From the Text "White Privilege"

1. Making Systems of Privilege
Visible
 Privilege is not visible in everyday
life
 Nobody talks about it
 Not recognized in legal doctrine
 Creates gaps in legal reasoning

2. Making Systems of Privilege
Visible
 Invisibility of Privilege
 Strengthens the power it creates
 Silence allows status quo to exist
 Cannot combat the invisible
 Thus, will perpetuate, regenerate, and
recreate itself

3. Making Systems of Privilege
Visible
 Language Veils the Systems of Privilege
 People are categorized subconsciously
 Conditioned images of “normal”
 Slips of the tongue re: race or gender
 Language plays a role in the invisibility of
the white privilege
 Causes of privilege are a power system,
creating privilege in some and
disadvantages in others

4. Making Systems of Privilege
Visible
 What is Privilege?
 “Men only” club
 “Whites only” fountain
 “No colored people” at a restaurant

5. Making Systems of Privilege
Visible
 Privileged Groups Define the Norms
 Professional baseball for men only
 Golf clubs were only for Whites
 Wealthy (with more privilege) have higher
positions in society

6. Making Systems of Privilege
Visible
 Struggling Against Oppression
 Privileged have a choice to engage or not
 Silence by privileged is their opting out of
engagement

7. Making Systems of Privilege
Visible
 Summary of the Systems of Privilege
 Membership is the norm
 Privileged have ability to choose whether to
object to the power system or not
 Privilege benefits are invisible

8. Making Systems of Privilege
Visible
 Summary Conclusions
 White privilege from race power system of
white supremacy
 Male and hetero privilege from gender
hierarchy
 Class privilege from economic wealth-
based hierarchy

9. Making Systems of Privilege
Visible
 Visualizing Privilege
 Whites generally oblivious to their privilege
 All Whites are racist because they've used
their privilege with or without realizing
 Whites need to admit it, then try to change
it

10. Privilege as a Paradox
 Privilege as a Paradox
 Privilege is a social arrangement
 Everyone is sorted into categories by
others
 Treatment depends on categories we are in
 Paradox when “being” privileged, as
opposed to “feeling” privileged

11. Privilege as a Paradox
 White Privileges
 Whiteness is privileged in this society
 Only privileged if others categorize as
White
 Don't have to be White, if one can convince
others s/he are White
 Even clearly privileged Whites can feel
unprivileged when compared to more
successful Whites

12. Privilege as a Paradox
 Privilege Can Be Lost
 First identified as heterosexual, then
informs that one is homosexual (even if
not)
 Recognized to be White, but then informs
that one is married to a non-White
 Assumed to be Christian, but then informs
that one belongs to another faith
 Etc.

13. Privilege as a Paradox
 Oppression: Flip-side of Privilege
 Social forces hold people down from
pursuing a good life
 While privilege opens doors of opportunity,
oppression slams them shut
 Cannot be oppressed unless a group exists
to oppress
 Example: A White male could be
oppressed because his religion is not
Christianity, and he would not be
oppressed based on being White or male.