White and Racially Aware: Possible or Misunderstood?
By Michaela Kasselman
If someone took a quick look at me, what would they see? They would see a white female college student, which in and of itself gives off the impression that I have no authority to speak into social justice issues of the world today. However, I grew up in a home very different from most white female college students.
Both of my parents were born and raised in South Africa, and, yes, they are white. Because of this, I grew up in a culture that was very racially aware. My parents grew up in South African apartheid, or discrimination based on race. Despite the fact that they are white, they did not agree with the white violence towards their black neighbors — nor did they agree with the governmental policies at the time. They admired the justice advocates Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu, both black.
This family background deeply influenced me as I grew up. I revered Nelson Mandela and Bishop Tutu just as my parents did. I believed in social justice and equality for all people, no matter their skin color. I assumed my authority in thinking so because my family had experience in a literal war between skin colors.
As I’ve grown up and become more educated, the phrase “white privilege” keeps appearing. White privilege, according to Teaching Tolerance, is “a transparent preference for whiteness that saturates our society.” White privilege can be seen in the simplest forms — including the fact that hotel shampoos and conditioners are only suitable for white people’s hair texture.
However, privilege extends to life-changing events as well. The Bertrand and Mullainathan study conducted in 2004 consisted of sending out picture-less resumes to various companies; a portion of the resumes had traditionally white names and a portion had traditionally black names. The resumes with black names were 50 percent less likely to receive a call back for an interview.
White privilege is engrained in our society — and as a white person who is passionate about social justice, the most important thing is recognizing said privilege. I can use this privilege to be heard. Because of my skin color, I am more inclined to have a meaningful voice in society, so why not use my privilege to the advantage of those I’m fighting for? An excellent example of using privilege for the greater good of others is Margaret Ballinger — a white female South African activist in the 1930s. She was a member of the white Native Representatives Council and helped shift the parliamentary agenda to focus on the long-term welfare of the black community in South Africa — not the control over them. She constantly advocated for black representation and justice for that particular community.
With all of the recent racial struggles in both South Africa and the United States, activists like Ballinger are inspiring to me. She used her position of power and privilege to effectively move her society forward when it came to change, civil rights, and social justice. However, how can just a normal young adult with no position of power be heard?
In his 1984 Nobel Lecture, Bishop Desmond Tutu said, “Let us work to be peacemakers, those given a wonderful share in Our Lord’s ministry of reconciliation. If we want peace, so we have been told, let us work for justice.” This can be applied to every day life as we can be peacemakers to the community and people around us. This is how global change begins. If I recognize my own privileges and use those to help others, I am moving the civil rights movement a small step forward. Justice is not about making everyone equal, it is about giving those with no privilege the foundation they need to be lifted up to the same position as those who have the privilege are — whether that be those of a different race, gender, sexuality, age group, or physical ability.
As someone who has very different beliefs than most of the people I grew up around in the Panhandle of Texas, I tend to gravitate towards friendships with people who represent a minority. My two current best friends are black and 5/8 black. These friendships, while worthwhile in many other ways, are extremely informative in the fact that I am more aware of racial issues and am making conscious efforts towards speaking in more politically correct ways. The bonds I have formed with these two are special in the sense that we are so different which makes us even stronger. I would do anything for them and I have more of a desire to stand up against issues that may harm or offend them. Personal relations with people representing a minority make injustice a reality and warrant a more extreme call to action.
Overall, as a white woman who is already racially aware, my desire is to encourage other people to educate themselves and become more aware of racial barriers, issues, and struggles. I have so much more to learn — and I hope to take that information and use my privilege to speak for others who won’t be heard and work towards them having a voice. The challenge, however, is to accomplish this without assuming a selfish agenda but rather bring issues forth with humility and genuine desire for change.
Sources:
http://www.sahistory.org.za/people/margaret-ballinger
https://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1984/tutu-lecture.html
