What does it mean to be white? MTV’s ‘White People’ is a groundbreaking documentary on race that aims to answer that question from the viewpoint of young white people living in America today. The film follows Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and filmmaker, Jose Antonio Vargas, as he travels across the country to get this complicated conversation started. ‘White People’ asks what’s fair when it comes to affirmative action, if colorblindness is a good thing, what privilege really means, and what it’s like to become the “white minority” in your neighborhood. For more information on ‘White People,’ and to join the conversation, head to race.lookdifferent.org.
jernst7569 3 weeks ago Why is diversity a good thing? it seems to me the only places in the world where diversity is pushed forward as a required positive influence on society is in predominately white countries. Read more Show less Reply ·8586 ▼Report spam or abuse View all 93 replies Loading... Hide replies Gunner6000WarZ 1 day ago +Rayan ALQurashi There aren't enough black people in Dubai or Singapore to be considered Diverse. It needs a good 25 percent black, 25 percent white 10 percent asian, the left overs can be arab or whatever..... then you have diversity. Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse Jake Odinson 23 hours ago I think 0% is right about the best amount of blacks Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse Lord Belmont 3 weeks ago (edited) Something that people that your skin color did - good and bad - doesn't necessarily have anything to do with other people with that skin color. People don't have a collective consciousness based on race, you racist fucks. Read more Show less Reply ·9192 ▼Report spam or abuse View all 15 replies Loading... Hide replies jay bee 4 days ago +Lord Belmont Thank you! Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse trini13archer 3 days ago +Lord Belmont It depends on how you define consciousness. If you define it as that which is contained solely within your memories and immediate awareness then I understand why you feel the way you feel. But this is not collective consciousness, this is self-consciouness. Collective consciousness is not contained solely within the individual's awareness or memories, nor their bodies but in the causalities that lead to and stem from their specific circumstance at any given point in time. Also understand that certain aspects of the world that exist in your self-consciousness may not be contained in another's due to their lack of shared experiences or exposure. If you view collective consciousness within this broader perspective you may include these inter-generational ripple effects that can lead to inadvertent disparities in equality that stem from important past events. The sentiment that you feel is shared by many other whites across the world but there are some who don't feel that way though. Many have come to realize that their social standing and the factors that lead to that involved some degree of privilege over their peers of different skin color that may have stemmed directly from past events involving racial disputes or indirectly from systems that have evolved from primordial forms that were originally defined along racial lines. This inheritance itself, while not directly related to the individual's actions or decisions, is thus a ripple result of events of the past. While not all whites benefit equally from these ripple effects, they still maintain their privilege over a majority of non-whites. In this manner, the collective interactions through time and space of a multitude of individuals via this medium of consciousness can be seen to give rise to the state of things today. This doesn't always mean that collective consciousness acts for the worse or that racial paradigms of the past always result in negative end products. In his book on the foundations of success, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell shows how racially motivated selection in the early law firm environment of New York forced up and coming, jewish lawyers into then unpopular and unprofitable sectors of the field, sectors which would in later years serve to make them millionaires and tycoons of the most successful law firms on record. It is important to understand how this collective consciousness works and to be honest with the manner in which it has benefitted or handicapped your circumstance. It teaches a great lesson in humility, and gives you a realistic impression of your abilities and circumstance that can allow you to live a more fulfilling and productive life. Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse SuperMegaUltraPigeon 2 weeks ago Retards everywhere. "White people killed native americans", SOME white people did, don't blame a whole fucking race for the acts of a few in that race. Read more Show less Reply ·7677 ▼Report spam or abuse View all 65 replies Loading... Hide replies SuperMegaUltraPigeon 1 hour ago +Grokford I knew that the Aztecs and Mayans were wiped out by disease, but never that the rest of the natives were. Cheers for bringing me up to speed dude. Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse Grokford 1 hour ago Oh yes it was quite extensive. It would have been the same situation if Amerinidans came the to told world. Inumerable casualties. Read more Show less Reply ·12 ▼Report spam or abuse Tyrah Knight 4 weeks ago I'm usually that one black friend white people have . They use me to defend themselves from racial allegations. ???? Read more Show less Reply ·143144 ▼Report spam or abuse View all 33 replies Loading... Hide replies Chris Hansen 1 week ago +RubyDragon5645 the majority of people in America are white? Whites don't have as much kids as everybody else, and all the "minorities" far outnumber whites. But I get what you're saying. Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse Janet Mcconnell 1 week ago +Tyrah Knight If that is how you feel about your white friends, then you are not being a real friend, are you? Friends don't usually go on YouTube and make racist and offensive comments about their friends. You are not a friend to any white people if this is how you feel about them. You are a back stabbing jerk, not a friend. Read more Show less Reply ·12 ▼Report spam or abuse No one wanted this 2 weeks ago This is fucking nonsense. All of this can literally be said about any other countries majority population. AKA China and the Chinese. Fucking stupid. There's no such thing as "White Privilege". It's a majority privilege. Most Chinese would feel foreigners are taking their jobs and ruining their culture. Why? Because they're the majority of the population. They'd feel they were supposed to be given a job instead of that foreigner, same as in the U.S. Same as in ANY OTHER COUNTRY. MTV at it's finest, ladies and gents. Read more Show less Reply ·7374 ▼Report spam or abuse View all 18 replies Loading... Hide replies Ben Woodcock 1 day ago You are truly ignorant. You remind me of Katy in the video. Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse mia87 3 weeks ago "Researchers have proven scientifically that humans are all one people...The color of our ancestors’ skin and ultimately my skin and your skin is a consequence of ultraviolet light, of latitude and climate. Despite our recent sad conflicts here in the U.S., there really is no such thing as race. We are one species—each of us much, much more alike than different. We all come from Africa. We all are of the same stardust. We are all going to live and die on the same planet, a Pale Blue Dot in the vastness of space. We have to work together." —Bill Nye, Rutgers University Commencement, 2015 Read more Show less Reply ·9899 ▼Report spam or abuse View all 71 replies Loading... Hide replies Chris Channer 20 hours ago +mia87 that is completely wrong though Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse Shawntele Lewis 3 weeks ago Katy sounds like a big baby Read more Show less Reply ·115116 ▼Report spam or abuse View all 11 replies Loading... Hide replies James Henley 2 weeks ago (edited) Also i am in the process of contacting news agency about this. I posted this at the top of the comment section........ Well MTV You continue to hide peoples comments to stop any meaningful discussion so i have contacted news agencies about your unethical behavior...Enjoy the news coverage........They more than likely hid it already, if not, watch it and tell me when they do. Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse TheRantMaster53 2 weeks ago +James Henley Damn, I thought the other guy was talking bull. Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse Da Bro 4 weeks ago I'm white and I don't give a fuck come at me I dare you Read more Show less Reply ·263264 ▼Report spam or abuse View all 91 replies Loading... Hide replies popculture Heart 3 days ago +Da Bro that wasn't the point. you obviously MISSED it too. :) lol Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse popculture Heart 3 days ago These comments above are why PoC talk so much shit about us. Cuz we are racist. haha Read more Show less Reply ·12 ▼Report spam or abuse LunnBass 4 weeks ago (edited) As a black man I can be honest and say a lot of us are racist against whites. Read more Show less Reply ·2728 ▼Report spam or abuse View all 31 replies Loading... Hide replies Albert Ciafre 4 hours ago (edited) +LeISHaa Adams Are you responding to me? I didn't say or even imply anything that you could say I was racist. I passed blame off on the government, not blacks. Please explain what you mean. I was agreeing with you for the most part. What did I say that was so offensive and how did i generalize black people. I am not racist! You are the firs person to ever say so and I have made these same type of comments plenty of times. As Americans we ALL need to be aware. My gripe is with the media and our government. How did you form any of your opinions based on my comments? Your response is so vague I cant even tell if you are talking to me. I gave plenty of reasons as to why I think the way I do and none were racist! Can you please elaborate? Please excuse me if you are not responding to me. I just noticed there was another comment after mine that sounded quite rude and frankly I didn't understand what it is he was saying. I still dont get his point. He I have to say he sounds very angry. He seems discontent with something, I'm just not exactly sure what it is. Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse Mike Holden 1 week ago (edited) I'm Black. When I was younger, I went to a predominantly Black school in a more rougher area of my state. I never really thought much of race, mostly because I was younger and it never really popped into my head that much. My parents raised me to be a respectable, law-abiding, and nice person. So I spoke proper, didn't use any slang, and had a strong moral code. Because of that, a lot of the black kids around me who either weren't raised as such or just didn't care, always called me "White". I got called White for following the rules, reading at my grade level, and doing my work. Then I went to a more predominantly white school in the seventh grade in a nicer area of the state. I had a lot of white friends, but not very many black friends. A lot of the black kids in that school were acting up, causing trouble, blah blah blah. Now of course there were the fair share of white kids acting up, but it wasn't as much of the white populous as it was the black. However, there were significantly less black students than white at my school. There were black students that weren't causing trouble like the others were. But by the populous that regularly acted up, didn't do their work, and spoke with slang, I still got called white. Then some of the white kids would say "Wow, you're really nice for a black guy" or "You talk really well/white". After a while, I started to go along with it and I'd introduce myself as a an "oreo" or a "really white black guy". It wasn't until I got into college that I realized, after a talk with my dad, how messed up that joke was. Basically, the entire premise behind it was that black people were the ones causing trouble, not doing work, and being bad, while white people were the exact opposite. And because of that, any black kid that did their work, spoke properly, didn't listen to rap, and didn't cause any trouble, was white, and vice versa. I realized that joke was stupid and it perpetuated a stereotype that needs to be stomped out, or at least people need to realize that not all black people are trouble-makers or slang-talkers. It can be really easy to think that because those are the ones more predominantly shown in the media, but honestly, if white people were shown to be acting up on a more regular basis like a few unfortunate members of my race were, then people would be more likely to think that toward white people. Basically, what I'm saying is that if you refer to yourself as a "White-black person" because you're nice, upstanding member of society that does their work and doesn't cause trouble, that's not right. Even if it is a joke. Because all you're doing is just furthering the stigma that all black people are the trouble-makers you sometimes see on the television. There are black people that do so much good for society, and there are black people that don't. There are white people that do so much good for society, and there are white people that don't. Every race has their own group of people that don't do right and act foolish. That doesn't mean we should let that group define an entire race, even if you do happen to see them on the news committing crimes more than another. Just because a few black and white people run gangs and talk like they're idiots, that doesn't mean that's what the entire race stands for and that definitely doesn't mean that's what the entire, or even a majority, of that race is like. This extends to all races, not just whites and blacks. You should not define an entire race just because certain people do or have done certain things. Slavery does not give any black person an excuse to be cruel or unfair to a white person unless that white person has taken you as their slave right here, right now. Just because yes, a vast majority of white people back a long time ago were slave masters, slave owners, or just flat-out agreed with slavery, doesn't by any means mean that all white people back then and today are like that. All that matters is you figure out who you are. Not this stigma of "Black people are ghetto" or "White people are stuck-up and boring". Just do you, and look back on great leaders of our respective races that pushed for rights, equality, and progression. That's what it means to be a certain race. Read more Show less Reply ·1011 ▼Report spam or abuse View all 10 replies Loading... Hide replies Mike Holden 2 days ago +Wogan Reed Well, I've never actually seen for myself a study that says that. Then again, I'm not actively seeking it out. Could you link me to it? I'm not being a troll or anything, I just want to see for myself. That being said, I don't know. Ask anyone why they commit the crimes they commit to get the proper reasoning. However, I can say that growing up, there were a few Black kids that tried to get me to act out with them. So maybe it has something to do with that. It could be something they learn as kids and never properly learn values, morals, and rules. Or they could have a fine upbringing and life and just commit a crime for whatever reason. I don't know. I'm not an expert and it'd be wrong of me to give a proper opinion on it. But I see your question, because whenever I turn on the news, it's likely that I see a Black person committing a crime. That isn't to say all Blacks do that. But I think part of it may have to do with this "ghetto" and "thug" culture that exists within the Black community. Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse Mike Holden 2 days ago +LeISHaa Adams Hey, thank you! I appreciate your kind words. I'm sorry you had to experience that. Your cousin is wrong to say that you're acting White just because you don't want to conform to ghetto culture or act out. I see your rage and I feel the same way as you sometimes. While I've learned to make peace with it that people are gonna say I act White, it still gets under my skin sometimes. You're exactly right. It's the ghetto culture that does this and gives us a bad name. Read more Show less Reply ·12 ▼Report spam or abuse Julian Aguilar 4 weeks ago (edited) This is terribly produced. I keep cringing and pausing. I don't know if I can make it until the end. Read more Show less Reply ·8182 ▼Report spam or abuse View all 32 replies Loading... Hide replies Albert Ciafre 2 hours ago +Julian Aguilar You called the other guy retarded because he is bringing up the constitution which I did as well. You are not an expert but still talk like you know. You seem to think you're right even after claiming that you dont know. LMAO. Anyway, under the constitution everyone is created equal. I understand that you believe in white privilege but it does not exist. It may be a way of thinking but not how white people should be portrayed. The constitution is against any type of privilege. The only thing I heard you comment on was what you didn't like , how it was shot, or just the poor quality of it. Its reasonable to believe that you agree with the content since you have nothing negative to say about that which is what really matters. Not the fucking quality of the video! SMH Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse Albert Ciafre 2 weeks ago Those white people in that video must have been paid actors because whites do not think and feel that way. Not one white person that I know thinks that they are privileged because of their skin color and I know whites from all walks of life. This video is all rhetoric and propaganda! Its a creation of the liberal left and their extreme ways of thinking. Pure Zealots! I dont like where this country has gone. The voice of the minority dictates the actions of the majority and shames them for simply exsisting. Enough is Enough! Read more Show less Reply ·3435 ▼Report spam or abuse View all 52 replies Loading... Hide replies Cali Vixen 21 hours ago it might do me good but it might not. who says im going to agree with what it says. i actually liked the documentary. I had no idea some people felt this way. There iss nothing wrong with people sharing their secrets or insecurities. Dont be upset because they might also be spilling some of yours too. Well... you can be upset. But dont try to hush other people up just because they dont feel the way you do but they look the way you do :) Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse Albert Ciafre 1 hour ago (edited) +Cali Vixen There is not a single thing in my comment that you can refute therefor you wont and come off as if it is too long of a read. Takes 30 seconds. Are you lazy, illiterate or actually realize that you are wrong and arguing would make you look like a FOOL! Probably a combination of all three! Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse Stephanie Hamilton 4 weeks ago I'm the only white family in my town of Windsor mill Maryland right outside Baltimore city and I know what it feels like to be the minority and my children really know what it feels like being the only white kids in their schools Read more Show less Reply ·2021 ▼Report spam or abuse View all 13 replies Loading... Hide replies Cali Vixen 23 hours ago so youd rather complain and argue then help your baby out. stop crying and get your child the help they need. instead of making your poor children suffer by being harrassed by evil "ghetto hood bullies" . are you that pathetic of a mother to not beable to search on the internet or ask other people where a safe neighborhood is. help your child and stop crying on youtube :) Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse Gory Greg 2 weeks ago Is this supposed to be the anti-white documentary they made? Read more Show less Reply ·1516 ▼Report spam or abuse View all 15 replies Loading... Hide replies Cali Vixen 4 days ago +Gory Greg No. It isnt Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse trini13archer 3 days ago +Gory Greg Nah it's supposed to wake people up by saying the things people are afraid to say be them negative or positive. Read more Show less Reply ·12 ▼Report spam or abuse dingo 4 weeks ago just a clarification on one of his points. 