I began working for Odyssey about six months ago, and as an aspiring journalist, I was beyond excited to be a part of this movement that is so reflective of the state of journalism today. Eventually, I moved up to be a co-editor instead of just a writer, as an opportunity to buff up my resume and also to read more articles by my peers. While, as a whole I am so grateful to be a part of Odyssey, there are a few things I’d like to get off my chest.
Unfortunately, I am used to being one of few black people in most organizations that I am in that are not “for” black people. Odyssey at Kent is no exception, I have yet to meet another black writer (if you’re out there, hit me up), which isn’t Odyssey’s fault at all, because it is a very inclusive environment, but it does put me in a certain perspective. I am constantly reading and editing articles from a white person’s perspective. You would think that I’d be used to hearing white stories being told by white people living white lives, but the older I get, the more it blows my mind.
Don’t get me wrong; I truly believe every person, no matter what race or ethnicity, has a story to tell and deserves to tell that story. However, I’m starting to have an issue with the content of these stories, specifically some I have seen from “millennial” whites. These are stories that I like to call “white privilege tearjerkers,” the stories that make me want to shake the author. These are the stories that scream ALL LIVES MATTER, and FEMINISM ISN’T NECESSARY, or WHY IS BEYONCE ACTING BLACK, I’M SCARED.
The first instance when I read of this was an article about not being a feminist. There are so many articles like this I’m not sure why I was surprised, but since it was Odyssey, I gave it a chance and read it. My reaction the whole time: “your white tears are actually laughable.” Again, I repeat, it’s okay to have an opinion, and I have no problem when people disagree with my set of principles. However, when your opinion is rooted in ignorance and a blatant disregard to your privilege, whether it is class, gender, race, or sexual orientation, then I have a problem.
You would not be saying feminism isn’t necessary if you were one of the 60 percent of illiterate young girls in Papa New Guinea. You would not be saying feminism isn’t necessary if you were one of 200 million women who have undergone female genital mutilation. I’m surprised you are saying feminism isn’t necessary when you ARE a part of an American population who still notoriously doesn’t pay men and women equally. You are saying that you think feminism is not necessary because you are sitting pretty comfortably in your status as a privileged white American who chooses to deem anything that is not a part of your own personal reality as “unnecessary.”
I have seen so many articles from various sites with views like this. Everything stemming from people claiming to feel “oppressed” (yes, actual word they used) for not smoking weed, to why Beyoncé shouldn’t talk about police brutality. Odyssey is not the only open forum media outlet on which I have seen with articles like this. Articles where the authors most likely live a cushy life in white America, unaware of the blatant privilege they have every single day. Authors who will most likely never have to teach their black son to be on their very best behavior, or else they will be shot. They will never have to teach their young black daughter that she must work twice as hard to be taken half as seriously. Instead they can sit behind a computer screen and pour their white tears into open letters and opinion pieces backed by their experience in white America.
So, what is the moral of my rant? I’m over white privilege tearjerkers. I’m over listening to white Americans explain when and where it’s okay to be upset about oppression. Like I said before, I deeply believe EVERY person has a story to tell and every person is entitled to his or her opinions. However, I think it’s time for the privileged to stop attempting to dictate the story of the oppressed. I challenge you to perhaps write about your own oppression or your own struggles instead of putting your two cents in on someone else’s. And, if you find it hard to write a 500-word article on the oppression of white Americans, maybe it’s time to check your privilege.
