Do White Americans Have White Privilege? | Ami on the Loose

We need to recognize our privilege and practice humility. Ami Horowitz: The concept of "white privilege" has become an important bulwark of the Democratic Party's ideology and was discussed in nearly every Democratic debate. I'm Ami Horowitz and I'm in Kansas City at a "white privilege" conference. "What is 'white privilege'?" you may ask. I don't know. Let's find out. This "white privilege" conference has over a thousand attendees. Many of them educators. Ami: Do you think that it's fair to say "All white people in this country have 'white privilege?'" Yes. Yes, absolutely. Ami: Do all white people have "white privilege"? Yes. I... feel myself having it everyday. The country is founded on white supremacy and that, like, persists today. Hyper aware, feel super guilty all the time. --that white people in this country generally are prejudiced? Uh, I'd go further and say we're all racist. Is it fair to say all white people are racist? Throughout the country? Yes. Absolutely. Ami: Not just the South? Correct. Yeah. Absolutely. Sometimes it's okay to be like, "Oh, all white people do this or white people are X" and... especially in a negative light. Ami: Is it wrong to judge people collectively? Yes. Is it wrong to judge people collectively? It's wrong to judge EVERYONE collectively. It's, you know... Ami: Duh! Uh, yeah! Absolutely. No one's a monolith! Ami: That's wrong to judge people collectively, right? To, to judge people? Yeah! *chuckles* Yeah. Ami: Obviously. Ami: Tell me about some of the "white privileges" that you have, uh, encountered over the past, let's say... today. Uh... you're talking about me as a white man today? Ami: Yeah, yeah... Oh gosh, uh... I mean it's... I don't know if I can give you examples-- Umm... Not, not really today, but... maybe-- Sorry, I'm not good at thinking-- Ami: Like today, what "white privilege" have you come across? Uhhh..... I sat in my room until 12:30 this morning, so-- Ami: What, what are some the "white privilege" things you came across, let's say, today? Today? Ami: Yeah. I mean, just, just being in the WORLD! Ami: Is it fair to say, that, on a daily basis, black people around this country, uh-- face obstacles because of "white privilege"? Absolutely. Absolutely. White supremacy, as an institution, uh, punish-- punishes black folk, uh, in a way-- Ami: D-d-daily? DAILY! Ami: All the time? Absolutely, absolutely. Everyday. Ami: --how black people are consumed with this day-to-day, they deal with this issue day-to-day? Oh, a hundred percent! I mean, I think that's just so obvious that if you're not admitting that you're, you're, you're blinding yourself to reality. Ami: Are you, are you a professor? Yeah. Ami: Okay. *chuckles* Ami: That make, that makes sense now. You know, in fact when we go to the airport I walk with her-- my wife's black-- so I'll have my hand on her so that she-- people see that I'm WITH HER. I extend my "white privilege" over to her-- Now I'm here in Harlem in front of the Jackie Robinson Housing Projects to ask residents what they think of "white privilege". Ami: [Do you know what] the concept of "white privilege" is? The concept of... "white privileges"? Ami: Yeah... ever hear of that? I've heard of it, but I don't think about it. Ami: When you wake up in the morning do you immediately think about and are consumed with the idea of "white privilege"? ...No. Ami: You don't think about that all day long, everyday of-- No. Ami: No?! No. No, I'm not consumed with it... at all. I teach students. I'm not consuming anything, except for runny noses and pencils. My mom didn't raise me to, to... view colors as the object of ANYTHING. Ami: Do you wake up everyday thinking, umm, "I am not gonna succeed today because of 'white privilege'?" No. Obviously not. You see, I'm my own business man. Ami: Would you ever think it's damaging to tell your kids, and teach your kids, that you're, uh, a black kid, that you're not gonna succeed in life because you have, uh-- Of course. Of course. It makes them think, "Okay, well, I'm gonna be nothing. If I want to be a doctor I can't even do that anymore." It gives them no hope. Color ain't stopped nothin'. I mean... It's a myth. It's America. If you're willing to put forth an effort... you'll do what you gotta do. I got kids in here, man, that's lawyers... doctors. That, they grew up outta this building. I know it sounds cliché, but I can accomplish anything. If you let someone stop you, then that's YOU. Me, I ain't let nothin' stop ME. My daughter is graduating at the top of her class. I'll say to them, "How many black people do you know?". Ami: Do you think that sometimes white people should just kinda shut up a little bit? Oh yeah, for sure. --that white people should definitely shut the f--- up. We white Americans need to do a better job of listening when African Americans talk. Hi, I'm Elisha Krauss, Director of Outreach, here at PragerU. To have this video reach more people, please consider a donation below.