4 Reasons Why You Should Watch MTV's 'White People' Documentary

The new documentary that has everyone talking is MTV's 'White People.' The film is anchored by Jose Antonio Vargas — a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and filmmaker whose work centers on the changing American identity. While many critics pounced on the notion of such a documentary, it proves to be a very well-thought out piece that does not focus on shaming White Americans but instead, engages them where they are on the topic of race.

The film pulls you right in from the start when Vargas shares,

"We talk about race in this country — A LOT. But we don't include you in the conversation. It's only us (pointing to his ethnic skin color). We talk, usually about you, about white people. I'm interested in how you feel."

While initial reports of the unseen film were negative, mostly focusing on the perception that it would usher in a feeling of "white guilt,' it does the opposite by respectfully engaging white people in a dialogue about their life experiences.

_____________________________________

[WATCH THE OFFICIAL DOCUMENTARY: 'WHITE PEOPLE']
Running Time = 41 Minutes

_____________________________________

So why would you want to watch the documentary?

Reason # 1 — It Begins the Conversation.

Vargas' approach to the conversation was less about talking to white people and more about talking with them to engage, listen, gain understanding and share thoughts, ideas, feelings and facts about what it means to be in America. Vargas is on the right track in understanding there is no solution if we don't begin the conversation. This means not attacking people for what they believe but truly using active listening skills that allow you to respectfully see and hear the person speaking. Underneath all of the labels we assign ourselves, or let others assign to us, we seem to forget the one that makes us part of the same ecosystem — HUMAN. And that's what grabs you, the humanness in the experiences being shared.

Reason # 2 — It Represents the Thoughts Of Some Of Our Future Leaders.

The documentary is focused on Millennials and I don't believe that's by accident. As it stands, some 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 every day in America. And with an average life expectancy of 79.7 years, it doesn't take a genius to figure out who is going to be the new leaders across the country. Those leaders will look dramatically different than the generations before them. It should be noted that Millennials will have to step into leadership roles 5 to 10 years earlier than previous generations. Being able to hear what this generation thinks now will help all companies better understand what training programs and initiatives should be implemented to better accommodate their overall development. 

"Millennials, or America’s youth born between 1982 and 2000, now number 83.1 million and represent more than one quarter of the nation’s population. Their size exceeds that of the 75.4 million baby boomers, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates released today. Overall, millennials are more diverse than the generations that preceded them, with 44.2 percent being part of a minority race or ethnic group (that is, a group other than non-Hispanic, single-race white)."
[U.S. Census Bureau]

63.3% of U.S. executives will be eligible to retire in the next 5 years. [PwC]

In the last 5 years: 87% of Millennial workers took on management roles, vs 38% of Gen X & just 19% of Boomers. [EY]

Reason # 3 — The Documentary is Riddled with Data & Facts

Full of authenticity and heart-felt emotion, this documentary uses factoids to help frame the conversations and aids participants in dissecting perceptions of reality versus reality. 

During Katy's story, I couldn't help being reminded of my own story of constantly being asked, "Do you play sports?" As a Beta Club & National Honor Society high school graduate being accepted to Erskine College, I would find myself fuming every time someone thought I obtained a basketball scholarship instead of the academic scholarship I received. For years I would attribute the question to an assumption that all African Americans must play sports and thus I must have received an athletic scholarship. It wasn't until hearing a friend share, "Well you do know you're 6 foot 3 inches tall don't you?" that I began to scratch my head. There it was — something I had forgotten about that I now realize is more than likely the root of why the question is almost always asked. The moral of the story – being made aware of data and facts are never a bad thing.

• The Average White Person's Community is 77% White. [2010 U.S. Census]
• The Average White Person's Friends are 91% White. [Public Religion Research Institute, "Analysis: Race and Americans' Social Networks"]
• Nearly 50% of Young White Americans Today Say Discrimination Against Whites is as Big a Problem as Discrimination Against Minorities. [MTV / David Binder Research]
• Even Though 62% of Undergraduate College Students are White, They Receive 69% of Private Scholarships. Conversely, Minority Students Make up 38% of the Undergraduate Population but Receive Only 31% of Private Scholarship.  This Indicates that White College Students are Actually 40% More Likely to Receive a Private Scholarship. [FinAid.org]
• Three out of Four Young White Americans Say Society Would be Better Off If We Never Acknowledged Race. [MTV / David Binder Research]
• Less Than One in Three Young White People Say They've Talked About Race With Their Family. [MTV / David Binder Research]
• Four Out of Five Young White People Say They Feel Uncomfortable Discussing Racial Issues. [MTV / David Binder Research]
• In 2014, For the First Time Ever, Whites Made Up Only 49.7% of America's Public School Students.

Reason # 4 — You Actually Care About Building an World Where Everyone and Every Group Fits, Feels Valued and Accepted, and Feels as Though They Can Contribute to Our Collective Success.
It's simple, America is changing. For that matter, the world is changing. The real question is how will we react to that change. 

_____________________________________

About 'White People'
What does it mean to be white? MTV’s “White People” is a groundbreaking documentary on race that aims to answer that question from the viewpoint of young white people living in America today. The film follows Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and filmmaker, Jose Antonio Vargas, as he travels across the country to get this complicated conversation started. “White People” asks what’s fair when it comes to affirmative action, if colorblindness is a good thing, what privilege really means, and what it’s like to become the “white minority” in your neighborhood. For more information on “White People” and to join the conversation, head to race.lookdifferent.org.

_____________________________________

What Did You Think of the Documentary?
— Share Your Thoughts & Comments Below —

Read 12 Things You Can Do Today to Improve Race Relations In Your City in the article, The America We Live In: A Story of Black & White.