When the town sponsored a student essay contest on the topic of white privilege, it was intended to provoke discussion in this wealthy, overwhelmingly white community on Connecticut’s Gold Coast. Contest organizers have been surprised by the reaction from some who say the question wrongly suggests race plays into the good life enjoyed in Westport.

In this Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017 photo, a woman walks near shops in downtown Westport, Conn. A town-sponsored essay contest on the topic of white privilege has stirred controversy in the affluent, overwhelmingly white town on Connecticut’s shoreline.