I know this wasn't directed towards me, but I feel like responding to this question if you or Alceste don't mind.
My guess is it has something to with the horrors and atrocities of slavery in early America. And slavery is a very complex and delicate subject for some people to talk about. So it’s easier to blame white people for having “White Privilege” than to actually have a real debate or discussion on a topic such as slavery, or even child labor and working conditions, not only for early African Americans, but also for many White people in an early capitalistic society. Slavery ended in America long before child labor did. Yet, these are two topics that still exist around the world today in many different countries. You have to think, we had a Revolutionary War, a Civil War, and many progressive movements including a depression to finally end a lot of it. Which I would say gets into a more progressively modern society, where “people of color” begin to actively participate in politics, which is what our founding or guiding principles in this country are based on, people speaking up and being active in the community and even being activist.
All I have to say is life wasn’t easy back then and it is a lot better today than it was 50+ years ago. One race, or group of people has just as much of an opportunity in this country as the next and at the end of the day we are all Americans, and it’s also based on the choices people decide to make with their life. People can choose to sit on the side line and call foul when there wasn’t or isn’t one or they can get involved and make something happen in a positive way, which is what this “White Privilege” argument fails to do and why I view it as an argument from ignorance. Because their talking points are factually incorrect and it’s more like a Christian / White person (who they considered privileged) hate group.
Hmm I would add more, but I would just end up repeating myself.