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Kamari Wells
Professor Ogbara
English 100
24 November, 2014

The Whispering Truth

The American Dream, is known to be a fulfilling journey to success that everyone can
reach. But the reality of it, certain people receives privileges. Considering that White Privilege is
a division among the race of whites and the rest of the opposing race, by overly receiving unfair
privileges that are under social, economic, or political circumstances that only a human with
white skin can assess. It is not something that you earn, or work for, like any other citizen would,
to gain some kind of financial income, but it is simply a value that is placed on a particular skin
pigment, which in this case, falls under an accommodated group that can also be known an
intergroup theory of social dominance hierarchy. Furthermore, the white male or female could
very well lack the construing sense of their own priviledge, but it still does not stray away from
the fact the White Privilege is still in effect, and that it intertwines with the American dream that
is paradoxically inevitable.
Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, is not only popular for its phrase that was
carefully inscribed in the Declaration of Independence, it is what every determined and
hardworking American citizen strives for to personally achieve and to boastfully celebrate their
success in the glorious future. But the engraved issue is knowingly hidden and sustained within
the American history, and its the fact that humanity isnt granted an equal opportunity to reach
this glorified success, but only those that inherently qualify thus obtain the American Dream.

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Scripted in the article, The Color of Supremacy: Beyond the discourse of white privilege Zeus
Leonardo states, In short, humanity meant male, white, and propertied (Leonardo, 183). We
can guess on who qualifies to be a true American by tracing back to US history. Early in
America, when the Constitution of the United States was carefully written by those that were
known as the founding fathers (Leonardo, 139).
These historically significant words were ironically configured by wholly patriots that
only had the consideration of white males in mind, who were accustomed to be the dominant
race. This is a prime example of Patriarchy, because it upholds men to maintain such power that
deliberately excludes women. At that time, women still had to work on their freedom and figure
out themselves and how much they value. In another instance, African American Slaves were
controlled by the White Supremacy, because white racial dominance played a big roll throughout
history; affecting lives in a discouraging and enraged matter. They successfully did just that, by
rreducing people of color as three-fifths of a fraction. Leonardo depicts that, The literal
reduction of blacks to three-fifths invokes the parasitic figure of whites, the representation of
masculinity, and the specter of the bourgeois class. (Leonardo, 139). I can agree that the
repetitive behavior that occurred throughout American history, is highly absurd.
Whether it was discriminating against the opposite sex, fearing the lack of a secured
dominant role, and taking hatred acts out on the African American Race, Whites controlled, and
dominated a large amount of people in way that anyone with a conscious mind wouldve
disapproved for appraisal. In which, later leaving the remainder of the nation to sulk. Norman
Poltenson claims in his article: Two conflicting views of the American dream, that the American
dream can be equally pursued. He supports his claim within his argument by stating,

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-The government must be involved to ensure that everyone gets fair share, Individual
effort must be superseded by government oversight to distribute the fruits of labor equitably
(Poltenson, 13). I disagree with his claim, because Americans arent classified as equal human
beings. We have the white man, in higher occupancies that holds additional power that can
access fulfillment in the American Dream. If theyre in higher ranking, that leaves the minority
of the race, to remain below the radar. They are being carefully watched, just so the position that
white people are in may not fall under the risk of losing its significant status. Does inequality
threaten opportunity? (Poltenson, 13) In fact, it does. It is the primary issue that decreases the
growth within perseverance for equality to achieve success. Leonardo, expands the proven
statement by commenting, Whites as a racial group secure supremacy in almost all facet of
social life. (a mythical group, according to Marable, 1983). No matter what, the reality of our
society, highlights the advantages that whites have amongst the other race, that are commonly
unearned.
Instead of settling with past exploitations, white domination is consistently
recapitulating. There are teachings in school that subliminally encourages white people to build
the concept of themselves that is related to what is considered to be pedagogical. Pedagogical,
thus creating a dominant group to thrive as whole. Furthermore, Their textbooks reinforce the
innocence of whiteness. (Leonardo, 138) This is another example of racial privilege, because it
enhances white subjects, to make them believe that they are the only exception to be part of that
dominant nature, over the people with a different skin color, for some whites, Scheurich
narrates in conclusion with Leaonardos article, Racial advantages can be explained through a
more primary history of exclusions and ideological practices. (Schuerich, Leonardo 138).
Scheurich words were self-explanatory, and evidently correct. If you look back in our history,

