[DanaC]

That being in the majority makes you immune is a myth, a HUGE one... a myth and a lie.

Correct it doesn't make you immune. It does make you disproportinately likely not to be blocked in promotions, with affirmative action not fully balancing out that trend. But no...doesn't make you immune. The idea that because you are white that alone is power, is a rather unfortunate misunderstanding of the world. Because we mostly all know someone who gives the lie to that, such assertions really don't help the cause, rather they reduce the impact of much truer assertions: that a significant portion of the white community is disproportionately powerful and a significant portion of the black community is disproportionately powerless.

Cold comfort if you happen to be the white guy who lost out to the positive discrimination method, or was raised in some hell hole of a sink estate. Rk, you lost out. That's unfair. But statistically what was bad luck for you is often the norm for another part of the community.

So yeah, you're right, being in the majority ethnic group doesn't make you immune from unfair practices but it makes it significantly less likely.

I've heard that before too. It basically comes down to power. Whites can be racist because they have the power to influence others while people with darker skin don't have that power so they can't.

A rather simplistic view aye. People can be racist. All people can be racist. The effects and impact of that racism, however, may be very different depending upon whether you are of the more, or less powerful group in society. Even if you as a white individual are powerless, the system is still set up to protect your interests more than it is to protect the interests of an 'equally' powerless black individual. Even if you are a relatively powerful black individual, the system will never protect your interests as vehemently as it would protect the interests of an 'equally' powerful white individual.

On an individual basis, however, the system is not always what is in play. Power comes from relationships as much as from the system. If a black, racist policeman harrasses a poor white family in a trailer park, that is as destructive to that family as a white, racist policeman pulling over black kids with no reason.