The key to being an ally is owning and using your privilege. First we need to define what it is and what it's not. Below I dispell the misconceptions of White privilege and give some examples of what it actually is, this is really just a drop in the bucket. Just remember, Black people know that this privilege exists and are just waiting for you to acknowledge it too. My Instagram Thread on White Privilege
Whte Privilege: Inherent advantages possessed by a white person on the basis of their race in a society characterized by racial inequality and injustice.
White Privilege Does Not Mean:
- You Never Had to Struggle
- You or Your Family Were or Are Financially “Well Off”
- That You Created the System of Privilege
- You are Not Also in a Marginalized Group i.e. Women, LGBTQ
- That You Are a Racist
White Privilege Does Mean:
(These statements are just a drop in the bucket.)
- If I wish to I can arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time
- I can be sure that no matter where I move to my neighbors in that will be pleasant or neutral to me
- I can go shopping alone and be sure that I won't be followed, harrassed or mistaken for an employee
- I can turn on the tv, open a magazine and see people of my race widely represented
- I can go to a museum or art gallery and will see people of my race widely represented in the objects and artworks
- I can be sure that when told about our national heritage or about ‘Civilization’ I am shown that people who look like me made it what it is
- I can be sure my children will be taught a curriculum which testifies to the existence of their race
- I am never asked to speak for my entire racial group
- I can do well professionally without being called a credit to my race
- I can wear my hair the way it grows out of my head without it being called unkept, unprofessional or distracting
- I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of my financial reliability
- I can go to a hairdresser and be sure that they can do my hair
- If a police officer stops me I can be sure I haven’t been singled out because of my race
- I can be pretty sure that if I ask to speak to “the person in charge’ I will be facing someone of my race
- I can easily buy books, children’s toys, posters, greeting cards or magazines featuring people of my race
- As a child I had access to books where the heroes ad protagonists were the same race or color as me
- I can go home from most meetings and organizations I belong to feeling somewhat tied in, rather than isolated, out-of-place, outnumbered, unheard, held at a distance, or feared
- I can take a job or get into college without co-workers or classmates suspecting it was because of affirmative action
- I can be sure that the gatekeepers in my life such as my boss, my local PD or my landlord look like me
- I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help, the color of my skin will not work against me
- I can easily choose makeup or bandages in flesh tones and them more or less match my skin
- At school or university I could be sure that most of my teachers were the same color or race as me
- I am not questioned on my expertise when I give advice or opinion on a topic
- I can go to the doctor and not worry about my symptoms being taken seriously
- I can apply for a job and not worry that my name on my resume will disqualify me before they look at my qualifications
- I can go out in public without people touching my hair
- I don’t have to tell my children how to survive a police encounter
- I can watch award shows and see my race widely represented
- I can easily access fresh foods within my neighborhood
- I can track my ancestry for generations relatively easily
- I can learn about racism instead of living it
Now it's time to do the work! Watch my video below on what all it takes to be an effective ally to the black community.
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