To understand whiteness is to understand the gap between what America says it stands for and what it actually is. Whiteness is a system of cultural norms and advantages that positions white people as the default, the “normal,” and the most protected group in society. It sets whiteness as the standard for what it means to be human and creates rules based on personal biases about how society should operate. Anything that isn’t white or part of white culture is seen as wrong or out of place. Since the founding of this country, whiteness has been at the center of political, social, and economic power. Even the Constitution, which is supposed to define freedom and equality, was created by white men for white men. Despite calling itself the land of the free, countless people, especially people of color, still face barriers, discrimination, and injustice every single day. These barriers come from institutions that were built to uphold white power and culture. The systems that are supposed to give everyone an equal shot often only protect and enhance whiteness, while pushing out anything that isn’t white.
One example I always think about is the police force. It’s meant to protect everyone, but it often ends up protecting mostly white people, operating under the belief that Black people are automatically a threat, not fully human. When officers carry these biases, whether they realize it or not, it leads to harsher treatment, more suspicion, and less protection for Black communities. What’s even more horrifying is that this doesn’t just happen to Black adults; it happens to Black children, too. I think about Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old playing with a toy pellet gun in a Cleveland park in 2014. Someone called 911 about a “guy with a gun,” but also said it was probably fake and probably a kid. Even with that information, officers arrived, and within seconds, Tamir was shot. They didn’t see a child playing; they saw a criminal, a threat, someone who, in their eyes, didn’t deserve to live. This is what happens when whiteness is the standard for who gets protection: anyone who doesn’t fit that standard becomes a target to be feared, controlled, and harmed. Police brutality shows the gap between who is treated as human and who isn’t. It shows the dangers of a society that still lives under the white standard.
For me, thinking about the world I’ll live in and the world I may one day raise a Black child in—this hits me on a deeply personal level. It’s exhausting to think about, but it also makes me feel responsible. I have to be vigilant for my safety and pray for protection whenever i come into contact with law enforcement. While yes, it’s true they are not all racist, it’s hard to tell who holds these implicit biases and who doesn’t. I believe that recognizing how whiteness shapes the world and how deadly that can be is the first step in imagining a society where safety, protection, and equality are for everyone, not just a select few. But I always wonder how people of color can truly feel safe in a society that does not see them as human?
Thank you, Alex, for this post. I think it’s important to shed light on this topic, and I appreciate how you addressed white supremacy and the way white ideals and values are often favored and treated as the “default” in society. I also wanted to bring up some other instances where parts of Black culture are appropriated and absorbed into this same sort of white culture. For example, jazz music was initially tied to African roots and to the hums and tunes sung by enslaved Africans in the 1800s. Those similar tunes later grew within Black communities and churches, becoming a staple of Black culture. However, I can’t ignore the fact that this music has also been appropriated into white culture and reframed as something associated with the upper echelon of society. In the same vein, traditional African braiding styles have also been appropriated into white culture. When aspects of Black culture are adopted by white culture, they often become more widely accepted; when they are not, they are labeled with terms like “ghetto” or “unprofessional”. I also agree with your stance that there is a responsibility to teach our children about these stereotypes and ideologies that the outside world may place on their appearance and race. Awareness and knowledge of these topics are not only important for creating change but also for understanding why that change is necessary.