Does ‘White privilege’ exist today?

Elliot (No)

It's easy, yet racist and flawed, to conflate and conclude that White people are inherently advantaged today simply because of their skin color. Official statistics show that the US households with the highest earnings are Indian, not White, followed by Taiwanese. Asians are the highest-earning racial and ethnic group nationwide, generally speaking. Are these groups 'guilty' of White privilege? Success or failure in modern-day America has nothing to do with race, and different 'privilege' occurs in many ways across many groups. 

Whites are still shot by police more than other ethnic groups. Opioid epidemics, poverty, job losses, and inflation have ravaged the so-called 'Bible-belt' of rural America, where many White communities reside. Inequality, or statistical disparity, exists everywhere and for various reasons across groups. 

Additionally, Whites are actively discriminated against in university admissions due to affirmative action, as most colleges have a 'quota' of non-White individuals to fill for their diversity goals. Even if a White student has excellent grades, they will find getting accepted into a prestigious university more difficult than a non-White individual with poorer grades. Of course, the exception is Asian Americans, who have been discriminated against in a completely racist and unfair manner because they are over-represented in colleges. Is this also White privilege? 

Finally, the Biden administration has made it clear it is willing to appoint people to important political positions simply because they are of a certain race or gender. Biden bragged about choosing a Black female running mate in Kamala Harris while acknowledging nothing about her qualifications or skills. Today, one can reach high political positions simply by being 'a person of color.' This is the opposite of White privilege. 

Stephanie (Yes)

White privilege can be difficult to understand for those who experience it since it can seem like business as usual for most people who benefit from the unseen structures. Like all types of privilege, it's unseen, difficult to detect, and never explicitly mentioned by people who give and receive it. But when analyzing basic institutions in the US, it can be shown in real numbers. 

Despite decades of diversity policies aimed at creating an equal workforce, ownership and upper-level management in many public companies remains predominantly white. Many racial minorities feel excluded from leadership circles from being passed over for promotions or jobs despite being equally qualified. Privilege in the workplace often begins through inequalities in higher education. Ivy League schools often let in white students at higher rates than certain racial counterparts, such as Black and Latino students, despite having the same test scores and grades. The barrier to higher education can often be based on Whiteness and family history rather than personal grades and merit, with many applicants stating that they feel uncomfortable disclosing their race on applications.

Although Congress has been the most racially diverse to date, it is still over 77% White. Failing to represent the diversity of the US can be a sign that White interests are still the norm. This means that issues facing Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Aboriginal groups can often go unnoticed in government. This disparity trickles down throughout institutions and famously ends with the prison complex in the US. Black Americans are imprisoned at a rate roughly five times that of their White counterparts, regardless of being a smaller portion of the population.