We live in a world where opinions and beliefs are fueled by comparisons. How do we know that certain foods taste better than others, certain clothing looks better than others and certain music is more appealing? We derive these opinions by directly comparing them to other objects in the same category. Sometimes, this comparison fails when one decides to not look past face value of an object or situation. A good example of this is probably something that most of us have experienced. Have you ever had a cold at the same time your friend had the flu, or something worse? Then you go and ask the friend to hangout, and then they respond with “I can’t… I’m sick.” You then respond, “I’m sick too, but we can still do something.” The issue here is even though you know the person is worse off than you, you justify their ability to do something because you fall under the same overarching category.
How does this failing of comparison relate to oppression? I’m going to list off some situations and dialogue that everyone has probably witnessed at some point in a conversation about white privilege and oppression. From a white person, “I grew up poor, there is no such thing as white privilege.” To a black person, “You’re not oppressed, black people haven’t been slaves for many years now.” From a white person, “I’ve been bullied before, it’s not just you (black person) that experiences oppression.” In each of these situations, it is a derailed comparison that causes this feeling of being right. In relation to white privilege, just because two people have experienced hard times or circumstances does not mean that their lives are one and the same. In relation to oppression, a friend of mine on Facebook said it best when he wrote, “Oppression is… Having two struggles compared by someone who’s never been through either one.” Our failure to understand and solve the issues of systematic oppression derive from the simple fact that we turn a blind eye to those struggling because someone else has had it worse.
I get it. I really do. It is hard to put yourself in the shoes of someone else who has had completely different life experiences than you, and understand where they are coming from. Let me be 100% clear when I say, you don't have to understand in order to care and work for change. Many people, especially white people, with these different experiences will never be able to truly feel and understand what black communities and other POC go through when it comes to oppression because we have never experienced it. In the end, people should not need complete understanding in order to care that a community is in pain and suffering due to the oppression it faces on a day-to-day basis. An oppression that is ingrained in the deepest aspects of our culture and lifestyle. An oppression that can only be fixed when all communities stand up for the ones that are hurting. Quit comparing… and start caring.
#BlackLivesMatter
