

White privilege encompasses advantages that white people have since birth that other races do not have because they are not white. This idea of privilege since birth is similar to how those born into rich families have an advantage in society from the time they are children over those born into poor families. White privilege plays a role in different aspects of life, such as treatment by police, portrayal in the media, and economic status. The idea that seems to tie together all the areas where people of color (namely African Americans and Hispanics) are at a disadvantage to whites is the white privilege that exists in the education system. The levels and quality of education received can be vastly different for whites than for other races, and this generates problems throughout society. By looking at the level of white students seeking higher education and the "school-to-prison pipeline," the ignorance of white students and teachers to understand and acknowledge their privileges, the ways educators observe privilege in schools, and the history of institutionalized racism, one can see that non-white students are at a disadvantage because of white privilege.

In previous generations, all that was needed to acquire a job that would keep someone out of poverty was a high school diploma. Sometimes people did not even have a high school diploma and could still find well-paying jobs. Currently, however, a college degree is the equivalent of what the high school diploma used to be. An associate's degree, at least, is necessary to get a job that will keep a person above the poverty line. Having a bachelor's or master's degree is even better; however, many non-white students do not see themselves as being able to receive such degrees. A recent study determined that though African American and Hispanic students' enrollment in colleges has increased significantly, more than seventy percent of the enrollments have been at open-access colleges (Bidwell, 2013). So, why are these students aiming for open-access colleges instead of ones that are elite? One reason is because the United States' education system does not treat minority students fairly, no matter their qualifications. The same recent study showed that even though minorities and whites can be equally unprepared for college, white students will be given more opportunities and are more likely to receive a four-year degree (Bidwell, 2013). The fact that whites are given more opportunities than minorities in the education system, even if they are performing at the same level, is a result of white privilege. This white privilege is also a leading cause of the "school-to-prison pipeline" for minorities- African Americans and Latinos in particular. An infographic on PBS.org contains the following statistics: forty percent of students expelled from schools each year are black, seventy percent of students involved in "in-school" arrests or referred to law enforcement are black or Latino, black students are three and a half times as likely to be suspended as whites, and black and Latino students are twice as likely not to graduate high school than whites (Amurao, 2013). How does this relate to prison? Sixty-eight percent of all males in prison do not have a high school diploma, and sixty-one percent of those who are incarcerated are black or Latino, despite these minorities only making up thirty percent of the US population (Amurao, 2013). What the statistics boil down to is this: because minorities are given less opportunities in school, many drop out of school and choose not to seek higher education. They then turn to lives of crime, so they ultimately end up in prison. To put it in perspective, the incarceration rate for African Americans is almost six times higher than the incarceration rate for whites (Hausam, 2014). This "school-to-prison pipeline" is something the majority of whites do not have to worry about because the color of their skin allows them not to. White students being more likely to receive a two-or-four-year degree and less likely to become trapped in the "school-to-prison pipeline" are only the first examples of white privilege in the education system.

Changes need to be made in order for students of all races to be given the same opportunities and quality of education in school. Those in one of the best positions to help make these changes are white students and teachers, because they can help demand change from inside the system. However, a study done by Carrie Freie proves that most white students do not think about the issues of race and white privilege (Freie, 2014). Freie interviewed eleventh graders at a predominantly-white, suburban high school to explore "the social identity development" of the students (Freie, 2014). Her results showed that the white students, when asked to describe the people they attended school with, said the majority of students were "average," "normal," and "just like everybody else." Freie argues that this type of thinking is dangerous; the interviewed students saw being "white" as average and did not mention the other races of students at their school during the interview. The white students seemed to be completely oblivious that people of other races existed in their school (Freie, 2014). If white students are unable to recognize that other races make up their schools and the privileges they have over these other races, they will be incapable of instituting change. The same goes for white teachers. In a study done to examine the factors that African American and Latino students perceived as barriers to their education, it was noted that teachers held higher standards for white students than they did for African American and Latino students (Vega, 2015). Not only that, but the teachers also gave less encouraging remarks and positive feedback to African American and Latino students than they did their white students (Vega, 2015). Teachers that actively engage in the betterment of white students without even realizing it are directly contributing to the white privilege in the education system.

White privilege in schools is such a widespread issue that many educators have observed it and written about it in hopes of bringing it to light and making a change. Rakhi Ruparelia, a social justice professor, recounted an experience with a white student who complained that the course needed more "balance" because she spent the entire semester learning topics that made her feel guilty for being white. The student said the materials covered in the class were too "negative" and "heavy", and she had to quit doing the reading assignments because they were depressing (Ruparelia, 2014). The student's reaction is an example of white privilege. Dealing with issues concerning race is something people of color go through every day, whereas whites are privileged in that they do not have to deal with those issues. Ruparelia tried to explain this concept to the student, saying:

What privilege do you enjoy as a white person that permits you to choose when, or even if, you want to engage with racism? This is not a privilege that racialized people enjoy. We have to deal with it whether or not we want to (Ruparelia, 2014).

