Caucasian people shifting nervously in their seats. Frank discussions about racial privilege. White People Tears. So many White People Tears. This is what we are promised in the trailer for the new documentary White People from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas, premiering July 22 on MTV.
In White People, Vargas travels around the country to team up with five young people and explore what it really means to be young and white in America -- and why it matters. They'll delve into issues of white privilege, affirmative action and racial identity -- things that are not always easy to talk about. (Especially when you don't regularly have to think about them.) As you can see in the trailer, it's going to get uncomfortable.
White People was produced by MTV as part of its ongoing "Look Different" anti-bias campaign, in collaboration with Define American, a nonprofit co-founded by Vargas that uses the power of stories to transcend politics and shift the conversation around immigrants, identity and citizenship.
Let's face it: some white people are hella uncomfortable when it comes to talking about race, or flat out refuse to acknowledge that racism exists, and seldom have to confront it in any way. That is some privilege.
So can I take a little bit of delight in seeing these young folks squirm a little? I'm not going to lie -- I had to laugh when the words "white frustration" solemnly flashed across the screen. But if this is what it takes for some people to break the silence when it comes to talking about race, then let's have it, MTV.
At the very least, this has to beat the endless mind-numbing repeats of Teen Mom and Ridiculousness.
More here: Watch The 'White People' Cast Get Real About Race In This New Trailer
