Re: Week 4 February 14-20 Question 2: "White Men of Privilege"

Question 2. Explain the concept "white men of privilege". Do you agree with the concept? Why or why not?

In Chapter 5, the white men of privilege apply to the upper and middle class, and wealthy white European male in our country. In Harris and Sherbolm’s text who mention, “The overriding assumption of social, economic, and political power in this country has long resided with upper-class and upper-middle class white European males of wealth and privilege” (Harris/Sherbolm 99). In these sentences, the authors both reveal the white European males who resided in the United States since eighteenth century. Due to the inequality and injustice in the society in the past centuries, the white Europeans males possessed the social and economic power that brought them as the upper and middle class among the other individuals who also held the hierarchies of power to their group individuals in the following centuries.

In my opinion, I do not agree with the “white men of privilege” in the society in the twenty-first century because the presidential election in 2008 had given us the right answer. In this election, Mr. Barrack Obama has been elected as the first Black American president in the American history. Additionally, the white presidential candidates who completely lost their privileges to possess the social power in the election as well.

Conclusively, the “white men of privilege” can only apply in the eighteen century because of injustice in the society at that time. In terms of the change of political situation, environment, and the philosophy by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1960's, we have found the lower class residents, the Blacks, the women, and the poor people who are completely awakened and fight for the equality and justice in the society.