White Supremacy

White supremacy is when white culture has been deemed more valuable than other cultures.

Another way to think about it: white supremacy is when white people have a larger share of power and status because of the value society has placed on their skin color.

Instances of white supremacy can be found in every part of society and in systems we interact with every day.

Similar to white privilege, the phrase “white supremacy” can result in push back from white people because the term describes things that are potentially unfamiliar or uncomfortable. The word “white” can be uncomfortable because many white people are not used to being described by their race, while the word “supremacy” often elicits thoughts of things like the Ku Klux Klan, slavery, and genocide. And while these are all clear examples of white supremacy, it also shows up in other ways that aren’t always as obvious as those instances.

White supremacy is so woven into our culture that it is often hard to untangle it or notice it at first glance. But when we look closely, instances of white supremacy can be found in every part of society and in systems we interact with every day.

LET’S LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES

HOUSING AND LENDING

Historically, it was common for lenders to deny mortgages or loans to people who lived in predominantly non-white communities (a practice known as redlining). While this practice has been outlawed for many years, discrimination toward Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian Pacific Islander and other people of color continues. A recent study shows that, even when controlling for multiple financial factors, “lenders in 2019 were more likely to deny home loans to people of color than to white people with similar financial characteristics.”

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

According to a 2017 report from the United States Sentencing Commission, “Black male offenders continued to receive longer sentences than similarly situated white male offenders,” with Black men receiving sentences on average 19.1 percent longer than white men.

Here in Minnesota, Black residents are five-and-a-half times more likely to be arrested for marijuana compared to white residents, according to a report from the ACLU. And in Minneapolis, recent analysis shows that Black people are disproportionately subjected to use of force from police.

SCHOOL CURRICULUM

This New York Times article compared American History textbooks in California and Texas, finding several differences in topics like suburban growth, the Harlem Renaissance and discrimination.

Suburban growth:

• The textbook in California states that “Movement of some white Americans from cities to suburbs was driven by a desire to get away from more culturally diverse neighborhoods.”
• The Texas textbook states that “Some people wished to escape the crime and congestion of the city.”

Harlem Renaissance:

• Both textbooks provide an overview of the topic and its impact, while the textbook used in Texas includes an additional statement that “some dismissed the quality of the literature produced.”

White resistance to Black progress after the Civil War:

• “Southern whites resisted Reconstruction, according to a McGraw-Hill textbook, because they ‘did not want African Americans to have more rights.’ But the Texas edition offers an additional reason: Reforms cost money, and that meant higher taxes. Whole paragraphs on redlining and restrictive deeds appear only in the California editions of textbooks, partly as a result of different state standards. Texas’ social studies guidelines do not mention housing discrimination at all.”

We must all work  together to dismantle white supremacy so all people can be represented, valued and safe.

These seemingly small differences can add up, and they are just one example of how whiteness can be deemed more valuable than other cultures.

Once we’re aware of white supremacy in our world today, it can’t be unseen. And we must all work  together to dismantle it so all people can be represented, valued and safe.