67% of the us population is white, so even in a completely blind selection process, ~67% of scholarship applicants would be white. so the gap is more or less an advantage of 10% if you are white. however, I think the point he misses here is that minorities and even more so blacks have a harder time getting to the point where they are even eligible for college, because of their disadvantages as youths. so there's a good chance that a sampling of the us population such as those applying for scholarships is NOT representative of the actual demographics of the country. so it's not really that the selection process itself is weighted it's that the amount of white people applying is likely much larger, and thus squeezes minorities out thus necessitating affirmative actions like race based scholarships. white people will continue to be baffled by this, and I don't understand why Read more Show less Reply ·2728 ▼Report spam or abuse View all 7 replies Loading... Hide replies TheLonePantheist 6 days ago You do realize "Hispanic" and "Latino" are not races. Including white Hispanics, the white population of the United states is closer to 77%. The "non-Hispanic white" population is around 64 - 67%. - CIA worldfactbook. Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse Equality First 3 days ago +dingo Most colleges accept near 100% of black applicants. Shooting down Asians and whites who have higher GPA and SAT scores. All they have to fucking do is graduate. Can't even do that. Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse shreddedreams 4 days ago Damn, America is such a freak show. Feel sorry for you guys. And to think, when I was younger I thought it was utopia and wanted to live there and shit.. Stupid movies corrupting my mind! Read more Show less Reply ·23 ▼Report spam or abuse shreddedreams 4 days ago Christ, they don't even have basic discrimination laws. My native country' laws wouldn't allow a refusal of scholarship based on ethnicity. Derp. Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse MintyFreshYT 1 month ago A lot of people feel guilty about being white for various reasons, however I don't feel guilty simply because I'm not a bad, racist, hateful, etc. white person. Maybe it's the growing up in NYC, but differentiating between race is not in the culture. It's not that hard to simply not think about people's race and take them for who they are. Read more Show less Reply ·1011 ▼Report spam or abuse View all 6 replies Loading... Hide replies bamb113r 3 weeks ago +Lance Ballstrong same reason anyone gets married? love doesnt discriminate. youre questions pretty damn stupid. Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse James Gardner 2 weeks ago +MintyFreshYT Which is probably due to their race. Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse FishizzleBoy 3 weeks ago That awkward moment when you realize more than 1.2 million whites were enslaved from the 16th century to 19th century and sent to Africa ._. .......So........................... Read more Show less Reply ·3637 ▼Report spam or abuse View all 18 replies Loading... Hide replies Loki Bartleby (OGTech) 1 day ago +a ko Jesus tap dancing christ, youre an ignorant asshole arent you? Try reading a fucking book rather than fucking Buzzfeed and Tumblr. The small pox in blankets was a myth and has been disproven (source: Im a History Major). You, sir... Are a racist, youre just looking to blame whitey for your problems cos youre too fucking lazy to sort them out for yourself. Eat shit. Read more Show less Reply ·12 ▼Report spam or abuse a ko 1 day ago (edited) +Loki Bartleby History major? OH GOD HELP US! I'm sure you will be the one white washing history, right asshole? Read more Show less Reply ·1 ▼Report spam or abuse Courtney Cook 2 weeks ago Great....I just wish they discussed how being "White" strips you of culture and individuality. They almost went there at the end when they discussed how Italian and Jewish immigrants were considered minority groups but now have become "white". It's important to understand how racism works and how it dehumanized ALL of us. That is why young "White" Americans appropriate other cultures. Because to be "White" is to be devoid of differences. They crave a culture of their own. There is no White American culture other than the privileges that come with it "White" is not even a race, and "race" is not even a scientific measurable object. What makes us different is our geographical origin (which affects our physical characteristics passed down genetically) and our cultures. It means nothing but privilege to be "White". BUT it means so much more to be Italian, Greek, Russian, Swedish, etc. or maybe a mixture of those things. Be proud of your differences!! Appreciate others being different! I believe that if racism is something that has been done, it is something that can also be undone Read more Show less Reply ·78 ▼Report spam or abuse View all 3 replies Loading... Hide replies remos100 5 days ago We dont look at 21st century germans and blame them for the holocaust, so why blame 21st century white americans for slavery? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zjj1PmJcRM