White privilege is evident in society whether or not people choose to see it but in the case of a student who got into medical school, the accusation was misplaced.
In a Facebook post, published on Bored Panda, a determined student took to the social media site to share her excitement over getting into medical school saying, ‘Thank you everyone for all your support!! I’m so happy to say after years of hard work I have been accepted into Yale Med school!!!’
But instead of a congratulatory post, a Facebook friend commented that she only got into the prestigious university program because of her ‘white privilege’.
Shamed: A recent Yale medical school admit was discredited for her acceptance after her friend said it was because of her ‘white privileged background’
She said: ‘Good job, might I add a shout out to your white privilege for you’ followed by the hand clapping emoji.
But the accomplished graduate wasn’t having it and defended herself in a series of posts shedding light on her upbringing and how she has remained resolute in her studies throughout the years.
When her so-called friend said that she came from a ‘white privileged background and that she made it seem like she got into Yale medical school by herself, she made sure to set her straight.
In a Facebook thread, she told Melissa, the girl who accused her of getting into med school because she was white, that she had grown up in a foster home after her alcoholic parents gave her up when she was five years old.
She earned it: People took to Facebook to share their disdain for the thread with one saying ‘she earned it’
Ignore the negatives: Another Facebook user advised for the med school student to disregard the comments
She continued: ‘I had to take care of my brother for two years until we got adopted and even then we were both abused by that family and had to go back into the orphanage for another two years.’
But even through her less than ideal upbringing, the hopeful doctor still managed to get good grades, go to a decent college and get scholarships to help pay for her tuition.
‘I spent long nights studying and working part-time in high school just to support myself and my brother,’ she said. ‘I was lucky enough to have good grades to get into a decent undergrad.’
She spent her high school and college careers staying up late but rather than at parties, she lost sleep during study groups and her job until she ‘finally got accepted to her top choice’ medical school.
And instead of taking this as a moment to apologize or simply explain her point of view on a controversial topic she continued to patronize the med student.
You deserve it: And other shared his disgust for those who try to make people feel like they don’t deserve their achievements
Off to Yale: A picture of the prestigious university’s Sterling Memorial Library in a photo taken in June 2015
She said: ‘Umm okay sweetie, you claim to understand privilege but you can’t even self critique [sic] buh bye.’
People took to Facebook to share their disdain toward Melissa who felt the need to diminish her friend’s accomplishments.
One Facebook user said: ‘Oh my gosh this p****d me off so bad. She didn’t get into Yale because she is white. She got into Yale because she worked her butt off and earned it.’
Another said that med school admit should be congratulated for achieving ‘all she has’ because she worked hard to get where she is. The post continued by advising her to not listen to negative comments.
But all comments weren’t negative as another person bothered by the exchange, shared the thread and their frustration over the situation saying, ‘Congrats to this girl for getting into Yale Med. Simply disgusted by whoever is trying to make them feel like they don’t deserve it.’
In the Facebook thread defending herself, she mentioned that instead of being helpful and explaining her perspective, Melissa was being ‘condescending’ when she said she understood the concept of white privilege.
A concept that other young white women have acknowledged recently.
Colgate University sophomore Jenny Lundt, was praised online after candidly revealing how her white privilege enabled her to run around a campus with a dangerous weapon – while a black student was accused of being a dangerous gunman after carrying a glue gun around the same college.
The picture was shared the day after the lockdown and depicted Jenny posing with one leg up on a chair and a sword held aloft with a caption that read: ‘THIS is what white privilege looks like.’
This picture, however, offers a more accurate example of the white privilege in discussion and helps foster the idea that it can be recognized by those who aren’t minorities.