A Comparative Analysis of White Privilege

It is a timeless pestilence that knows no borders; white privilege is the

societal construct that gives Caucasians the inherent advantage in various sectors
of civilization. It has occurred in many nations and during time periods, including
modern America. In Alan Patons 1948 novel Cry, the Beloved Country, the racial
separation in pre-apartheid South Africa is portrayed. Patons illustration of South
Africa was one of economic despair, consistent crime, and a white minority that
oppressed the black majority of the country. The South Africa that readers of Cry,
The Beloved Country are presented with is both fragile and chaotic, a result of the
impact of white privilege on employment, legal, and community platforms. In
current-day America, white supremacy continues to influence society in those same
sectors, proof that racism and segregation has not yet been overcome.
In Cry, The Beloved Country, the careers of many characters are impacted by
white privilege. Gertrude resorts to prostitution and other illegal activity for income.
The son of protagonist Stephen Komalo is charged with murder after attempting to
rob the home of a well-known racial justice activist. In Patons accurate depiction of
South African segregation, whites occupied the majority of well-paying jobs; the
black majority often resorts to crime as a means of survival. (Paton) This plight is
mirrored in modern America. According to the American Psychological Association,
unemployment rates for African Americans are typically double those of Caucasian
Americans. African American men working full time earn 72 percent of the average
earnings of comparable Caucasian men and 85 percent of the earnings of Caucasian
women. (American Psychological Association) This severe separation between
working African American men and Caucasian American men demonstrates is both
a result of white privilege and a propagation of stigmas against African Americans
that make them less likely to be employed.
NOTE: look up Affirmative Action and include that American government
deeming it necessary to enforce equal opportunity employment proves
that prejudice still plays a role in the employment field in the United
States. Use this link:
http://womenandminorities.com/affirmitave_action_history.php
In the crime ridden South African city Absolom Komalo lives in, it is necessary
to have means of protection; Absolom carries a gun to protect himself, but shoots
and kills Arthur Jarvis in a home invasion out of fear. White supremacy sent the
country into disarray; young South Africans fled the villages they were raised in only
to find the cities were shaped by the oppressive, white dominated government of
the day. The dysfunctional society Absolom inhabited guaranteed that black youth
were exposed and susceptible to criminal activity. (Paton) As was the justice system
in Cry, the Beloved Country, it can be argued that the justice system in the United
States is both impacted by white privilege and a perpetuating factor in its presence.
Racial profiling is a result of Americas racial hierarchy. The cycle guarantees that

the conviction rate and severity of punishment for black perpetrators is higher than
that of their white counterparts. Oftentimes, the African Americans in areas of
poverty commit said crimes in an effort to provide for themselves or their families,
finding it difficult to get a decent paying job in white-dominated employment fields.
Racial profiling is exemplified in the following study, found in the article Racial
Disparities in the American Criminal Justice System by Ronald Weich and Carlos
Angulo: In 1992, as part of a report by the ABC news program 20/20, two cars,
one filled with young black men, the other with young white men, navigated the
same route, in the same car, at the same speed through Los Angeles streets on
successive nights. The car filled with young black men was stopped by the police
several times; the white group was not stopped once, despite observing police cars
in their immediate area at least 16 times during the evening. (Weich and Angulo)
Clearly, there are stigmas against black Americans that increase the likelihood of
their arrest and the subsequent difficulty in finding employment. The difficulty they
experience finding employment makes these criminals more likely to be victims of
recidivism in white privileged American society.
Cry, the Beloved Country demonstrated various South African communities
and the impact of race on the conditions and norms of these groups. From Stephen
Komalos small village to the city his son migrated to, unsatisfactory conditions are
displayed as the norm for the black community. Contrast this to the wealth and
property of the Jarvis family and socioeconomic separation is clear. (Paton) In
American society, this de facto segregation advances the white privilege agenda.
White privilege is a barrier for African Americans and other racial minorities that
seek to overcome poverty. The American Psychological Association reported that
African American children are three times more likely to live in poverty than
Caucasian children. (American Psychological Association) Poverty and crime go
hand in hand, resulting in very toxic, damaging communities for children and adults
alike. Countries that dont have high rates of social stratification- including white
privilege- report lower crime rates and higher achievements in education. The
crimes that are committed in such areas are predominantly non-violent. However,
areas stricken with poverty have higher rates of violent crime, drug abuse, and
other delinquencies associated with serious physical altercations. (Berrebi)
NOTE: elaborate on how to overcome this. Use Poverties.org
Alan Paton provides his readers with an emotional and factual representation
of the white privilege, segregation, and consequences of these factors in South
Africa. His tale is enduring and his message remains relevant in both developed and
developing countries, including the United States of America. Cry, the Beloved
Country examines the impact of white privilege on social capacities including, but
not limited to: education, criminal justice, and community function. The
consequences of a racial hierarchy are widespread and detrimental to all. Crime
rates rise as graduation rates plummet, poverty and crime catalyze each other.
Analyzing Patons novel as a comparative tool, readers can recognize the impact of

white supremacy in their own nation. Perhaps in doing so, they can identify
solutions to persistent prejudice and move towards racial equality.

Works Cited
American Psychological Association. "Ethnic and Racial Minorities & Socioeconomic
Status." n.d. APA.org. November 2015
<http://apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/factsheet-erm.aspx>.
Berrebi, Dario. Poverty and Crime: Breaking the Vicious Cycle. April 2011. November
2015.
Paton, Alan. Cry, the Beloved Country. Scribners, 1948.
Weich, Ronald and Carlos Angulo. "Racial Disparities in the American Criminal
Justice System." n.d. ASCA. November 2015
<http://www.asca.net/system/assets/attachments/765/Racial_Disparities_in_t
he_American_Criminal_Justice_System.pdf>.