"And besides, it seems perverse to suggest that not being mistreated or discriminated against is a privilege, rather than a basic right." Yes, this.

As an educator, I've been asked to explain White privilege. I say, it refers to the benefits of civilization that should be available to all, but are often denied to Black and Brown people. I say, it's a bit of a misnomer because these "privileges" are actually basic civil rights that should be available to all.

However, I disagree with the implication that anti racist education is a problem. Instead, anti-racist education is necessary and good when the focus is on recognizing this denial of basic civil rights and figuring out how to build a more just and equitable society.

Many White people believe that these rights are available to all, and are surprised to find out that Black and Brown people still suffer from this denial of basic civil rights. Even though we have the 13th and 14th amendments, the Civil Rights, Voting Rights, and Fair Housing Acts, and elected a Black president, twice, we still need to say Black Lives Matter because all too often it seems they don't! This reveal can then lead to two different outcomes: one can become an ally, committed to making these rights available to all -- or one can react, defending racism even while denying it remains a serous problem in our society.

The term "White privilege" was coined by a White academic in an attempt to describe Black experiences. This in itself is problematic. The word "privilege" connotes something a bit shaky and shady. It's more likely to shut down than to encourage dialogue, and dialogue is needed to figure out how to overcome the racism that's built into our society.

It's true that Black and Brown people are up against flaws in the system which lead to bad outcomes in education, health, economics, criminal justice, housing, and many other areas. There's already a name for that: systemic racism. Let's call it what it is, so that we can figure out how to overcome systemic racism.