I do, however, realize the many ways in which I am privileged. After all, I am an American, middle class, white female, not to mention the fact that I have the honor to attend such a prestigious school as the University of Texas. While I certainly do not agree that any one person should be allotted special privileges just because they happened to be born into a certain family, I have realized that it does occur. A perfect example would be my best friend Kinickka. She and I were inseparable right up until high school. You see, at my high school it was rare for the people of different races to hang out, or God forbid be best friends. Our whole lives Kinickka was one of the "white people." We shared the same interests, listened to country music, we were almost identical except for one thing- she was black and I was white. Up until high school, skin color was not an issue, but that changed dramatically. Eventually Kinickka would feel the need to hang out with others of, as she would say, her kind. She often confided in me telling me she felt as if she was betraying her race, and even that her newfound black friends would often ridicule her for being "too white." Eventually Kinickka and I drifted apart, I haven"t heard form her since we graduated.

             Being a white person in America today can also be very rewarding. One doesn"t realize the advantages they have just by being white. Most of us go our whole lives without realizing exactly how lucky we really are. Also, these privileges were not earned, I didn"t do anything special that should be rewarded, all I did was be born into a white family. This shouldn"t mean that I should be favored over anyone else of a different race or ethnicity. Just because I"m white shouldn"t mean that I"m allotted special things, treated any better, or allowed any special privileges. I could have been born black, Asian, or Spanish just as easily, and many of the privileges I enjoy without regard would not be available anymore.