This is a reality in America: if you commit an offense, you are more likely to be punished than someone else who committed the same offense. /// If it is not your reality, that is probably because of your privilege, and thats nothing to be ashamed of. Hear this loud and clear - I am not ashamed to be white, and I am not saying anyone else should be either. I am not ashamed that I have benefited by virtue of my white skin. It is grace, a gift, a special favor. I am fortunate. I receive it with gratitude. But I must not receive it lightly or casually. I must not receive it as an entitlement. I must continually acknowledge the following: For me to be fortunate, someone else must be less fortunate. Privilege is an injustice. So while I receive it gratefully, I hold it loosely. Because when given the opportunity, I must let go of the benefits I receive from privilege to see justice come for others. /// If you do not believe this is reality, that is your shame. In past generations, privilege continued because it was actively promoted by those who would benefit from it - think Jim Crow laws. Privilege continues today because its existence is denied by those who benefit from it. The myth of colorblindness is sustaining racial injustice in America. Its time to starve the beast. /// So whats a privileged girl to do? Im learning to question everything: every interaction I have with a person less-privileged, every thought I have about a person less-privileged, every judgement I make involving less-privileged people. I have to continually do assumption-checks. Heres an example: A few days ago I was in line at Walmart. It was moving paaaaaaainfully slowly. As the cashier was telling the first customer her total I thought, Lord, I hope she doesnt have WIC or SNAP or something else to make this take even longer! And thats when I did the assumption-check. This woman was black. Would I have had the same thought if she were white? We could get really sidetracked here with justifications. Dont fall into that trap. I am coming to see that the answer matters less than making the effort to ask the question. Not that its okay when my assumptions are racially motivated, its horrifying when I discover they are. But asking the question today is how I change the answer in the future. Its bringing the subconscious into the consciousness. My fight against injustice starts with fighting it in my own attitudes. Will you join me in the fight?
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 15:00:24 +0000
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