Say More About That

5Privilege

The word privilege conjures up some pretty nasty images or moods for many people. Maybe you hear the word and you imagine one of the well‐known billionaires taking exploratory trips to space or you think of some famous socialite families. Or perhaps you are White and your shoulders tense up at the idea of being told you are privileged just because of the container your soul lives in. Maybe you are pretty financially secure and the word privilege sets you on the defense because, after all, you know you still worked to get where you are, or maybe you are the first in your family to have any sense of success or stability and no one cut you any breaks for you to get here. Maybe you even turn your nose up at the idea of privilege and consider yourself not to be privileged at all.

Whatever your negative perceptions or associations are with privilege, I'm going to ask you to drop them for a moment and consider another perspective. Privilege isn't bad. We think it is, because privilege, which is actually critical for us to both acknowledge and understand, has developed a negative connotation. We read about how someone's perspective “reeks of privilege” or see folks online told to “check their privilege” when they are celebrating something that not “everyone” has access to enjoy. It can feel bad to realize you have privilege and can also seem like you should feel bad about it.

None of that is true and, more importantly, none of it is useful to being an ally, an advocate, ...