Gina Lee
8/21/20
Abstract
The premise we use to fight for social change either encourages or inhibits societal progress. The narrative of “white privilege” dismantles social progression by propagating fear, self-sabotage, and oppression. When researching the overarching themes projected by the notion of “white privilege” one can see its suggestive premise through the lens of the philosophy of language and influence; one can find a pattern of evidence that certain types of political language affects a society over time and drives the narrative of a country. The narrative of “white privilege” can be subjective in nature and does nothing for the betterment of race relations. This research paper will bring evidence to light of how narratives influence and lead a society and will reveal the effects of oppressive language such as the notion of “white privilege.”
Introduction
President Lyndon B. Johnson, in 1965, addressed the students of Howard University for their commencement. He said, with passion and servitude, that inequality came from a source: “It is the devastating heritage of long years of slavery; and a century of oppression, hatred, and injustice”(1965); this foundation has caused societal issues of inequality. He suggests further that “[t]hese differences are not racial differences. They are solely any simple consequence of ancient brutality, past injustice, and present prejudice” (1965). From the time of the Emancipation Proclamation, through the civil rights era, the quest for equality and racial reconciliation continues; however, the narratives that drive the quest for equality seem to construct an affect that is quite the contrary of its goal. One can presume that the narratives that set the foundation for social justice are just as essential as the goal itself; the narrative of “white privilege” systemically breeds oppression for non-whites and propagates the idea of racial disadvantages for hidden agendas that dismantles traditional American values; this only continues societal disfunction in the realm of race relations.
Historical Background
Going back over 100 years, one has to begin in the 19th century to see a glimpse of race relations in America’s political history. Barry Schwartz writes in his article, The Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln’s Many Second Thoughts, that even though Lincoln’s priority was to save the Union, his “devotion to the Union and its Constitution was no less “personal” and no less real than his belief in the moral wrong of slavery” (Schartz 2015). Thus, in 1863 Lincoln would emancipate African slaves. “The Emancipation would proclaim that “all persons held as slaves within any state or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free. . . .” (Lincoln 1863).
A brief look at the Civil Rights Act of 1964 will pave the way into understanding more of race relations in the historical sense. Kenneth T. Andrews and Sarah Gaby shed light on this era in their article titled Local Protest and Federal Policy: The Impact of the Civil Rights Movement on the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The Kennedy administration knew that the race for desegregation called for legislative policy (Andrews and Gaby 2015); “. . . administration officials came to see that voluntary desegregation was insufficient.” Andrews and Gaby further suggests that dramatic events such as protesting and the response of law enforcement played a vital role in calling upon legislative measures. “Such events are seen to represent a turning point. . .” (2015). The dramatic events that took place, such as the police dogs against protesters, were the “kinds of events that compelled federal political action” (2015). There was a desperate need for change; however, Americans would see some of these same dramatic pictures throughout future issues of race relations. Soon the notion of “white privilege” would come to the focal point.
Peggy McIntosh in 1989 wrote an article titled White Privilege: Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack. The article brought to light the idea of unearned assets and white oblivion; this sparked the discussion of race advantages and the narrative of “white privilege.” McIntosh states her position plainly: “I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege” (McIntosh 2015). Moreover, her ideas transpire and culminate into more of a vivid picture. She states: “I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but which I was ‘meant’ to remain oblivious” (2015). This narrative has continued to impact American political philosophy and social progression. The question is such: How well is the narration of white privilege driving the improvement of race relations and issues of racism?
Opposing Views to the White Privilege Narrative
Leslie Margolin wrote an article titled Unpacking the invisible knapsack: The invention of white privilege pedagogy. In this article, Margolin endeavors to expose the fact that “[t]eaching whites to ‘unpack their invisible knapsack’ does not make them more willing to take action against racial inequality. On the contrary, it makes them more complacent, more at home in an unjust world, and more comfortable with their whiteness” (Margolin 2015). These words suggest that the continual acknowledgement of “white privilege” may not help better society and may not fix the problem of injustice. Margolin’s view suggests that the “false claims” (2015) of white privilege leads to the opposite result, only perpetuating more racial stereotypes among blacks and whites.
