Cheryl Harris’s influential 1993 article, often circulated in digital format, examines the concept of whiteness as a socially constructed form of ownership. Harris argues that whiteness has historically functioned as a property interest, conferring tangible and intangible advantages, privileges, and benefits upon those deemed white. This framework helps analyze how racial inequality is created and maintained, illustrating how whiteness has been treated as an asset passed down through generations, providing access to resources and opportunities often denied to others.
Understanding this framework is crucial for analyzing systemic racism and its impact on various aspects of society, including law, economics, and social relations. It offers a powerful lens for examining how historical and ongoing practices have contributed to racial disparities in wealth, housing, education, and employment. Exploring this concept historically illuminates how whiteness provided material advantages during periods such as slavery and Jim Crow, and continues to shape contemporary power structures. The article’s enduring relevance lies in its ability to explain the persistence of racial inequality despite formal legal equality.