The student was having a breakdown after only a few months of dealing with social justice and racism in an academic setting, and, according to Ruparelia, many other white students elicited similar reactions to the course as well. But, as the author explains, people of color cannot choose whether or not they want to concern themselves with race issues- they live through those issues every day (Ruparelia, 2014). Another example of white privilege observed by educators in schools is detailed in an article by Greg Blackburn and Tim Wise. The two, who work with independent schools, explain that whites in the schools often feel as though they "belong," while students of color feel as if they were only accepted to make the school more diverse (Blackburn, 2009). Another issue is the pressure students of color feel to do well in school. Students of color carry a "burden of representation" which makes them feel like they have to succeed not only for themselves, but for other students of color as well (Blackburn, 2009). White students do not have the pressure of having to do well in school to represent their race; it is a privilege they have since birth.

A major point that many people still fail to realize is that white privilege in the education system is both a cause and result of institutionalized racism, and this concept dates back to the signing of the emancipation proclamation. The document demanded the instant freedom of black slaves, which was a huge milestone. However, with African Americans entering the work force in the years after, the issue of equal pay was still at large. African Americans were paid much less than whites, and even if they did have money, there were redlined (denied home loans and insurance) and forced into certain geographic areas (Bouie, 2014). These areas developed into ghettos, and because African American children had to get at least some education, poor public schools were built near the impoverished areas. These public schools had nowhere near the quality of white public schools, causing many African American children to either not complete school or complete school but not go to college because it was unaffordable ("A Timeline of College Tuition," 2011). This system of institutionalized racism created a cycle that many African American students (as well as some students of other races) cannot escape. For example, it is likely that the parents of a black student today were raised by parents who could not afford to pay for college because they had low-paying jobs. The reason for their low-paying jobs could very well be because they did not get a college education. And why did they not get a college education? Their parents could not afford it. The education system continually leaves students of color behind. Statistics today show that about three quarters of Hispanic and African American students attend schools in which the majority of their classmates qualify as being poor (Boschma, 2016). In particular, black students are almost four times as likely to live in an impoverished neighborhood than white students are (Hausam, 2014). A recent study found only a sixty-eight percent high school graduation rate for students that lived more than half of their childhood in poverty (Treuhaft, 2016). With little hope for a college education, students either drop out of high school to go to work or enter the work force immediately after graduation. Whites do not have to worry about the issue of institutionalized racism- many may face the problem of college unaffordability, but it does not come as a result of discrimination based on race. Whites have always been privileged with having nicer schools and a higher quality of education, and because of this, they have more opportunities, including college and career choices. The same cannot be said for people of color.

There are many opponents who claim that white privilege is a myth. For example, Fox News's Bill O'Reilly argued in a segment with Megyn Kelley that white privilege is not the cause of the poverty that many African Americans face. Instead, he claimed that the poverty, as well as other problems, stem from family, culture, and personal responsibility issues within the black community (Hausam, 2014). O'Reilly also said that white privilege cannot possibly exist because Asian Americans are excelling in academics and society even though they may have to overcome a language barrier (Hausam, 2014). Also, John Hawkins, columnist for Townhall.com, claimed in an article that white privilege does not exist because people of all genders and races have certain privileges. He argued that it is childish of people of color to claim white privilege as the cause of their problems, and those who believe they have been affected by white privilege should take responsibility and realize it is their own fault if they are getting less than whites (Hawkins, 2015). Additionally, an article from Kathleen McKinley of the Houston Chronicle argues that while racism still exists, white privilege does not. McKinley claims in the article that many of African Americans' problems trace back to government dependency. McKinley states that, in the 1970s, "government checks replaced husbands, gangs replaced dads, and broken homes became the norm" (McKinley, 2014). She also says people should look at the positives: the African Americans such as Colin Powell, Ben Carson, Beyonce, and others who "prove everyday that being black is no obstacle" (McKinley, 2014). Many white people share O'Reilly, Hawkins, and McKinley's views on white privilege. However, as with many anti-white privilege arguments, they all have bias. The Fox News Channel, in general, has a conservative bias. To back up the claim of conservative bias, research shows that sixty percent of Fox News viewers consider themselves to have conservative political views, and twenty-three percent said they have moderate political views (Holcomb, 2014). Townhall.com also caters to a conservative crowd, claiming on its website that it is "the leading source for conservative news and political commentary and analysis" (Townhall, 2016). Also, the argument could be made that the Houston Chronicle has conservative bias since it is published in Texas, a consistently conservative state. Another commonality between O'Reilly, Hawkins, and McKinley (as well as many white privilege opponents) is that they are not credible. The three express strong claims, but do not back up their claims with clear factual evidence. No data or statistics debunking the existence of white privilege are presented; their arguments are based mostly or solely on opinion. Therefore, none of the sources are credible and their arguments against white privilege can be dismissed.

The way the United States' education system currently functions is the origin of why people of color are at a disadvantage to whites in most aspects of society. If students of color are not given the same quality of education as white students are, the students of color will not have the same opportunities in life as white students do and will forever be inconvenienced because of it. The education system in the United States needs change, and it needs it now. Non-white students can no longer be disadvantaged in an area where all students should be treated equally. White students and teachers need to stop contributing to the shortcomings non-white students face and do their part to help fix the system, which is blatantly biased and immensely inoperative. White students should educate themselves on the ways in which they have privilege and demand fairness from teachers and administration. School districts, when looking to hire new teachers, should make sure the teachers understand how privilege works in schools and be confident that the teachers will strive for equality in their instruction and treatment of students. Change cannot happen in a day, a month, or even a year. However, white privilege in the education system is too big of a problem to ignore. Small acts can make a huge difference in the long run- one that will help level the playing field between white students and students of color. 

