- Introduction
- Police Handling of Pro-Trump Assault on Capitol and Black Racial Justice Protests
- The Effects of White privilege On American Society
- White Privilege Before Assault on Capitol
Introduction
The Pro-Trump assault on Capitol came as big surprise to the world. Americans watched in horror as Pro-Trump supporters assaulted the US Capitol in Washington DC. With seemingly little resistance from police, this showcased the white privilege that many say doesn’t even exist. Comparing the presence of security personnel at black lives matter protests and pro-trump rallies, the difference is staggering. Unfortunately, some of these domestic terrorists are walking free, not harassed by police. However, for Black people it is entirely different.
The events inside the building were both disappointing and worrisome. The president bears the blame for the pro-trump assault on the Capitol by the mob. This day should never have happened and Trump’s rally speech contributed to it. It is something that could have been avoided.
It is also the day that many have seen coming for the past four years. The madness of the pro-Trump assault on the Capitol cemented white privilege accusations. Additionally, it the natural outgrowth of the carelessness seen and demonstrated by Trump administration since 2016. His open, enthusiastic appeal to the promoters of white racism and white nationalism has been front and center from the very beginning. Many saw it coming, and weren’t surprised when the chickens came home to roost on the Capitol steps. The earlier we accept that there are cracks in the fabric that bind as a nation, healing will naturally begin. It is time to rise above our differences and be the shining light for other nations to follow.
Police Handling of Pro-Trump Assault on Capitol and Black Racial Justice Protest
Last summer, a group of largely peaceful protesters for racial justice were met with strong police resistance. The use of tear gas, military tactics, and legions of police in riot gear were deployed. But when white pro-trump insurrectionists assault the Capitol, there is a white privilege display of weakness by police. A weak law enforcement operation was comparatively gentle, even polite. Surprisingly few police stood in the way, when a pro-Trump mob attacked the United States Capitol. Even with the expectation of Protests for days, but police appeared unprepared for an actual insurrection. They weren’t even prepared to keep all the doors secured. Video evidences point to police calmly talking with attackers after gaining entrance into the building.
On social media and beyond, there are an outpouring of rage and disbelief by regular citizens, Black activists and politicians. The white privilege on full display as white Pro-Trump assault Capitol, ransack and riot with relative impunity. It is a case of some people with the privilege and license to protest even when not peaceful. Law and order is more like a dog whistle.
Black and taking a knee is not American. While White and taking over Capitol equals patriotism. Black and protesting for your life equals rioter. while White and denying the election results equals free speech and patriotism. And we still want blacks to believe that white privilege doesn’t exist, with the level of assault on Capitol perpetrated by Pro-Trump mobs.
What Does The Assault On The Capitol Illustrate?
Capitol assault illustrates how United States is more comfortable with protest from the right than it is from the left. Political observers are of the opinion that protests from the left are often considered to represent an existential threat to the country. While right wing protests are considered as a kind of patriotic gesture.
The America nation stands on a knife’s edge in general. But more particularly it is obvious some people have the right to protest while others don’t. And what is clear is that Whites are accorded the full rights of citizenship, the right to dissent and others are expected to be grateful. The response of the police on the Pro-Trump assault on Capitol demonstrate this white privilege claims.
What did we see in Lafayette Square? Peaceful protesters. What did we see across the country over the summer after George Floyd’s murder? Peaceful protests. And then how did the police and government respond? The use of tear gas, rubber bullets and massive aggression to harass peaceful protesters and ultimately quash the protest.
Are white Protests Different From Black’s?
Thousands of Pro-Trump walked through the Capitol freely. In some instances, placing pipe bombs and other things around the Capitol. Entering and seating on congress members offices. Not that people wanted the police to be violent in their response, but evidence shows that certain kinds of people are giving leeway or space, and other people are not. Assaulting the Capitol didn’t change the election, Pro-Trump supporters failed in their bid to use white privilege to change the election results.
There’s this feeling that protests from the left represent an existential threat to the country ever since 1960s and the protests of the 60s. The marches, the Black Power movement protest against racism and maltreatment encountered serious police opposition. When it is about Black people or from Blacks it implies unpatriotic and evil venture. But protests from Whites don’t receive the same treatment as Black protests because of social economic inequalities, an offspring of white privilege.
