By: Amber Khan, Class 6
Privilege is something that is always around us, but may make us feel uncomfortable. However, if someone calls for you to check your privilege, and you are getting offended, you may not have the right idea about what privilege is.
As apart of my spring project for Leadershape, I decided that I would dedicate a topic once a month to make a video with. The topic for this month is exactly that – Privilege!
Just because you are privileged does not mean you are a bad person, and believe it or not – every single one of us is privileged. Every human in this world is privileged. Just having the wifi, means of connecting to this page to read this means you have privilege. Let alone having the ability to see and read — these are all privileges.
Here some things that does not equate to being privileged: being a bad person, having everything handed to you on a silver platter, that you don’t work for what you have, being one without struggle, not being a hard worker, an asshole.
Obtaining privilege is not about you asking for something and receiving it, but rather the way life has worked out, you was given these benefits that you didn’t necessary ask to be given or not to be given. We have to recognize that we benefit from these privileges and that I as a human being should act as a mender between the gap between those who are the ones affected by it. This is because every human deserves a right that another human being has obtained simply from existing and how life has played out for them.
Now you may think: but I don’t FEEL privileged? but just because you are privileged does not mean you haven’t felt or experienced oppression in different ways. Privilege and oppression can come in more form than one. Being told you have privilege gives you an advantage in achieving things and that can be surprising, annoying, and frustrating because it sounds like it’s putting down one’s struggles and it actually goes against everything we’ve been taught. We have not been taught to identify and understand our privileges. Privilege is about individuals being terrible people and thats why it’s happened, it’s more-so about an entire system that favors some groups while putting others down.
Talking about privilege isn’t supposed to be comfortable. Feeling the discomfort is what can help you aware yourself of the inequality and realize it in situations when you’re supporting it. Every human has an identity that benefits them in some way from the exploitation of another group, so not wanting to accept your privilege helps keep oppression in place.
Educate yourself on what privilege, or access you have. and do your thang as a earthling and make it happen.
Check your privilege through this activity that we did at the Leadershape Spring retreat, linked below!
http://www.differencematters.info/uploads/pdf/privilege-beads-exercise.pdf
