The action item on most of what I read about white privilege is to “be aware.” OK. But then what?
The institution that most effectively continues to support white privilege is our public school system and the way it is funded. By property taxes.
This has two effects. One, it means people pick where they live based on the school district, thus creating de facto segregation by economic class. Two, it means kids in the poorer neighborhoods get inferior education.
Here’s my story. Back around 1969 my wife, son and I moved to a racially mixed, working class neighborhood around Boston. Our son was in a nursery school where he was one of only two white kids.
We were happy with the schools, with the staff, we were happy with our neighbors, we were happy with our neighborhood.
Then it came time for him to enroll in the public school. We learned it had the highest rate of heroin addition in the state. In the sixth grade. Sixth grade. Heroin.
And thus we became part of white flight. Moved to a white suburb we didn’t particularly fit in with. But it had good schools.
Had schools been funded on the state level instead…
