We Can’t Keep Denying White Privilege
When I first encountered the term “white privilege,” I thought I understood what it meant and I thought it didn’t apply to me. Understanding that I wasn’t exempt from it took some work and time, discomfort and openness.
I grew up blue collar, working class, reduced lunch. My mom grew up poor. My paternal grandparents were raised in abject poverty. My ancestors faced tremendous suffering.
I’ve faced housing and food insecurity, mental and physical health challenges, learning disabilities, abuse, single parenthood. I’ve attempted suicide. I’ve been pulled over for driving shitty cars, and on two occasions, felt intimidated by inappropriate interactions with police.
Although I wasn’t dealt the best hand, the deck was never stacked against me. The painful parts of my life happened by chance, not by design. My circumstances improved because when people look at me, they’re inclined to give me a chance. I was born with that privilege, and for a long time, it was invisible to me.
I’ll never be murdered at the hands of an officer, nor will my children. No one looks at me like I’m dangerous. My mistakes are met with reasonable and manageable consequences. I can be unremarkable and still get ahead. I live in a world that always gives me the benefit of the doubt.
That’s what white privilege means. It doesn’t mean you haven’t worked hard and struggled, or that you don’t deserve what you’ve earned. It doesn’t overwrite your identity, erase your suffering, or invalidate your hardships — it acknowledges that your individual experience isn’t universal.
Maybe that’s uncomfortable and doesn’t align with our perception of ourselves and our individualism. But if white people can’t overcome these personal barriers, Black people will continue to be suppressed and slaughtered by those in power. We can’t ignore that racism and bias still live among us — and sometimes within us — when it’s stalking, harassing, imprisoning, and killing Black people every day.
Acceptance of your white privilege extends grace to those whose shoes you haven’t walked in. It’s examining your world through a different lens and acknowledging that inequality still exists. It’s listening instead of talking. It’s loving thy neighbor. It’s removing barriers that are invisible to you in service of someone else.
If the term “white privilege” confuses or insults you, it’s time to examine why. Choosing to ignore it is the most damning privilege of all.
