Early Lessons: Throughout my schooling I have been privy to conversations about privilege, that label which describes the systemic advantages that one group, gender, ethnicity, etc. may have over another. I was confused early on, but quickly understood the main ideas, agreed that the world was skewed, and developed a strong sense of guilt as a result. I looked for ways to qualify as someone who struggled, to avoid the self imposed gaze-of-disapproval for my blessings. I tried to wreck it all. What a stupid act from someone who has privilege. "Peter, it takes a rich boy to want to be poor." Rather than use my access to improve the access of others, I thought I should just join the ranks of those who were not as blessed; like somehow it is a choice, like somehow I could actually get rid of my advantage...
Polarizing: Often at the heart of these discussions is the seemingly apparent denial of many who benefit from privilege that there is any real inequity. The conversation of "haves" and "have nots" becomes quickly polarized, often with both sides angry at the other, without focusing on possible solutions. I hate the conflict of the world. I naively wish we "can all get along." And yet I think we need to fight through our wrongly held misperceptions to get to the truth. That fight can be humanly tempered though. It can be done side-by-side somehow. I'm just not sure how...
History: There is very little specific discussion of privilege prior to the end of the 20th century, although in its different forms privilege has been discussed as long as minority voices have fought for the right to speak their mind (Wollstonecraft in the late 1700s, Du Bois in the early 1900s, etc.). I am a teacher of history. I see where access is unequal. I see how some effortlessly slip into success, while others seem to stand little or no chance. I also hear excuses in the guise of "parenting" and "interest". We can do better. I can do better...
Solutions are there, somewhere: We need to have these discussions. We need to work on ways to make people aware without making them aggressive or defensive. I worry that often I see attacks on those who benefit from privilege as if they chose to cheat, rather than attempts to look at how to make society more fair for more people. Fairness is a hard topic to pin down, but we can work to a more just society, I am certain. Our conversations should be about empowerment and access, not about guilting those who have those things nor attacks on what those who don't, didn't do to "get in". These dialogues should be about opening the doors of opportunity for everyone, and not allowing anyone to feel that they are "being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without having the doors of opportunity closed roughly in his face." (Du Bois) The only way to find solutions is to ignore the denials that privilege plays a part in so many's success, and attacks on those denied access as some how "less than" in their abilities. We also need to stop vilifying those who benefit from open doors, and help those who are denied entry to find a way in...
Back to early lessons: A buddy of mine from high school posted a link to a comic originally housed on TheWireless. It is pretty good for those open to seeing one facet of this problem. Try not to take sides, nor to identify too much with anyone in the comic. Read it like a story and ask yourself if it feels true...
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