I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group

Most talk by whites about equal opportunity seems to me now to be about equal opportunity to try to get into a position of dominance while denying that systems of dominance exist.

Power from unearned privilege can look like strength when it is in fact permission to escape or to dominate.

Privilege exists when one group has something of value that is denied to others simply because of the groups they belong to, rather than because of anything they’ve done or failed to do. Access to privilege doesn’t determine one’s outcomes, but it is definitely an asset that makes it more likely that whatever talent, ability, and aspirations a person with privilege has will result in something positive for them.

I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group

I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege.

White privilege is the unquestioned and unearned set of advantages, entitlements benefits and choices bestowed on people solely because they are white. Generally white people who experience such privilege do so without being conscious of it.