My White Privilege
This is my skin. It’s how I was made. It’s covered in veins, dimply, freckly, stretch marks, super soft, and worthy of respect. It’s taken me a long time to accept that last part.
My skin is also white. Although I live in a marginalized fat body, I am still privileged.
“White privilege isn’t saying your life hasn’t been hard, but has it been hard BECAUSE of the color of your skin?”
Nope.
If I were to be arrested, I don’t fear my story will not be told, or that I would be treated unfairly.
I get interviews based on my qualifications and not skin color. I don’t get turned down jobs based on the color of my skin.
I would never be turned away from a hospital and told to stop googling, if I were 38 weeks pregnant with dangerously high blood pressure. No, in fact they’d likely induce me if that’s what I wanted.
If I’m having a baby, I don’t worry about surviving (Black women are 4x more likely to die than white women during childbirth).
I know that as a mother of a sick child, I’d advocate for answers and further care in the ICU and I’d get them.
I don’t know what it’s like to have a doctor refuse to acknowledge me let alone not tell me what is going on with my sick child, like I don’t deserve to know (I watched this happen several times to Black mothers in the ICU).
I don’t have to have conversations with my children about why people are not going to treat them equally because of the color of their skin.
I don’t worry about being paid a fair rate.
I can easily buy books, movies, greeting cards, kids toys, and dolls that represent my race.
When I leave a store and the censor goes off, I don’t worry they’ll accuse me of stealing.
I can use a mask/bandana/face covering to protect myself and others from a virus without people thinking I am a criminal.
I don’t know what the trauma of watching people with my skin color die over and over again for no reason feels like. And I’ll never know.
This list could go on and on and on.
This is white privilege. Just a few thoughts as I reflect on everything. Got anything to add? 👇🏼👇🏼