An example of the white privilege narrative projecting racial stereotypes can be seen in continual media coverage of blacks portrayed as criminal. Elizabeth Teebagy’s article White Privilege and Racial Narratives: The Tole of Race in Media Storytelling of Sexual Assaults by College Athletes carries with it the perspective that media is perpetuating continual negative stereotypes for blacks causing more racist thoughts and racist decision making by non-black groups of society. “The repeated portrayal of people of color as criminal and violent creates a prejudiced cycle that perpetuates racialized story framing in the media, which, in turn, can influence the criminal justice system, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy” (2018). Repeated portrayals of blacks as inferior or dangerous only perpetuates the white privilege narration.
Looking further, in order for a situation to be the result of privilege there would need to be a “corresponding disadvantage” (Lawford and Punham 2017). This idea is brought to light in Jeremy Punham and Holly Lawford’s article Offsetting Race Privilege. In this article, the authors state that “not all social-group advantage corresponds to disadvantage in other social groups” (2017). The authors give specific scenarios as an example. One such scenario is the issue between unarmed African Americans being shot more than whites that are unarmed. Punham and Lawford suggest that this is more of a human rights issue than an advantage issue (2017). Thus, the only way to make this social issue fair is to change or reform the criminal justice system, not giving whites the opportunity to be shot, nor making these incidents a white privilege issue.
Another point of view regarding white privilege awareness is the emphasis on providing solutions to the presumed white privilege issue. It is not enough to give the problem, but a solution needs to be proposed. Tracie L. Stewart, Iona M. Latu, Nyla R. Branscombe, Nia L. Phillips, and H. Ted Denney share their view in White Privilege Awareness and Efficacy to Reduce Racial Inequality Improve White Americans’ Attitude toward African Americans. The article states: “. . . heightening WPA is one of the many prejudice reduction tools that would achieve stronger more consistent results if paired with high perceived efficacy to combat racial inequality” (2012). This is evident in today’s culture where there is a high emphasis on awareness of social injustices verses providing real productive remedies to social problems. Current propaganda falls far short of solutions that truly cause change; what we see in current day is societal disfunction, mayhem, and anger. The article states this truth well: “. . . diversity training exercise programs must point participants toward constructive avenues for societal change in order to avoid leaving them trapped in feelings of frustration and anger” (2012); however, there still may be more to solving the problem of racial injustice.
The White Privilege Narrative and Philosophical Ideologies
Karl Marx believed there was a conflict of classes; he felt that capitalist production brought from it “dehumanization of the way-earners because of the pressures of capitalist competition” (Strauss and Cropsey 1987, 813). This hierarchy of classes seemed to Marx to hold back society from progression into a new era of freedom from the oppressive nature of the wage earner and private production; the proletarians (less privileged) needed to be free from bondage. “The proletarians will end oppression to “abolish the distinction between owners and nonowners thereof, the distinction which is the condition for the division of human society into classes” (813).
One claim from the Marxist lies in the idea that men could possibly no longer seek success by another’s failure (822). In current American Politics, those who deem themselves socialists against white privilege have not proven a reputation for seeking what is for the betterment of society as a whole. In organizations, such as Black Lives Matter, their ideology obliterates the concept of unity, equality, and brotherhood. Its Marxian political influence has caused a disdain for governing authorities and has created the idea that violence is acceptable for the cause of proletarian freedom, the abolishment of coercion, and the influence of religion as a whole. The lie told is that “Marxian society would be a society of billions of friends warmly joined in the rarest and most sensitive union of amity” (822). This would be a world where “justice would administer itself, and it would therefore be perfectly pure because untainted by the need to coerce, to punish, or to deceive” (823).
The lie of a perfect society is what one can see in current day social reform. Anti-racist propaganda has become the coup to slowly bring to America socialism and its obliteration of traditional values and undermining of law and order. The awareness of white privilege has led to hyper racial sensitivity and a means to propel the idea of injustice within a society of disjointed classes. Faction is caused by the natural progression of human society without checks and balances. One could see this in states such as Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington where dismantling law and order seemed to be a real-life quest. When narratives go unchecked or is used as a blind spot for hidden agendas, human nature and its depravity can be seen in all its glory.
