We can all learn a lot from James Troiano, the retired New Jersey Superior Court judge. In 2017, Troiano ruled in favor of giving leniency to a then-16- year-old boy accused of raping an intoxicated 16-year-old girl at a basement house party. “This young man comes from a good family who put him into an excellent school where he was doing extremely well,” Troiano said in his court decision. “He is clearly a candidate for not just college but probably for a good college.” 

The judge also expressed concern about whether the victim’s family had considered the “devastating effect” a trial in adult court would have on the boy’s life. Troiano, who declined to have the 16-year-old rape suspect tried in adult court, even wondered if the alleged assault could be classified as rape. The accused teen allegedly recorded the assault, shared it with friends and texted friends, “when your first time having sex was rape,” according to court documents. 

The decision by Troiano was widely condemned by the public and eventually reversed by a New Jersey appeals court, which warned Troiano against siding with privileged teenagers. While examples of white privilege are common, this example exposes the broader issue. Defending a privileged teen in this way shows Troiano to be a divisive elitist who was willing to protect the welfare of a fellow elitist rather than render fair justice to a female rape victim. 

When people speak out against the idea of white privilege, they are usually referring to the type of systemic and societal advantages displayed by Troiano. They are calling out the unearned set of advantages, benefits and immunities that white individuals receive simply because of the color of their skin. While these unearned and invisible advantages are not extended to people of color, the decision by Troiano showed a broader meaning of white privilege, as it supports the idea of maintaining white male superiority and dominance over white women. White women and economically poor whites, in general, are not always seen as being worthy of certain advantages by elitists if it means negatively impacting a white male with influence. 

By implying that a rape suspect deserves special treatment because he comes from a good family, Troiano reflected a sense of entitlement often associated with people on the higher end of the class hierarchy. The lack of accountability that accompanies this inherent feeling of entitlement is not limited to the judge’s personal bias. White privilege has always been exclusive. At one time in this nation’s early history, white women and poor white men were not allowed to vote. White men had to own property to vote. 

Historically, the phrase “white trash” allowed class boundaries (inferior sub-race) to be set in such a way as to explain away the existence of a white marginalized underclass living in a society built on the superiority of whiteness. It helped maintain a racial order where poor whites were still considered to be held to higher standards above Black people, while allowing elites to blame poverty on character rather than systemic barriers. In the 20th century, the label was commonly applied to whites associated with trailer parks and “hillbilly” culture, and it often overlapped with demeaning insults such as “rednecks” and “trailer trash” that whites with wealth and power used against low-status whites. Troiano’s version of white privilege never has and never will apply to them. 

There is no doubt that Vice President JD Vance wants to be president one day and is willing to say anything to get there. Vance recently said white Americans no longer “have to apologize for being white anymore.” It was a statement meant to excite the MAGA crowd, but what does it mean for Vance, a man from Appalachia with a “hillbilly” identity? Black people never expected apologies, just an acknowledgment and the dismantling of the systemic barriers that perpetuate poverty for white, Black and brown people. 

We stand against our history being erased and seek to have the truth told about slavery, Black codes, KKK terrorism, Jim Crow, redlining, the war on drugs, mass incarceration, gerrymandering, ICE and Project 2025. We are just asking for white evangelicals who align themselves with white supremacy to remember that Jesus cared for the poor and marginalized in society. 

I agree with Vance that the keys to escaping poverty include personal responsibility, but it also demands structural change and confronting all forms of white privilege. 

The writer is the author of the book “God Bless Our Divided America.”