Words are important and using shorthand for complex concepts can sometimes muddy a discussion.

As a white person, I can go into a store and not be followed as a suspected shoplifter. As a white person, if I apply for a job, I will get a call-back more often than folks of color. As a white person, I am more likely to live in an area with better schools and grocery stores. As a white person, my relatives probably benefited more from the GI Bill than their fellow soldiers of color. And those relatives could choose housing in more and different areas than those soldiers of color, housing that appreciated more because of the area. As a white person, I can travel many places without fear. As a white person, my brother will never see a woman clench her purse when he enters the elevator. As a white person, if my brother commits a crime, he is much less likely to be stopped by the police, arrested and convicted than a black person. Those are only a small listing of the advantages I experience as a white person. I did not always recognize those advantages. And those advantages are mine no matter what my monetary resources. I have additional advantages because my father had a good job and I was able to go to college. I hope that we can work together toward a better understanding of the invisible currents of privilege that we swim in.

— Bailey de Iongh