"To redesign social systems we need first to acknowledge their colossal unseen dimensions. The silences and denials surrounding privilege are the key political tool here." This is an excerpt from Peggy McIntosh (first link below), recommended in the workbook/audiobook "Me and White Supremacy" by Layla F. Saad (second link below). It includes 28 writing prompts, and I'll be going thru these exercises with the hope aligned with the subtitle of the book "Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor."
Overdrive Link for Me and White Supremacy:
https://www.overdrive.com/media/5008327/me-and-white-supremacy
https://www.overdrive.com/media/5008327/me-and-white-supremacy
In what ways do you hold white privilege in your personal life? I'm sure this collection is not exhaustive, and I plan for it to evolve over the course of these exercises:
I can go out for a run or walk with the dogs and not feel that anyone will harass me because of my race.
I did not have to have conversations with my family about systemic racism in education, my workplace, or in everyday social interactions. We definitely talked about treating everyone equally, but I did not consider lack of equal opportunities.
I have never been prompted to speak on behalf of my race.
If I am pulled over, I do not think it is because of my race. I also don't think I will be interacted with differently because of my race.
I can talk openly about our government and changes I would like to see implemented, without feeling singled out because of my race.
I can write on social media, this site, or elsewhere and feel my voice can be heard and not suppressed because of my race.
I see members of my race shown in a positive light in my workplace, the media, and pretty much everywhere I look.
I can easily distance myself from events, places, and people if I don't feel safe.
I can speak openly at work, provide suggestions, design solutions, and feel my input will not be rejected because of my race.
I believe if I were to seek additional career opportunities, I would not be treated differently or thought less of because of my race.
If I were to accept a new career opportunity, my future co-workers would not suspect I received an offer because of my race.
I can sit down at a library, bar, restaurant, etc... and not feel isolated or that my service will be any different because of my race.
If I try to take a leadership position in an extracurricular activity, or something that is work based, I feel my race will not have an impact on the outcome of gaining (or not) that position.
I don't have to think about race when making decisions and wondering if that would be appropriate for someone with my same race.
If I am hurt, I wouldn't expect others to avoid helping me because of my race.
If I succeed or something positive happens, I don't perceive people to think the credit due is because of my race.
I can go out in public without "dressing up" or "for the occasion" and have people make assumptions regarding my race.
I can apply for a loan, credit card, mortgage, or other financial structure and feel that my race does not change my eligibility.
What negative experiences has your white privilege protected you from throughout your life? Since it is about to be mentioned for the first time, BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
I think I have most been protected from angst and the uncertainty that comes from the day to day scenarios and interactions that could veer in directions I would have never thought possible. I've been protected from brutality. Hostility. I have been protected from possibility I could fail at the things I desire to pursue. I can't begin to imagine how I would maintain composure on a regular basis if those obstacles were present in my life.
What positive experiences has your white privilege granted you through life (that BIPOC generally do not have)?
Internships, progression thru scouts, academic achievement, career opportunities... do all of these items have an asterisk next to them? Did I have the benefit of the doubt in scenarios when others didn't? Would people take a chance on me when they wouldn't take that same chance on someone else? I think I have had the privilege to try and maximize the enjoyment I get out of life whereas the BIPOC community is struggling to maintain theirs.
In what ways have you wielded your white privilege over BIPOC that have done harm (whether or not you intended to do so)?
While the protests over George Floyd's brutal treatment were at their peak, I sat in the shade of an umbrella on the patio of one of our favorite restaurants with a mimosa in hand. We talked about the riots and protests a little, but the topic passed and we continued to go on with our lives as if nothing significant was going on in the United States and the rest of the world. At the self checkout the next day, someone in front of me had a racially insensitive shirt, seeming to make any attempt to incite an inquiry. Instead of doing anything, I thought. I reflected. Then I drove home. I didn't know what to do. Should I do anything in that scenario? Would an open ended question along the lines of "Tell me about your shirt?" prompt anything other than hostility? I think the most prominent way I have wielded my white privilege is with passivity. I am not doing anything constructive to help change the existing environment to have a equitable system.
What have you learned about your white privilege that makes you uncomfortable?
I traditionally thought I worked hard and was granted opportunities, or ran with the opportunities that happened to be available. I didn't stop to think that the reason other people didn't have those opportunities was due to race. It attacks the way I feel I have "achieved" what I have become today. It makes me uncomfortable that not everyone had the same opportunities, and I think it rightfully diminishes not what I have become, but my perception of how I got here.