What Is Donald Trump Legacy?
With the Pro-Trump assault on the Capitol, Donald Trump legacy tends towards an existential threat to the republic, endorsement of white privilege and racism. He intentionally or unintentionally weaponized an insidious feature of American life. And it is manifesting in greed and grievance, racism and resentment, hubris and hatred animating a large portion of the country. On his account we have seen Americans attempting to remove America flag and replace it with a Trump flag.
The next administration must restore normalcy and execute the law. They will need to prosecute and hold people accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Consequently, if nobody is held accountable after this insurrectionary act, we may have to deal with this again. We’ve been pampering this element since our birth as a nation. And its threat to overwhelm our democracy is at all time high than ever before. We finally need to uproot this before it consumes us.
The Effects of White privilege On American Society
Some scholars describe white privilege as informal racism. They attribute white privilege to the formal racism such as slavery and Jim Crow. Many White Americans who advocate race free worldview don’t acknowledge the systems of privilege which have benefited them. Although, many of them depend on a social or financial inheritance from previous generations. An inheritance unlikely to be if one’s ancestors were slaves. White Americans had privilege opportunities and benefits that were unavailable to others. The government subsidized white homeownership through the Federal Housing Administration, but not homeownership by minorities in the 20th century. Decentralization and suburbanization are instances of white privilege. Because it contributed to contemporary patterns of environmental racism.
Education Attainment
United States education policies contribute to the construction and reinforcement of white privilege. Black Americans are disproportionately sent to special education classes in their schools. Because they identify them as being disruptive or suffering from a learning disability. These students suffer isolation for the majority of the school day. In addition, they are left in the care of uncertified teachers. White students have privilege interactions with the special education system. The privilege to benefit from the mainline educational structure.
Some argue that educational inequality is also a consequence of housing. Property taxes determine school funding by most states, as a result schools in wealthier neighborhoods receive more funding per student. Therefore, better schools with good facilities are predominately in White American districts. These gives white students opportunities for a better education. While the vast majority of schools placed on academic probation as part of district accountability efforts are majority Black American.
Wealth and housing inequalities allow a higher proportion of white parents the option to move to better school districts. Equally, they can afford to put their children in private schools if they desire so. Also there are accusations that minority students are more likely than white students to be suspended or expelled from school. Even though rates of serious school rule violations do not differ significantly by race. The educational system in United States have deep biases in favor of the white majority in evaluation, curricula, and power relations.
Housing Inequality
The Federal Housing Act in 1934 institutionalized discrimination in housing policies. This Act provided government credit to private lending for home buyers. The Federal Housing Agency had the authority to direct fund to white home buyers instead of minorities. Also they diverted money away from inner-city neighborhoods after World War II. But instead placed it in the hands of white home buyers who would move into segregated suburbs. These practices intensified attitudes of segregation and inequality.
The greatest wealth source for White Americans is the growth in value of their owner-occupied homes. Whites enjoy capital appreciation and tax deductions of home ownership. Generational wealth is the most important contributor to wealth disparity between white Americans and Blacks. The continual discrimination in the mortgage industry perpetuates this inequality. Moreover, black homeowners pay higher mortgage rates than their white counterparts. This discriminatory housing practices also have an ongoing effect on young black families. Therefore, discriminatory financial policies of the past contribute to financial inequities of today.
Employment and Economics
Racialized employment networks benefit whites at the expense of minorities. White graduates often secure employment in skill trades, receive more promotions and experience shorter periods of unemployment. While it is different for Black graduates with same qualifications and skills. Since all other factors are same, one can only attribute the differences in employment experience to race.
These ideologies constitute a contemporary setback to working-class Blacks’ chances of establishing a foothold in the traditional trades.
There is also a connection between a person’s name and the likelihood of receiving a call back for a job interview. White names have 50% chance of receiving a call back than people with Black names, despite equal qualification. Moreover, Black graduates are less likely to end up in a management position than Whites even when other factors are similar. White Americans are more likely than black Americans to have their business loan applications approved according to a study. Even when all conditions are the same.
