I’ve wanted to write this article for a long time now- so why haven’t I?
If I’m honest, it’s mainly been the fear of saying the wrong thing and looking/sounding like an idiot.
However, according to Brene Brown, a New York Times bestselling author who currently has the Netflix special Call to Courage- this is the epitome of privilege. It was while watching this program that I realized I needed to grow a pair and finally write this post.
After all, she has a point- I get to decide not to discuss matters that make me uncomfortable. I get to decide that I’m tired of hearing about racism and I get to conclude that because I have black friends and I’m pro Black Lives Matter that I can’t possibly be racist. I get to conclude that none of the oppression and continued injustices regarding POC are my fault and therefore not my problem. I can only imagine what a black person would give to have such options.
It’s been said that the white supremacists are not the biggest threat to POC- that title goes to people like me; the white moderate who chooses order and peace over the discomfort of justice. At least that is how I was.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not nearly as woke as I could/should be, but I’m learning. I’m using my ignorance as an opportunity to do better, and hopefully to be better.
If there’s one thing 2020 accomplished, it was shining a blaring light on where we all stood on the topic of race, and that if any of us white folks were under the impression that racism wasn’t much of an issue anymore, we were wrong- dead wrong.
The fact is, if you were a caucasian person growing up in America, you are racist- there is no way around it. We were taught to minimize the brutality of slavery, all the while underestimating the accomplishments of black people. We were taught white history, and because of that, we were brought up to believe that black people were less than white people.
Even news coverage and shows like Cops have a tendency of depicting POC as criminals and druggies at a much higher margin than whites. We’ve become so accustomed to seeing this, we don’t realize that unless black people are entertaining us via sports and music, we often fail to bestow upon them basic human decency and rights.
I’ve made a point of being someone who agrees to disagree when it comes to highly charged matters such as religion and politics, as opposed to fighting to be right. I’ve done this because the end game of arguing your side is usually done with the hope of convincing the other person to agree with, and inevitably join your side, and we’ve seen how well that typically works. I guess what I’m saying is that I can no longer agree to disagree- not when people with opposing views are ok with continuing to uphold laws and policies that contribute to the oppression and even deaths of POC.
However, I also don’t see the point in wasting my breath arguing with these people, which doesn’t mean that I cower silently in a corner either- hence the article you’re reading. For me personally, I let my opinions be known when electing people in power who will ultimately decide the laws/policies that will affect POC. Still, the ability I have to choose this approach is me invoking my white privilege.
I know the words white privilege fill us (white people) with discomfort, and for some, even anger, but it’s been ten months since the unconscionable murder of George Floyd flipped a metaphorical mirror on society as a whole. Of course, and sadly, his death was by no means the first of its kind in terms of police brutality against black people, however, it was a catalyst for white people to finally either come to terms with their white privilege, or deny it altogether.
I believe one reason for that denial is that many white people are still under the false impression that white privilege means everything was handed to us, and therefore we deserve zero credit for anything we’ve achieved. At its core, the essence of white privilege is the absence of obstacles. This doesn’t mean an accomplished white person didn’t have to work hard for what they achieved; rather, they had fewer obstacles (by far) than POC who realized those same goals, or at least tried to. This is critical in bridging the gap of empathy and understanding in regards to the plight of POC.
Our schools were/are better funded, we’re more likely to achieve the American dream of owning a home because we get approved for more home loans, we’re more likely to get hired for a job than POC who have the exact same education, and the list goes on and on.
If you are white and successful, consider this- with privilege often comes power, and with power comes great responsibility. So, by all means, build that portfolio, and also perhaps take a moment to donate to charities such as The Bail Project and ask yourself how you might be part of the solution in regards to racism.
While it’s true that we cannot change the past or undo the sins of our ancestors, we can at least acknowledge it/them. We can have difficult discussions and be a catalyst for positive change. We can educate ourselves on matters of systemic racism and oppression, instead of putting the burden on POC to do that for us.
And if you’re white, well…. you can also choose not to.