Day 3: What is Privilege?
“For those of us called white, whiteness simply is. Whiteness becomes, for us, the unspoken, interrogated norm, taken for granted, much as water can be taken for granted by a fish.”
― Tim Wise, White Like Me
Privilege is the unearned social, political, economic, and psychological benefits of membership in a group that has institutional and structural power. There are many types of privilege that different groups have in the US. We commonly hear about privilege because of race or gender, but privilege also exists for different groups based on religion, sexuality, ability, class, education level. Read more about 5 common types of privilege.
Having privilege can give you advantages in life, but having privilege is not a guarantee of success.
Source: https://www.ywcaofcleveland.org/blog/2019/03/04/what-is-privilege/
Today’s Challenge
Test: Take this privilege self-assessment by Buzzfeed to discover where you are on the spectrum.
Watch: Watch this short, powerful Buzzfeed video featuring a privilege walk. See how privilege shows up differently for this group of co-workers. Note: this video may be triggering for some people of color. (3:59)
Watch: Watch this video from Robin DiAngelo, author of White Fragility about how racism is not only individual acts of discrimination; it is a deeply embedded system that impacts all of our lives. (20:01)
Discussion
What did you learn from completing the privilege assessment?
How did this exercise make you feel?
What were your thoughts as you were doing it?
