White Privilege Essay Writing Contest In Connecticut Facing Backlash; Should Teens Discuss Racial Issues?

A "white privilege" essay writing contest in Connecticut has drawn the ire of the public. The idea was met with criticisms and backlash mainly from its predominantly white community

New York Daily News reported residents in the area were not okay with essay's theme as it implied there is a racial divide in the community. The contest asked writers to define "white privilege" as they understand it. The essay begged the questions, "To what extent do you think this privilege exists? What impact do you think it has had in your life - whatever your racial or ethnic identity - and in our society more broadly?"

A 72-year-old resident of Westport, Connecticut, Bari Reiner, said in a statement that their area is an "open town" and there are no "barricades." He pointed out that no one in their community tells an African-American neighbor, for instance, that he or she could not stay there.

The contest was organized by a diversity council called Together Effectively Achieving Multiculturalism (TEAM) Westport and they focused on the term "white privilege" since it was a statement that was widely used during the presidential campaign. The term refers to the social, economic and other advantages white people are able to enjoy because of their color, Yahoo reported.

TEAM Westport president Harold Bailey Jr. said this was a lot more controversy than they expected, noting how people are accusing the group of making others feel guilty. Parents believe the team overstepped regarding the topic. They also think that the issue about white privilege should not be discussed among teenagers or students without the guidance of the parents.

Although there are a lot of people opposing the contest, one parent, Bert Dovo, said he liked the idea as it can encourage kids to embrace diversity. It is unclear how many students plan to join the contest as no one among Westport's kids openly expressed their thoughts on the highly controversial topic.

The essay contest is open to all Westport high school students. The prizes are $1,000, $750, and $500. The winners will be announced this April.