Hello Leah,

First, this was a good read. I see where you’re coming from with many of the points raised. Regarding this sentence in particular, I’m 50/50 on agreeing with you. While some mixed-race (i.e. Black and White) individuals may benefit from White privilege for a myriad of reasons (e.g., straighter nose, lighter skin, straighter hair, etc.), I hesitate to say that all do. From what I’ve been made to understand, the more phenotypically “Black” — this includes having a wider nose or kinkier hair — a mixed-race individual looks, the less likely it is they will benefit from their White side.

Moreover, the White half of a mixed-race individual may actually hinder them in settings where only Black people are present. I know of several stories where mixed-race individuals were shunned from the Black community, mostly due to the mixed-race individual being looked to as “not Black enough.” Adding insult to injury, these same individuals where not even accepted in White society due to their being half Black.

Lastly, I believe how a mixed-race individual chooses to identify, or their political/social stances, will determine if White privilege comes about. Take, for example, J. Cole or Colin Kaepernick. Though both men are mixed-race, they mostly identify with their Black side and consciously fight for Black causes. I wouldn’t say either of them benefit from White privilege much, if at all. But then again, I may be wrong. Possibly, White privilege may be more apparent with mixed-race women as opposed to men. Let me know your thoughts.

Thank you for the good read!

J. Stokes