White People Will Never Get Sick and Tired of Racism Because They Benefit
The privilege feels too good to let go
Imagine strolling into a densely wooded area and discovering a tree stump. As curiosity creeps in, you decide to add up the dark rings inside to determine how old the tree is. You can trace each year of the tree’s life; it came from a long chain of seeds, saplings, and mighty oaks. Like trees, people come from an unbroken line of humans. While we do not have rings to count, we record the year of our birth just like a mighty oak tree. Like trees, we connect to the people and systems which came before.
When considering socioeconomic status, people often forget to count the dark rings around our American tree stump. They think their station in life is due only to their hard work, failing to recognize that most people are hardworking. People inherit wealth, privilege, and socioeconomic status.
When white and or wealthy people see a person of lower status, they often attempt to justify their place in the social hierarchy. Perhaps they think they are more creative, talented, or hardworking than people with less money. Similarly, they believe their parents have money because of their hard work as well. Somehow, they justify that their hard work is worth more than the baker, the construction worker, or teacher. In…
