white supremacy [ hwahyt suh-prem-uh-see, wahyt ] noun: the belief, theory, or doctrine that white people are inherently superior to people from all other racial and ethnic groups, especially Black people, and are therefore rightfully the dominant group in any society. America loves whiteness. And that “love” is at the expense of everyone else in this country, especially Black folks. “What white supremacy does is it automatically elevates and privileges whites, regardless of any other characteristic than whiteness,” says Carol Anderson, Charles Howard Candler Professor of African American Studies at Emory University and New York Times best-selling author of White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide. It’s evident that white privilege invades and exists in every space in the United States; from the racial wealth gap to where people can live, or whether or not they can vote, and how students are educated, just to name a few. Even if it appears subtle, whiteness and its advantages are very real. As we continue addressing the country’s white supremacist roots,—whether by protesting in the streets or calling out racist practices in the workplace—ultimately it’s time to dismantle the oppressive system once and for all. Learn more about “white rage,” why some white folks in particular have a hard time grasping the concept of white privilege, and more in the video above.