Thank you for taking the time to share an experience that validates what I have been sensing for some time now.

White privilege is a touchy subject. I would never claim that white people have not benefited from the power of being in the majority, but I do question the extent to which that privilege is still enjoyed by most. In many cases, rural poverty in “flyover” states is just as extreme and dire as what people of color experience in major urban areas. Truly, there is more we have in common than there is that separates us, but when we spend our time pointing fingers at each other we are far less likely to recognize our common connection and the issues that bind us. Given how quickly things are deteriorating in this country on a socio-economic level, I don’t think the emphasis on race and obsession with division is by chance; fighting amongst ourselves keep us from lifting our heads and paying attention to what’s going on above us. And there is a LOT going on that people are missing now.

Your conversation with your son takes the issue of white privilege to a whole new level. It had never occurred to me that a biracial person could benefit from white privilege. I don’t understand how that would even be quantified. Were his classmates claiming that he was gifted with half-privilege? And what about his non-white DNA? How would privilege co-exist in a person who is also the victim of privilege? Maybe I’m dating myself, but I was born in a time when “one drop” of black blood made you black, and even people who were able to “pass” as white were ultimately considered black if their ancestry was discovered; there was no chance whatsoever for a biracial person to claim of white privilege. But I suppose in post-racial America, that’s all changed.

In my opinion, there is only one kind of privilege today, and it’s enjoyed by those who are fortunate to have an abundance of one thing: money. It’s all about class. That’s the elephant in the room that we’re being encouraged to ignore.

Everything else is noise.