RACE + PSYCHOLOGY
Equality Feels Like Oppression to White People, And We Know Why
White privilege provides so many benefits that letting it go feels traumatic. Let's unpack this.
Having white privilege is like playing your favorite video game with the cheat codes on, locked, and loaded. On the surface level, having these cheat codes is harmless. After all, there are no real-world consequences for bending in a game, and some cases, disregarding the rules. This loophole is why I've been using "rosebud" or "motherlode" on Sims. With those cheat-enhanced privileges, money isn't an obstacle for me. I can buy the most prominent homes, invest, redecorate, have lots of parties, and hire lots of "help." The problem is Black people don't have the equivalent of cheat codes in the real world, but White people do.
Because of America's long history of segregation and racial redlining, the homeownership gap between Black and White families is more than it was 50 years ago. In writing about race, a lot of folks ask me whether I think race relations are improving, and stats like this force me to respond with a resounding "no." Things are not getting better because White folks have cheat codes like "rosebud."
White people’s nonchalance isn’t…
