Many countries of the world have different races of people; for example, in the United States, according to the census (2022), there are five different races. The races are white, black, American Indian, Asian, and Native Hawaiian. The major races are black and white (census 2022). Over the past years, there have been battles and conflicts because white people seem to enjoy more privileges than black people. That is why I decided to write about white privilege citing examples from work learned in class. It is important to ensure everyone is treated equally, ensuring good coexistence between citizens. This relates to world politics, as racial discrimination can affect peace and order.
The problem of white privilege can be seen in academia. A Harvard economist sexually harassed a black woman (Pettit 2019). A survey was carried out and received 10,406 responses, most of them being black women. They said they took measures such as not accepting admissions at a particular grad school, avoiding a conference, not continuing with research in a particular field, and changing the content of a class they teach. They took these measures to avoid sexual harassment, discrimination, and disrespectful treatment. Some women lost opportunities to undertake extensive research because they feared being sexually assaulted by their professors (Pettit 2019). They feared their projects would not stand a higher chance of being approved simply because they were black, which is unfair.
White being privileged can also be seen in sports. Most white soccer players are privileged more than black players. Black players are treated harshly by the press. For example, JA Morat was accused of being a gangster because of carrying a licensed gun. Many white people are not called gangsters because of carrying guns. Three English players who missed penalties were subjected to online racist abuses from supporters after the match (Back and Kelly, 2020). This was after England’s defeat to Italy at the euro.
I am not trying to justify criminal acts committed by black people, but they should receive the same treatment white people receive when they commit crimes of the same magnitude. Various approaches have been taken in past years to solve the problem of white privilege, in other words, racial discrimination. For example, 11 people were arrested for criminal comments toward the players who missed penalties (Back and Kelly, 2020). In the English premier league, they celebrate black Excellency month, where they encourage no racist players to even bend their knees before matches as a sign of fighting racism.
In order to fight the war against racism, we should treat each other with love. Religion plays a major role because people believe supernatural beings created them. The government can overturn laws that tend to privilege whites. According to Leonard and Walker (2020), many Africans were forced into quarantine in response to covid-19 by the governments in their countries. If the government can overturn and prevent the implementation of such laws, then racism can be stopped.
In conclusion, each government and private sector in any country should stop privileging the white race and treat each person equally because this brings peace and development. This is because if people are given equal opportunities, they can work hard and be self-motivated. On the other hand, the underprivileged race should not be lazy because some things are against them but should strive to make a living and enjoy a good lifestyle regardless of their race.
Works Cited
Egede, Leonard E., and Rebekah J. Walker. “Structural racism, social risk factors, and Covid-19—a dangerous convergence for Black Americans.” New England Journal of Medicine 383.12 (2020): e777.
Back, Les, and Kelly Mills. “‘When you score you’re English, when you miss you’re Black’: Euro 2020 and the racial politics of a penalty shoot-out.” Soundings 79.79 (2021): 110-121.
Pettit, Emma. Blackness in Academia. Corgi, 2019.
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