Developing a Foundational Understanding of the Sociohistorical Context
Racism and White Privilege
White Privilege is simply the ability to go through life without experiencing racism. This doesn’t mean that those of us with White identities don’t struggle or experience discrimination for other identities that fall outside the dominant culture. It means that White people in the United States don’t have to contend with the same kinds of barriers to education, medical care, housing, etc. as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color do in the United States. White privilege gives White people both the “Power of Normal” and the “Power of the Benefit of the Doubt”(Collins, 2018).
The “Power of Normal” names the ways in which most of American society reflects Whiteness as the default state. For example, most of the main characters we see in television shows, movies, and books are White, the hair care products I need for my hair are in the “hair care aisle” rather than the labeled “ethnic hair care” like the products many Black people need for their hair. In schools, we learn about the White experience in social studies class. While this may seem small and trivial, erasure and othering has impacts on the ways we view others and how they view themselves.
The “Power of the Benefit of the Doubt” describes the ways that White people are seen as more deserving of trust, belief, and forgiveness. In some cases, this means that White folks are seen as more deserving of compassion and second chances, and in other cases it means that Blacks and People of Color are viewed with more suspicion than their White peers. For example, pediatricians report Black families for suspicion of abuse at twice the rate of White children (Pulusci & Botash, 2021). Studies have shown that Black children account for about 18% of all child abuse victims, but Black families are 33% of those reported for suspected abuse. Meanwhile, White children make up 66% of injured children, but only 51% of those reported for suspected abuse (Diyaolu, et al., 2023). Once families are reported to child protective services, Black families are more likely to be investigated and face family separation.
