As defined by Wikipedia, white privilege is the societal privileges that benefit individuals that identify as or are presumed to be white. This is a term that is only recently becoming frequent in society and many people still don’t even know what it is. Many people also don’t even recognize that this is a thing which they benefit from. There are infinite advantages that some people get in society from simply being white; the scale of this ranges from little circumstances to huge ones. These images show significant ways that white people benefit in society because of their race. 

The first set of images out of the five focus on the justice system and incarceration. The top image focuses on the Brock Turner situation. The situation depicted in the comic is ironic because a man that is clearly a rapist is the one receiving sympathy instead of the victim. The rapist is crying and frowning because he is trying to gain sympathy and an emotional connection from the audience, most specifically the judge. The judge appears to have a look of disgust on his face and proceeds to sentence the rapist to jail. The ironic part is that the judge talks about how much potential the criminal has; criminals are not generally seen as people with a lot of potential and a bright future ahead of them. Due to this “potential,” he proceeds to give a ridiculously short sentence to the rapist. In real life, he shortened it to three months. Next, the judge appears annoyed while speaking with the victim and he dismisses her. 

The bottom image shows a pair of black hands behind joints that represent the bars of a jail cell. The background is green to represent marijuana. This image is made to represent the black men that are imprisoned with life sentences or sentenced multiple years in jail for smoking, selling, possessing, and distributing marijuana. The hands are clutching the joints as if pleading. These images together are only one example, but they show how black men are given ludicrous jail sentences for minor crimes while white men are given short sentences for major crimes. Even when the same crime is committed, white people tend to get lesser sentences than those of other races. White privilege is being able to commit a crime and getting a sentence significantly smaller than what you deserve because you seem to have a “bright future,” when everybody knows that if it was a person of color that committed the crime, it would have been a completely different story. White privilege is committing a crime and getting off with a warning while people of color are imprisoned with harsh sentences for the same thing. 

The second image of the five addresses shootings committed in the U.S. with shooters of different races. The images show how the media paints the different shooters. The background colors do not seem to have any significance. The shooters are dressed in uniform or to match the stereotype of what someone of that race should look like and wear. The image shows how whenever there is a Muslim shooter, all Muslim people are blamed along with their religion, terrorism is suggested, and islamophobia intensifies. Whenever a black person (or Hispanic) is the shooter, media automatically relates it to gang violence. Professional shooters, such as cops, are hailed as heroes when they kill someone. Even whenever the cop is wrong, the media tries to paint it as if they were just doing their job and that nothing wrong happened.

 Lastly, the image shows that whenever there is a white shooter, the media depicts them as a lone wolf, that there is no association with something bad. The image with a white shooter also has the most reasons or excuses for why they committed the crime. The main excuse is always that they have a mental illness. The media always tries to paint them as good people that just happened to do one bad thing. Oftentimes, pictures of the shooter smiling with family or looking innocent/loving are shown, even though they are the criminal. The image also shows an ellipsis with the reason for the white shooter and no one else. This is to show that there is always copious amounts of excuses made for white people when they commit a crime, but not for other races. Not that any crime is ok, all criminals that commit shootings in the U.S. are horrible and should be punished accordingly, but people of other races are held responsible for their crimes while white people seem to be pardoned or have their crimes justified. 

The third of the five sets of images shows a woman with an afro and a sign that crosses her out. The symbol is known to mean that something is not allowed or that it is banned. The woman with afro texture hair is being banned. This image addresses how black people, women especially, are treated because of the hair that naturally grows out of their scalp. The color of the hair is black to show it in its natural state. The statement that is being made with the color is that the hair in its most natural state is rejected, not because of any bright coloring, but simply because of how it is naturally. Even styles that are used to protect black hair such as braids, dreads, weaves, twists, etc., are banned because they are said to be unprofessional. White privilege is not having to worry about if you may not get a job based on your hair style or texture. White privilege is not having the thing that naturally grows out of your scalp banned in schools or the military in order to fit the European beauty standards.  

The second image shows a white woman because with a green checkmark across her. The checkmark is green because that color is known to mean yes or go; the symbol crossing out the black woman is red because that color is known to mean stop or no. The colors and symbols represent acceptance. White people’s hair with its natural color and texture is never the reason why they do not get a job. Black women’s hair is deemed unprofessional or ratchet while European hair is deemed professional and set as the beauty standard. Some white people may not get a job based on hair because it is too long, colorful, and untidy, which are all things that can be changed, but never because of texture. When white people appropriate black hairstyles that have been around for decades, it is suddenly stylish, edgy, and fashionable, but when a black person wears it, it is insignificant and ghetto. 

The fourth image out of the five addresses representation in media. The image shows the Disney princesses, who are major role models for little girls in the U.S. Of the fourteen princesses displayed, five of them are women of color. One is Hispanic, there is an African American, a Native American, a Chinese, an Indian princess, and nine white princesses. The Hispanic princess was only created this year and the black one a few years ago. The princesses wear either traditional clothing based on their culture or a ball gown. Little girls grow up basically worshiping the Disney princesses and the lack of representation of princesses of one’s race, can cause a kid to have self-esteem or confidence issues. Little girls of different races have one token princess that she could see herself in or relate to while the white kids have several. This makes it seem as if there is only one path for little girls of color or that they do not have as many opportunities as their white counterparts. It may cause a child to feel insignificant as if they do not matter as well or that they are less relevant. White privilege is having a wide range of representation in media while other races are sort of an afterthought. 

The last image is a black lives matter sign that represents the injustices done to black people in this country. The background is black to mourn and remember the innocent lives that have been lost due to police brutality, racial profiling, and racism towards black people in America. The words are white to symbolize the hope for peace, justice, and equality. This image is the last in the series because it drives home the point. The Black Lives Matter movement is a way of protesting injustice and stating that African American lives matter too not that all other races do not matter. All the letters are capitalized for emphasis, it is making a statement and really attempting to grab attention. Some people (mostly white but includes all races) have called it anti-police or anti-white, divisive, and exclusive. As a response some people have made a mockery of it or created other movements such as all lives matter and blue lives matter. The thing about that is those that say blue lives matter do not mean only blue lives matter and no other lives or jobs matter, they mean cop lives matter too. Those that protest this movement simply choose to be ignorant of what is actually being stated. White privilege is being able to ignore the current racial issues faced by this country and not having to constantly think about race. White privilege is being able to be ignorant of the daily racism people of color face. White privilege is being able to go out and not be anxious around cops just because of your race. White privilege is being able to ignore the privilege that you have and completely dismiss it as ridiculous. 
