“White privilege” isn’t a new phenomenon and its current conception hurts minorities. That’s the argument columnist Joseph Bilello makes in a recent piece published at Townhall.
Bilello, a producer for Fox Nation, writes that what’s now considered “white privilege” used to be called the “Protestant work ethic,” something that was considered to be a good attribute.
From the column:
But the theory of white privilege being taught in American schools is nothing new. White privilege has been part of the education curriculum for decades. But until recently, the concept was referred to as the “Protestant work ethic.”
The Protestant work ethic, also referred to as the Calvinist work ethic or Puritan work ethic is a sociological and economic philosophy which espouses that an individual and society’s emphasis on hard work, discipline and education are the key factors to achieving a certain level of success.
However, Bilello writes that children today are force-feed the white privilege ideology and that white shaming permeates education.
He notes “critics of the indoctrination of white privilege often cite the negative impact the philosophy may have on America’s white youth.” However, he asserts it’s actually hurting minority students:
The real victims of the theory of white privilege are not America’s white youth. The real damage is being done to those that purveyors of the myth are purporting to help. The left has been hurting black and Latino Americans since the moment they decided they were going to help them. And perpetuating lies about inherant white privilege continues that tradition.
White shaming may harm the sensibilities of white kids, but it is doing untold damage to America’s black and Latino youth. The unintended consequences of preaching white privilege is that black and Latino youth are essentially being told to just give up. They will never be given a fair shot so why bother trying?
Bilello doesn’t deny privilege exists, but he believes there’s a better way to teach students about how it’s acquired:
It is true that some people are born with certain advantages others may not have. But for the most part, privilege is earned, not bestowed. And that is the message that must be taught to all of America’s youth.
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