Precious Privilege
For the first twenty-four years of my life, I had no idea I was privileged.
Like most people growing up, I simply assumed that others had the same opportunities I did. From after-school clubs to playing travel team sports year-round to playing computer games and using dial-up internet, I honestly believed that this was how everyone else around me was experiencing the world. When I attended college in a four-year, private liberal arts environment, my own worldview was reinforced by meeting those with slightly different, yet ultimately similar experiences. Graduating at age twenty-two with not one but two job offers from which to choose, I had no reason to believe that my own success and opportunities were due to anything other than my own hard work and determination. I was told by one potential employer that I had "gumption," and I took that assertion to heart. Everything I had in life I had worked for, and I had no reason to see why I shouldn't be rewarded accordingly.
But after two years of teaching and all of a sudden needing employment in a completely new area of the country while simultaneously attending graduate school, I was suddenly thrust into a world in which I was unfamiliar: uncertainty. For the first time in my life, I applied for a job I felt I was qualified for, and I didn't get offered the position. I recall a phone call I had with a potential employer after being rejected, asking them to explain what I felt was a clear mistake on their part. Did they not see my resume? Did they not read my application? Never mind that this was a job in the science field for which I did not have an adequate background; how could they not understand that I was the best person for the job? That I would make it work? That I had gumption? Did they not understand what a huge mistake they were making by not hiring me?
It wasn't until later that year that I began to understand how and why I reacted the way that I did. I was fortunate to be part of a graduate school program that gave teachers the skills and techniques to work with English language learners. A large part of the curriculum was understanding the biases we have accumulated in our own experiences that we unintentionally project onto our students. I vividly recall reading a chapter on White privilege and learning how it impacted a person by allowing them to feel entitled to something to which they didn't deserve. I immediately made the connection to my own life and the way I reacted to not getting the science job. Subconsciously, I had assumed that I was the best candidate. Subconsciously, I had assumed that I would be chosen. And subconsciously, I had assumed that I would be offered the position. Those assumptions formed the basis of my privilege and were a critical blind spot for me as not only a classroom teacher but as a human being as well.
But recognizing one's privilege is only one step. It's a critical one, sure, but there's more that remains to be done. Understanding one's privilege then leads to the question of how one utilizes it. Does a person become reflective about their own experience and look to identify ways in which they can use their privilege for good? Or do they retreat into their shells, aware of their privilege but too accustomed to it and its benefits that they refuse to change any of their behaviors?
The past eight months have been a case study in this exact type of privilege realization. There has been a clear demonstration that anyone who is a non-White, heterosexual, Christian male will be targeted in some way, shape, or form by this administration. How those with privilege have responded has been telling, and their response has been a clear indication of whether or not they would be willing to give up their privilege for the greater good. These are individuals who are, by and large, safe from the current regime. But whether or not they decide to use this safety to help others has provided a fascinating look at the dynamics of White privilege in the face of an emerging autocracy. And the results thus far have been quite eye-opening.
The first question we've seen those with White privilege struggle with is for those with a public platform. Over the past eight months, those with significant followings have had countless opportunities to use their platform to call out the cruelty of the current administration. For every Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, there has been a Jimmy Fallon, content to cower to a president who would like nothing better than to silence him. With the recent suspension of Jimmy Kimmel, it was Fallon who took the coward's way out by claiming what was happening was "confusing" rather than calling it out for what it was: a clear violation of the First Amendment to silence those mocking the president of the United States. The night Kimmel returned, Fallon did a bit where his opening monologue was faked and edited to praise Donald Trump's recent UN visit. Fallon's message was clear: we're gonna play it safe with rudimentary humor and offer little to no commentary on the true threat that is happening. Fallon had a live, captive audience and willingly chose capitulation to Donald Trump rather than camaraderie with his fellow late-night host. It was a telling response and one that was consciously made by Fallon to steer clear of any controversy and to try and separate himself from the Jimmy Kimmels of the world.
We've also seen a whole slew of White men bend the knee to try and curry favor with the sitting president. The September 5th tech leaders summit at the White House showcased some of the country's richest men, placating and praising Donald Trump in an effort to try and secure deals that would primarily benefit them in their quest for obscene amounts of wealth. Men like Bill Gates, Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, and Tim Cook showed the country (and more importantly, their employees) that they would willingly do business with the devil if they thought they could make a quick buck. While none of us should have been surprised that men like this would exert their privilege in this way, hardly any of us thought they would be so public in doing so. This was not a series of backroom deals; this was a North Korea-style televised meeting where each man went on record praising Dear Leader. The capitulation was a sight to behold and was an example of rich White men doing everything in their power to maintain their social standing during a time of political upheaval.
Lastly, we've seen those abusing their privilege in a way that shows that they would save their own hides rather than those whom they are elected to serve. Despite Trump's policies hurting our country's most vulnerable residents, sitting elected officials like Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Congressman Jim Hynes of Connecticut have been public in their praise for his policies, putting them clearly at odds with their constituents. Republicans like nothing better than to try and paint Trump as a great uniter, and people like Fetterman and Hynes are making that easy for them. As White men, Fetterman and Hynes are safe, but countless members of their communities have been hurt by Trump's policies. Nothing is gained by praising him except to get on his good side and avoid being targeted by his administration. During a time in which prominent Democrats have faced death threats simply for speaking truth to power, the spineless acts of Fetterman and Hynes stand out as a huge slap in the face to the overwhelming majority of Democrats who have been very public in their opposition to this wannabe authoritarian regime. Voters are taking note and will remember their actions the next time both of them are up for reelection.
