General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: here is a question regarding my "white privilege", [View all]Cleita
(75,480 posts)Even the poorest most deprived person born, who looks white, will always be in the front of the line when it comes to jobs, places to live, and places to play. Even many white people don't have 100% white privilege if they were born Jewish or a woman. Many Jews were denied membership in elitist country clubs in the last century and I'm certain there are still Country Clubs who deny them membership covertly, of course, in this day and age. White women are denied access to men's clubs which put many of them at a disadvantage if they are in business as many business deals are made in such clubs and the women left out. And speaking of those men's clubs, the only men of color you saw were the employees, waiters, cooks and other menial positions.
I could go on with many examples, but I'll leave you with this personal anecdote. Back in my working days, when my girl friends and I went on job interviews, all of us who were white but with brown or black hair and brown eyes always knew that when there was a blue eyed blond in the waiting room that she would get the job. If there were women of color, we knew we would get the job. We knew that the bar would be raised on those women. I saw it happen. I spoke to a black woman after a job interview we both went for. She told me she failed the typing test at 80 WPM. I usually had to test for 60 WPM. Yet, often when I talked to blond lady acquaintances, they told me they didn't have to take typing tests for their jobs. All they had to do was say they had taken typing classes in school.
So you see, if you haven't been discriminated against, you probably wouldn't realize it until it happens to you.