understand their white privilege. White privilege is the ability to dress in baggy jeans, snapbacks and tank tops, like Justin Beiber, without being labeled as a thug or a low life. White privilege is the ability to shop without having to be closely monitored by security. White privilege is the ability to walk around without getting stopped, intimidated and questioned by police officers based on the color of your skin.
Before claiming there is no race issue in America, take a look at posts tagged #LivingWhileBlack on social media sites and compare the differences with how white people and black people are treated in our society. These are not just once-in-a-lifetime mistakes; these are things that have happened throughout our history and will continue to happen unless change is made.
Whenever someone says you have white privilege, don’t get offended. White privilege is not about blaming white people for race issues in America. It’s a sociological phenomenon that explains why people of a dominant status don’t understand or see the oppression of those who experience oppression. Instead, try to understand what advantages you might have based on the color of your skin. Instead of rolling your eyes at yet another protest and complaining about highway road closures, listen to the voices of the underrepresented and their cries for change and try to understand that they are fighting for equality.