The coup of white privilege, and the narrative of America as inherently racist, has camouflaged itself next to restructuring American society to rid injustice. America has not learned its lesson from other communistic or socialist regimes in other countries that only brought about oppression and a quest for ultimate political power. The narratives of Marxist belief systems have threatened even the workforce. Amanda Shantz, Kerstin Alfes, and Catherine Truss provide research into the idea of alienation in Alienation from work: Marxist ideologies and twenty-first-century practice. The authors conclude that “[o]ne of Marx’s central theories pertains to alienation. . . alienation stems from the economic infrastructure of society. Under capitalism, workers create products by investing their own labour with natural resources to create something new that has economic value. In this way, labour becomes objectified. . . a person’s labor is disconnected from him or herself” (2012). The idea of people feeling disconnected from their work stems from a Marxian critique of capitalism.
Creating social narratives can be detrimental to society; claiming that current American politics, from capitalism to religion, is dehumanizing, or even racist, stirs up false beliefs that abolishment of traditional structures will create a better society. Narratives such as white privilege has been thrown into the sea of radical liberal agenda; this narration has not shown forth any true remedy or substantial evidence that the world needs to be coerced in its “awareness.”
Biblical Principles
In the book of James, the believer is told not to show favoritism. In chapter 2:1 James writes: “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (ESV). Ultimately, racism is a sin of partiality; it is showing honor to one person and not the another; it includes the racial stereotyping and degrading treatment of one person to another. In I Timothy 5:21 the reader is warned to do nothing that is showing partiality.
“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality” (ESV). Moreover, the one who gave us natural rights and gifts is a pure example of perfect justice; “For God shows no partiality” (Rom. 2:11 ESV). Racism is ultimately a spiritual problem not a political issue.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the premise we use to fight for social change can drastically change the face of society. The themes projected by the notion of “white privilege” suggests something far grander, far elusive, and far sinister then what one can actually see. The narrative of “white privilege” is truly an oppressive pawn used to distract against the dismantling of traditional American values; this narrative and its disillusioned premise of social injustice does nothing for society’s improvement. The notion of white privilege is a hidden coup to dismantle American society in exchange for regimes that remove politics, justice, and the influence of religion, and, ultimately, the presence of God.
References
Andrews, Kenneth and Gaby, Sarah. 2015. “Local Protests and Federal Policy: The Impact of the Civil Rights Movement on the 1964 Civil Rights Act.” Sociological Forum 30, no. 51 (June): n/a. https://doi.org/10.1111/socf.12175.
John, Lyndon B. 1965. Commencement Address at Howard University. In The U.S. Constitution A Reader, edited by The Hillsdale College Faculty, 765-772. Michigan: Hillsdale College Press.
Lincoln, Abraham. 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation. In The U.S. Constitution A Reader, edited by The Hillsdale College Faculty, 607-609. Michigan: Hillsdale College Press.
Punham, Jeremy, and Smith, Holly Lawford. 2017. “Offsetting Race Privilege.” Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy 11 no. 2 (June): n_a. https://doi.org/10.26556/jesp.v11i2.109.
Margolin, Leslie. 2015. “Unpacking the invisible knapsack: The invention of white privilege pedagogy.” Cogent Social Sciences 1 no. 1 (Dec): n_a. https://10.1080/23311886.2015.1053183.
McIntosh, Peggy. 2007. “White Privilege: Unpacking TheInvisible Knapsack. Environmental Research Foundation. n_a no. 894 (February): 1. https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/205060540/fulltext/FB206DAAC5794E6FPQ/1?accountid=12085.
Schartz, Barry. 2015. The Emancipation Proclamation: Lincoln’s Many Second Thoughts. Society 53 no. 6 (Dec): n_a. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12115-015-9954-7.
Shantz, Amanda, Alfes, Kirsten, and Truss, Catherine. 2014. Alienation from work: Marxist ideologies and twenty-first-century practice. The International Journal of Human Resources Management 25 no. 18 (April): 2529-2550. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2012.667431.
Stewart, Tracie L. Latu, Iona M., Branscombe Nyla R., Phillips, Nia L, Denney, H. Ted. 2012. “White Privilege and Efficacy to Reduce Racial Inequality Improve White Americans’ Attitude Towards Africans.” Journal of Social Issues 68 no. 1 (June): n_a. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2012.01733.x
Teebagy, Elizabeth. 2018. “White Privilege and Racial Narratives: The Role of Race in Media Storytelling of Sexual Assaults by College Athletes.” The Journal of Gender Race and Justice 21 no. 2 (Winter): 479-499. https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/2347685960/abstract/66B2D13A25EC49B3PQ/1?accountid=12085.
Faith, Family, Dance, and Lemonade 