Topic > An Issue of White Privilege in White Like Me

Index IntroductionSystematic oppression and the benefits of structural privilegeExplicit and implicit racism and their effectsIntroductionWhite Like Me is a documentary by Tim Wise about his life in a predominantly black neighborhood growing up with black friends. It covers his views on white privilege and the structural advantages afforded to whites as he has experienced firsthand. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay In the documentary, Tim Wise chose not to follow the path of least resistance and setbacks using his white privilege and that would have guaranteed him a safe and assured prosperous career. Instead, he decided to face all the obstacles and disappointments that people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds face in experiencing their plight. Rather than take on their issues and grievances, Tim Wise joined together and protested alongside other ethnic groups to show solidarity, support and, above all, understanding of what they are going through. He wanted to let them know that at least one white person out there cares about what they have to say and that the world is not completely deaf to minority races. Just as Will Campbell marched with African Americans fighting for equity in America instead of intimidating them, Tim Wise along with other students stood up to the administration demanding that their rights be respected. It's worth noting that Tim wasn't exactly affected by the issues his fellow students raised against the administration, but he was still there to provide moral support. Systematic Oppression and the Benefits of Structural Privilege Wealth offers a wide range of opportunities to Americans and makes it easier for someone to move from one residence to another, quickly adapt to a new job, and even respond effectively to an emergency. Parents use their wealth to pay for their children's education often in full, if possible, so as not to riddle them with student loans, thus giving them a head start in life right from the start. American workers also use their wealth to create a sustainable retirement plan. All these cases make wealth the most complete parameter for guaranteeing the economic strength and future of a family. Unfortunately, wealth is unevenly distributed especially along racial lines as African Americans and other minority races such as Native Americans and Latinos have a very negligible percentage of the wealth. which is accumulated by white people. This structural disadvantage against minority ethnic groups began as early as the 1600s, when laws were created that gave the white man a great advantage over other groups. For example, at the time, it was much easier for a white person to become a citizen of the United States than for a black (almost all still slaves at the time) or a Latino to obtain the same privilege. This had an economic impact where only whites could obtain a quality formal education which helped them secure jobs and build a solid financial foundation for generations to come. African American students, for example, have to make do with money their parents earned over the last 20 years or so of their usually undistinguished careers, while many white students usually benefit from trust funds set up for them by their grandparents since then. they started building their economic strength earlier. Furthermore, systems set up to protect and assist people with financial needs do not work well for minority ethnic groups. By way of illustration, loans granted in the years between,.