Cornell College Iowa

White privilege: Should it be noted?

As director of intercultural life at a small Iowa college 12 years ago, Eddie Moore Jr. decided to hold a conference on the advantages white Americans enjoy simply because of their skin color.

He called it the White Privilege Conference.

Every year since, people have suggested changing the name to something less provocative, Moore said.

He stood firm and now points to growing attendance — up from 150 that first year at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, to 3,000 this year in Minneapolis-St. Paul — as a sign the concept is catching on.

Authors of a book purchased by the Omaha Public Schools for cultural sensitivity training say teachers must acknowledge the existence of white privilege to better relate to minority students.

But critics view it as an unhealthy, hurtful fixation on race with dubious academic merit and potentially negative consequences for students.

Adherents to the white privilege concept define it generally as the tangible, but sometimes invisible, benefits whites enjoy as the dominant racial group in America.

Wellesley College professor Peggy McIntosh defined it plainly in 1988 in one of the early writings on the topic. McIntosh wrote of "an invisible package of unearned assets which I can count on cashing in each day."

She compared white privilege to "an invisible weightless knapsack" full of tools that benefit whites like her.

Critics, however, say that focusing on white privilege distracts from the real challenges facing minority communities and from back-to-basics academic approaches that have been proven to lift poor and minority students' performance.

Carol Iannone, a critic who received a doctor of education degree in English literature from State University of New York Stony Brook and edits a national academic journal, said she's not aware of any evidence such training will improve achievement.

"Because overt racism and overt prejudice is very rare nowadays, now they have to find some kind of unconscious residue that is working without even any intention behind it to explain why their inequality persists," Iannone said.

Focusing attention on white privilege distracts from bigger issues that disadvantage many minority children in the classroom, she said, offering as an example a lack of fathers in the home.

Outside of academia, meanwhile, many people have never heard of white privilege.

OPS's book purchase stirred a firestorm of controversy. A recent World-Herald article about the book, purchased with federal stimulus money, raced across the blogosphere and national news media and prompted a surge of letters to the newspaper.

Cornell participating in Iowa Private College Week - Cornell College

“It’s a really important time for these young students and their parents because choosing the right college or university is a critical decision,” says Gary Steinke, President of the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (IAICU).  The 28 participating member institutions of the IAICU expect more than 5,000 student visits during Iowa Private College Week August 1-5.

“The campus visit is so important because students can see for themselves which institutions offer the right academic package for them, which campuses feel like the right size, and what a safe and supportive environment all of our institutions provide,” says Steinke.

Parents can also find out how affordable a college education can really be, said Steinke.  “The Iowa Tuition Grant program provides $43 million in student aid to more than 17,000 Iowa students each year.  Our campuses add more than $300 million in institutional financial aid so that very competitive tuition packages are available. So many parents are surprised to find a private college education for their son or daughter is well within their reach,” said Steinke.

Iowa Private College Week takes place at 28 campuses, August 1-5, with campus tours twice each day, at 9:00 am and 1:30 pm.  Registration is available either on the campuses, or on line at http://www.thinkindependently.com .  At the website, students can sign up for specific times and locations, use a map to plan travel between campuses and get a free music download for registering.

Casey’s General Stores is generously providing gasoline discount coupons for participants.  The 5-cent per gallon discount coupons are provided to participants when they complete a campus tour.  Also, any student who participates in three campus visits during Private College Week and ultimately enrolls at an IAICU member college will be entered in a drawing for a $500 bookstore voucher.  Fifty-six winners will be chosen.

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Cornell College Alumni, Lester J. Dickinson