Life as I know it has been exciting and difficult thus far as a Black male in America. I inhabit a nation that, on one hand, commits heinous acts against my community, while on the other hand, that same nation has provided areas where my community can prosper and grow. Clearly I have benefited from being in America. Unfortunately, we live in an America that prefers to think racism doesn’t exist anymore, and that we African-Americans have the same opportunity as the White male. This isn’t true. Racism is still alive, and opportunity is still far from equal. Social imagination allows me to question how things would be if I were White in situations where I feel my Blackness influenced the outcome.

If I were born a White male I would be a completely different person. My habits would be different, I would have a different barber in a different shop. Above all these other things, my upbringing would be tailored to my new race. As the writer Touré said “switching someone’s race changes his or hers entire existence” (Touré).  Social situations are different for us all and by the privilege of social imagination we can step into each others shoes,

Now onward to fantasy land. If I were White my likelihood of success in the world would increase in my favor. Untrue? No. White males make up 49.3% of the United States (USA).  Therefore, getting a job would be easier and for the most part I would probably be treated better while doing said job. When interviewing a White roommate of mine, I asked him about his job at a restaurant he worked at back in upstate New York. My roommate then described a situation where he did not want to wash dishes anymore, so he asked to be waiter instead. He then asked his fellow Black co-worker who washed dishes with him why he didn’t do the same. He responded “ I can’t be a waiter in a place like this.” He insinuated it was a problem of race, not skill. Conflict theorists would not be surprised at this situation because “conflict theorists see society not as cooperative and harmonious but as a system of widespread inequality.” (Benokraitis)

This leads me to the greatest perk of being a white male, namely, being a white male. With this newfound privilege I could go and do so many things I couldn’t do before. Now I am a part of a club with unknowable potential, the world is at my fingertips. I can use my better education and looks to get ahead of the competition and have an easier time doing so. Climbing the corporate ladder would be easier, I would be paid higher as confirmed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. White males on average receive $851 a week in pay as compared to the $629 Black males received in the last quarter of 2011.( USUAL) Would a functionalist agree that this is a problem with the system, not the individuals, when white males make the most money out of everyone else?

As with other races, being a White male has both its pros and cons. Would I trade my Blackness for it? Nope. Would I like to see racial and gender equality for all? Yes. I feel at times that the inequality is set up to keep the powers that be in power. How else do you ensure White male privilege? Social and gender acceptance is key to our evolution as humans. Social imagination has its benefits and limitations, educated interaction needs to happen to defuse institutional racism. We need to start looking at things from the other side in order to understand each other better. Education enriches, let it work for our benefit.