Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Lessons From The Color Of Fear, Jamie P. Ross

Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

This chapter focuses on the role that power, innocence, and ignorance play in maintaining the position of white privilege. There are times when white people use their privilege in ways that overtly attempt to put and keep people of color in their places, but more often white privilege is less obvious. White privilege does not stand out in white people’s behavior at all times.When white behavior is normalized, it is masked. At these times, white privilege and power hide behind the masks of innocence and the masks of ignorance. White people can hide their location, with relation to power, from …