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our leaders were predominantly white, and those leaders governed our money, distributed our
jobs, and foremost theyve pledged discriminatively with what is portrayed to be the American
identity.
Although history have dramatically changed in a sense of early on tyranny to now being
the oppressors of our time, keep in mind, that one African American president does not seclude
the fact that its almost traditional to have white racial hegemony in our historical society. Its
impossible to dictate it is reiterated in our history books, as whispering truths.
In order to have a clearer understanding of what is considered to be the generalized
identity of America, we must know that sophistication isnt measured with race when it comes to
social dominance hierarchy. It is demonstrated through personal qualifications and
characteristics. Such as, Hair texture, nose shapes, culture, and language. (Hunter, Leonardo
2002) This type of construction only multiply privileges for the white race. Similar to what we
spoke on earlier, its the value that is placed on the looks of one race compared to the other. And,
sadly in the American society, these qualifications and characteristics are favored.
As we stated before, the white race may not be consciously aware of its personal and
institutional advantages. Because they are constructed in whats called a white bubble. On the
outside of that bubble, we have the disadvantaged race that sees the dramatic differences
amongst the two, viewing the in-group as a favorable. In the article, Ingroup Bias, Classic
Ethnocentrism, and Non- Ethnocentrism among American Whites, David Raden asserts, There
is evidence at the broad historical level that many individuals in some modern societies can be
connected to classic ethnocentrism. In other words, Raden explains that there may be
prejudgments about a race due to their social status viewed values. The concept is most likely
linked to our history, which is causing that to take place. Its the attitude that individuals have

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that suffice racial status. Some psychoanalytically oriented writers (Fromm, 1964; LeVine &
Campbell, 1972, chap. 9) have argued that ethnocentrism has a compensatory function for
persons of low social status; others (Adorno, Frenkel- Brunswik, Levinson, & Sanford, 1950)
have posited a strong connection between ethnocentrism and authoritarianism. To evaluate on
this subject, Brewer and Campbell argues that those that are considered to in the higher ranking
of an ingroup, does not seek any rational understanding of the differences. But that the classic
ethnocentric race are favorable, specifically speaking on the white race. And self- dislike is
battled among the least favorable, the race without the higher ranking in social status and its all
analyzed within social distances. Because of these studies, ethnocentrism intertwines with the
outlook of favorable characteristics. White men and women are naturally qualified as the popular
identity.
White privilege derogatorily emphasizes the nuance racial advantages that are only
granted for American Caucasians. It belittles the other race, and places the white race on a
pedestal. Throughout US history, there is evidence that shows practices of white privilege that
summarizes to be the practice of White Supremacy. This is still an issue because to be qualified
as an American, life liberation and the pursuit of happiness are the common factors that is known
to be distributed amongst all citizens, the problem being is that, that historical phase isnt
necessarily true. Even if you work hard to achieve the American Dream, the opposing race of
whites are more unlikely to gain that glorified experience. Its written in documented to justify
with one qualified race, and that is white Americans.
White men are the image of America, since they constructed and dominantly controlled
our nation for centuries. Things have evolved overtime but the issue still lies upon the citizens of
the United States and the words that are still unspoken. If egalitarianism was practiced and

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pressed but the government, then we would have a higher chance in creating an image that
portrays unity and equality for the people. If then, The American dream would be sufficient and
not discriminated for differentiated statuses. They frequently serve to perpetuate white racial
supremacy through color-blindness, ahistorical justications, and sleights-of- mind. ( Leonardo,
141).
To brush up on what Leonardo stated, social justice is in the hands of the higher power
and they have consistently abused it. To resolve the internal and historical issues, theres an
alternative. If the teachings in school can be revised to ensure that the students are receiving the
proper education that is not favored within race but structurally placed to empower the youth in
making stronger decisions against ignorance. Overall, the equality can be achieved. And the
identity of the American people can be known as whites, blacks, Asians, natives, women and
children. The color of your skin would hold value but only a simple demonstration of
differentiated skin pigments, therefore properly creating the American Identity that does not
exclude any individual human beings but meets up to everyones expectation.

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MLA Citations
Leonardo, Zeus. "The Color of Supremacy: Beyond the Discourse of white Privilege."
Educational Philosophy and Theory. 36.2 (2004): 137-152. Print
POLTENSON, NORMAN. "Two Conflicting Views of the American Dream." Business Journal
(Central New York) 26.39 (2012): 13. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 19 Nov. 2014.
Raden, David. "Ingroup Bias, Classic Ethnocentrism, and Non-Ethnocentrism Among American
Whites." Political Psychology. 24.4 (2003): 803-828. Print.
Raden, David. "Ingroup Bias, Classic Ethnocentrism, And Non-Ethnocentrism Among American
Whites." Political Psychology 24.4 (2003): 803. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection.
Web. 24 Nov. 2014