The idea is older than most people think. In 1935, W.E.B. Du Bois wrote that white workers received a "public and psychological wage" from whiteness, even when they were poorly paid. In 1989, Peggy McIntosh published "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack," a list of everyday advantages she had been taught never to see. She described privilege as "unearned power conferred systematically," and her essay brought the term into classrooms (McIntosh).
You can see it in small, ordinary moments, like which skin tone comes to mind when a brand calls a product "nude" or "flesh-colored." It took Crayola until May 2020 to release crayons that represented a broad range of skin tones (Lifehacker). You can also see it in shopping without being followed, or renting a home without facing discrimination because of your race.
And it shows up in money. In 2022, the median white household held about $285,000 in wealth, compared with $44,900 for the median Black household (Federal Reserve). Much of that gap traces back to policies like redlining and the unequal way the GI Bill was run.
White privilege also exists alongside other parts of who we are. A white person who grew up poor, or who is queer or disabled, still has white privilege. Their race still gives them relative power, which they can use to help dismantle racism and to advocate for the other communities they belong to. To be clear, naming privilege is about seeing how systems benefit some groups over others, so we can change them.
Common questions
Is white privilege the same as racism?
No. Racism is the system that treats people unequally because of race, and white privilege is the advantage that system hands to white people. You can have white privilege without ever doing anything racist on purpose.
Can poor white people have white privilege?
Yes. Being poor brings real hardship, but a poor white person still isn't held back by their race. Privilege is about which barriers you don't face, and it exists alongside class, gender, disability and other parts of who we are.
What can I do with my white privilege?
Start by noticing where it shows up in your life. Then use the access and credibility it gives you to speak up, share resources and support efforts led by people of color.