These privileges don't mean that I haven't worked hard to get where I am (I have), or that I had an easy childhood (I didn't), or that I should feel weighed down by guilt (I don't).
But my awareness of my unearned privileges presents me with a choice:
I can be comfortable with how things are and what I have.
Or,
I can choose to act to try to make our world (country, state, town, and classrooms) a safer and fairer place for women and people of color and others in our society who may feel the knee of oppression on their necks. In fact, I can use my "privilege" to push hard for substantial and effective changes in our society.
I don't worry about losing my privilege - the high tide of justice raises all boats. I do worry that if we can't figure out how to solve these problems, we will be torn asunder by them. I have already seen it on my town's local Needham Facebook thread.
A dear friend and mentor of mine used to say: "If this stuff were easy, we would have solved it already."
It won't be easy. I also know that racism is deeply entrenched in our society - its roots go back to the first encounters between indigenous peoples and Europeans.
Dr. King used to talk about the need for justice for all, and through call and response he would ask: "How long will it take? How long?" And the people would reply: "Not long."
"How long?"
"Not long."
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
