White Privilege

I really hadn’t thought about white privilege prior to this week. I have heard of this before but I guess either didn’t listen or cared to pay attention. I think Tim Wise gave a great description with he said he went to a police workshop and within the first 90 seconds he knew there would be a problem. He said he asked the question if they saw an African American male driving a nice vehicle what would be their first thought? They said a drug dealer and what is there first thought when they see a white male in the same vehicle? The response was a spoiled rich kid driving a car that daddy bought.
I hear this and why is it is way? Why can’t this be the other way around? In the presentation the students gave lots of examples and I do see where “whiteness,” is rooted. I see that even though a white person does not have a lot of money they could have more simply because of assets passed down from ancestors.
Sometime when I go in a nice department store I do feel like there are more eyes on me and it makes me feel like they assume I might be a shoplifter. I have never stolen anything in my life but I know they could not possibly know that or even care to. I some times think maybe if I were white this would not be the case and this to me is white privilege.