Privilege 4

Next in the ‘white privilege series‘… number 4:

4. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.


A great example of this privilege can be found in an ABC expose with Diane Sawyer, True Colors.  In this video two friends, one black and one white, try to maneuver through life in St. Louis.  It highlights blatant discrimination that goes on — black people being charged more for cars, systematically denied apartments, etc.   While this was made in 1993, it remains relevant today.

There are also some decent academic articles on this topic here and here.  This article talks about similar discrimination that black people face on vacation.

What is more, people often don’t interfere when they see retail staff discriminate against customers.  This video (below), from the TV production ‘What Would You Do?‘ highlights this pattern.

Standing Up Against Racism