Wealth
White Americans have historically had more opportunities to grow and accumulate wealth. The fact that Black Americans and Hispanics wealth is a fraction of white wealth reflects a history of discrimination. The wealth gap is not just a story of merit and achievement or financial illiteracy on the part of the minorities. But it’s more of a story of the historical legacy of race in the United States.
Socio economic inequality in wealth among racial groups is still in existence. White Americans on average continually accrue advantages because of generational wealth transfer of inheritances and transformative assets. They receive financial assistance from their parents allowing them to live beyond their income. This equips them to buy houses and major assets which aid in the accumulation of wealth. Black Americans who are able to overcome their “inertia” are unlikely to accumulate wealth as fast as whites. This is a continual cycle which consistently benefit White Americans. These benefits also have effects on education and other life opportunities. Tax policies that reward investment over waged income, subsidize mortgages, and subsidize private sector developers aggravate disparities in wealth.
White Privilege Before Assault on Capitol
White Americans enjoy a wide range of privileges denied to Black people and persons of color in our society. Privileges that often permit Whites to dominate others who do not enjoy such privileges. While there are many issues that reflect racism in American society, there are many cases where racism is the issue. These are affirmative action, housing, job discrimination, hate crimes, and criminal justice. In addition, there are many broader social economic problems where racism is one factor in the equation, however often the major one.
Economic Disadvantage and Police Brutality
American is blessed with great opportunities and very wealthy individuals, albeit has high poverty rate compared to other developed nations. Poverty is a serious challenge in the United States. However a far greater percentage of Blacks are poorer than white Americans. Police brutality also is more severe and prevalent in Black communities and people of color.
In addition, education resources and opportunities are not evenly accessible. Education institutions in predominantly white communities receive a far higher proportion of education dollars than those in predominantly Black communities. In Black communities, you have larger classrooms with fewer resources, and inferior facilities. Moreover, people of color may not afford to send their children to better schools due to socio economic inequalities. What whites get at silver platter, others like Blacks labor to have. Consequently, for people of color to access quality and extensive education they must rely on scholarships for funding. A quality education increases one’s chances of landing a good job with good pay.
Welfare affects the entire American society, but it hits predominantly Black communities hardest. Congress members support tax credits for families to enable middle-class parents to stay home with their children. However welfare reform drives poor, single parents to take low-paying jobs and leave their children to inadequate day care. Because more and better job opportunities are open to white Americans, they leave the welfare rolls faster than Blacks and non-white persons. This helps to make Black people a disproportionate segment of the welfare population.
Disproportionate Incarceration Rates
The people of color account for 60 percent of those imprison in America, unfortunately the make up just 30 percent of the population. From 1970 to 2005 the population grew by 700 percent at a rate that is outrunning crime and population rates. Record shows that the incarceration rates disproportionately impact more of people of color. One in every 15 Black American male and one in every 36 Hispanic male go to jail in comparison to one in every 106 white male.
Bureau of Justice Statistics report that, one in three black male can expect to go to prison in their lifetime. People of color have a unfair number of encounters with law enforcement, an indictment of systematic racial profiling. According to Department of Justice, Blacks are three times more likely to be searched during a stop than white motorists. Black Americans are twice as likely to be arrested by the police. While almost four times as likely to experience the use of force by the police.
White Americans Assumptions
If only one of these areas affected communities of color unfairly, an explanation might be found other than race. But where race is a common denominator running through virtually every inequality, we are left with these conclusions. White Americans enjoy a wide range of privileges that are denied to Blacks and people of color in our society. These privileges ensure white Americans escape the inconveniences and injustices which are the daily experience of other ethnic Americans. Moreover White Americans assume that they can purchase a home wherever they choose if they have the money. Next, Whites assume that they can expect courteous service in stores, public places and restaurants. Also they assume if they are pulled over by a police car it will be for a valid reason unrelated to their skin color. People of color, especially Blacks cannot make these assumptions because they don’t enjoy these privileges.