I’m a 23-year-old white woman who was born and raised in the small-town Midwest and I have white privilege.
I have never been denied a job or had my resume tossed to the side because of my race.
I have never been followed through a store or watched by employees because of my race.
I have never been fearful of police officers because of what has happened to people of my race.
I have never received sideways glances or questioning looks from passerby because of my skin tone.
I have never been told to “go back to my home country” because of my skin color.
I have never been verbally or physically attacked because I “look like a Muslim.”
I have never felt out of place or excluded due to my skin color.
I have never had a family member wish they were a different race.
I have never had anyone question what I do for a living because of my skin.
I have never had racial slurs used against me.
I have never been forced from the land passed down from generation to generation before me.
I have never been concerned about leaving a routine traffic stop with bullet wounds.
I have never gone to church and worried about leaving in a mess of rubble or scrubbing graffiti off of the building.
I have never felt victimized by the president-elect of the United States because of my race.
I have never been discriminated against or oppressed because I’m white.
I’m a white woman in America and I have white privilege. It’s okay to admit you have white privilege. We're not in the wrong for simply being white, just like others aren't in the wrong for not being white, but it’s time we all acknowledge racial injustice. People of color have it harder than white people in America; white privilege just makes it harder to not only notice this intolerance because it’s not happening to us, but to understand what this specific kind of discrimination feels like.
What can white people do with their white privilege? Well, we can continue going on with our lives and use our white privilege without acknowledging it. Walk through the mall without anyone staring, rummage through our bags without the cashier getting suspicious, go to church without worrying about vandalism or attacks… That’s what’s easiest for us. It’s what we’re used to.
But if you understand a person’s skin color and heritage should not determine how society treats them, there’s so much more we can do. We can stand up against acts of racial discrimination. We can vote for members of local, state, and federal government who actively use their voice to stand against racial injustice. We can support movies and television with more racial diversity. We can support movements and organizations that bring racial discrimination to light and demand change. We can admit that society is biased towards white people and we can do something about it.
Refusing to let white privilege continue to run society doesn't mean white people will be discriminated against; refuting white privilege means people of color won't be discriminated against. Standing alongside people of color and ensuring their voices are heard will bring us one step closer to equality and peace.
I’m a 23-year-old white woman who was born and raised in the small-town Midwest.
I have white privilege and I'm doing something about it.