During World War II, we had Good Germans who were content to turn a blind eye to the atrocities being committed by the political party in power. In 21st-century America, we have our Good Americans who are more than happy to maintain their White privilege and standing while countless of our sisters and brothers are suffering. We see them bend the knee in real-time, knowing full well the choice they are making. Their capitulation is done to save themselves and to make nice with an administration that is hellbent on ruining as many non-White lives as possible. Their whiteness has made these Good Americans safe, and it will continue to do so in the weeks and months ahead. At a time when the American people are looking for people to take a stand, we have a large segment of White men who are more than happy to sit on the sidelines sipping on lemonade while the country that has given them so much descends further and further toward authoritarianism.
That is the power of White privilege. It keeps you in a life of comfort as long as you don't rock the boat. White privilege is the gift that keeps on giving, and we're seeing how it serves as a crutch during times of political unrest. Our version of Good Germans is choosing themselves over others. It's a choice made to preserve one's own social standing and the luxuries that standing affords them. All these individuals mentioned could put aside their privilege and fight. We've seen it with countless others. Yet these Good Americans are happy where they are. They're happy living their life as if nothing bad is happening. They're happy with all the money, fame, and power they have, and they see no reason to do anything that would interrupt their lavish lifestyle. While America burns, these Good Americans sit in their fancy homes watching others do what they should be doing. White privilege is their opiate, and giving it up is simply unimaginable. They can't imagine a world in which they have to willingly give up the power they have been gifted simply because of their gender and the color of their skin.
For them, that would simply be a bridge too far.
The first question we've seen those with White privilege struggle with is for those with a public platform. Over the past eight months, those with significant followings have had countless opportunities to use their platform to call out the cruelty of the current administration. For every Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, there has been a Jimmy Fallon, content to cower to a president who would like nothing better than to silence him. With the recent suspension of Jimmy Kimmel, it was Fallon who took the coward's way out by claiming what was happening was "confusing" rather than calling it out for what it was: a clear violation of the First Amendment to silence those mocking the president of the United States. The night Kimmel returned, Fallon did a bit where his opening monologue was faked and edited to praise Donald Trump's recent UN visit. Fallon's message was clear: we're gonna play it safe with rudimentary humor and offer little to no commentary on the true threat that is happening. Fallon had a live, captive audience and willingly chose capitulation to Donald Trump rather than camaraderie with his fellow late-night host. It was a telling response and one that was consciously made by Fallon to steer clear of any controversy and to try and separate himself from the Jimmy Kimmels of the world.
We've also seen a whole slew of White men bend the knee to try and curry favor with the sitting president. The September 5th tech leaders summit at the White House showcased some of the country's richest men, placating and praising Donald Trump in an effort to try and secure deals that would primarily benefit them in their quest for obscene amounts of wealth. Men like Bill Gates, Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, and Tim Cook showed the country (and more importantly, their employees) that they would willingly do business with the devil if they thought they could make a quick buck. While none of us should have been surprised that men like this would exert their privilege in this way, hardly any of us thought they would be so public in doing so. This was not a series of backroom deals; this was a North Korea-style televised meeting where each man went on record praising Dear Leader. The capitulation was a sight to behold and was an example of rich White men doing everything in their power to maintain their social standing during a time of political upheaval.
Lastly, we've seen those abusing their privilege in a way that shows that they would save their own hides rather than those whom they are elected to serve. Despite Trump's policies hurting our country's most vulnerable residents, sitting elected officials like Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Congressman Jim Hynes of Connecticut have been public in their praise for his policies, putting them clearly at odds with their constituents. Republicans like nothing better than to try and paint Trump as a great uniter, and people like Fetterman and Hynes are making that easy for them. As White men, Fetterman and Hynes are safe, but countless members of their communities have been hurt by Trump's policies. Nothing is gained by praising him except to get on his good side and avoid being targeted by his administration. During a time in which prominent Democrats have faced death threats simply for speaking truth to power, the spineless acts of Fetterman and Hynes stand out as a huge slap in the face to the overwhelming majority of Democrats who have been very public in their opposition to this wannabe authoritarian regime. Voters are taking note and will remember their actions the next time both of them are up for reelection.
During World War II, we had Good Germans who were content to turn a blind eye to the atrocities being committed by the political party in power. In 21st-century America, we have our Good Americans who are more than happy to maintain their White privilege and standing while countless of our sisters and brothers are suffering. We see them bend the knee in real-time, knowing full well the choice they are making. Their capitulation is done to save themselves and to make nice with an administration that is hellbent on ruining as many non-White lives as possible. Their whiteness has made these Good Americans safe, and it will continue to do so in the weeks and months ahead. At a time when the American people are looking for people to take a stand, we have a large segment of White men who are more than happy to sit on the sidelines sipping on lemonade while the country that has given them so much descends further and further toward authoritarianism.
That is the power of White privilege. It keeps you in a life of comfort as long as you don't rock the boat. White privilege is the gift that keeps on giving, and we're seeing how it serves as a crutch during times of political unrest. Our version of Good Germans is choosing themselves over others. It's a choice made to preserve one's own social standing and the luxuries that standing affords them. All these individuals mentioned could put aside their privilege and fight. We've seen it with countless others. Yet these Good Americans are happy where they are. They're happy living their life as if nothing bad is happening. They're happy with all the money, fame, and power they have, and they see no reason to do anything that would interrupt their lavish lifestyle. While America burns, these Good Americans sit in their fancy homes watching others do what they should be doing. White privilege is their opiate, and giving it up is simply unimaginable. They can't imagine a world in which they have to willingly give up the power they have been gifted simply because of their gender and the color of their skin.
For them, that would simply be a bridge too far.