Privileges, whether earned or not, give one an advantage over others who do not share them. However, the advantage is relative; it does not exist when the unprivileged are absent.

Therefore, one would expect that if white privilege were real, in order to capitalize on it white people would be rushing to surround themselves with nonwhites, avoiding white neighborhoods, going to majority nonwhite schools, doing business mainly with nonwhites and working with nonwhites.

In the meanwhile, nonwhites would avoid majority white neighborhoods, institutions, schools and workplaces, because they would be at a disadvantage in these places.

Do we see this happening?

Nope.

The concept of male privilege can be debunked in the same manner. If men really were privileged, why would women push so hard to gain entrance into male institutions, and men have so little interest in female ones? The implication here is not that men have privilege, but rather that women do.

So next time someone blathers on about “white male privilege,” simply ask: if it really exists, why is it that so few people take advantage of it?