This is a basic document that challenges white privilege and the invisibility of it's oppressive structures. It is a great starting point and provides much food for thought and tangible ideas that can help you better understand your place in the world and possible unearned privilege. You may be surprised by how little you actually have to think about race if you are part of the dominant group. This can be extended to gender, sexual orientation, class, national origin, disability, age, ethnicity, and many other identity demographics.
Now for the exercise we performed. You start in a space large enough to accommodate the entire class. Everyone must stand in a horizontal line, with equal amount of space to the front and to the back of the group. The entire thing is done in silence, as some of the questions are sensitive in nature and any reactions, positive or negative, may inhibit someone else's full participation in the exercise. I have decided to include some of the questions that were asked in our group, but if you look online, there are tons of formats and questions that can gauge the amount of privilege one has in relation to others.
If your ancestors came to the United States by force, take one step back.
If there were more than 50 books in your house growing up,
take one step forward.
If you were ever stopped or questioned by the police because
of your race, take one step back.
If you have ever felt uncomfortable about a joke directed at
your gender, take one step back.
If you can show affection for your romantic partner in
public without fear of ridicule or violence, please take one step forward.
If you were embarrassed about your clothes or house while
growing up, take one step back.
If your parents or guardians attended college, take one step
forward.
If you were raised in an area with crime and drug activity,
take one step back.
If your family automatically expected you to attend college, take one step forward
If you went to galleries, museums, and plays with your family, take one step forward.
If you attended private school or summer camp, take one step
forward.
If you were raised in a single-parent household, take one
step backward.
If you studied the culture of your ancestors in elementary
school, take one step forward.
If members of your gender are portrayed on TV in degrading
roles, take one step backward.
If you have been a victim of sexual harassment, take one
step backward.
If you have been a victim of violence because of your race,
gender, class, or sexual orientation, take one step back.
If you ever went on a family vacation, take one step
forward.
If you have ever had a maid, gardener, or cleaning service,
take one step forward.
Wow. Heavy, I know. But completely and utterly necessary. Many people commented how badly this exercise made them feel. They expressed feelings of guilt and shame for having unearned access to resources like higher education and family vacations. While I don't think it's bad to feel pains of guilt if you are confronting these issues for the first time, it's very important to take the shame and guilt and turn it into action and change. Even if that action is merely educating others on the affects of privilege, it's better than sitting around having a pity party for all the things you have been given in life. We all have advantages and disadvantages, but it's what we do with them that matters. If you feel guilty for what you have, own it, acknowledge how it hurts others, and move on toward making things more just and equal for all. Allow people who have been oppressed the space and time to process without taking over or making it about you and your feelings of guilt.
This makes me think back to Brene Brown and her research on shame and guilt. If we are attaching judgement to ourselves for feeling those feelings, we are doing the same to others without even thinking about it. The people at the front of the line admitted their ill feelings about being there, but it was almost without any thought that the people in the back were feeling the exact same way. Being in the back myself, I did not hear anything from anyone who was there. Instead, most of the comments came from people who had made it to the front. This real-life example captures the entire idea perfectly. People with privilege are so busy worrying about how it affects them that they don't see the opportunity to build community through the commonality of shame. Unearned privilege hurts everyone. It's about time we get real with ourselves and others in the effort to enact change.
Observation
It's Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. Here are a few events going on around the community:
Hunger Event at Johnson's Backyard Garden
Volunteer in the garden on Saturday, November 23rd at Johnson’s Backyard Garden from 8 am to 2 pm. We'll provide lunch and the Capital Area Food Bank will give volunteers a presentation on hunger issues in Austin. Volunteers can be 12+ with parent/guardian! Event flyer here: Hunger Event
Other events can be found here: H & H Week Events
I really enjoyed reading this post. I have done this exercise in another class, and it always ends in tears and embarrassment for many people. Personally, I feel embarrassed, and I realize that we like to acknowledge our oppression in ways that inhibit and maintain it in society. I find myself thinking that I am oppressed for my gender and race, yet after doing these exercises I realize I'm more privileged than I think, and it's literally evidence of personally oppressing myself. That is the expectation, therefore we find ourselves behaving in ways that reinforce these attitudes and beliefs. I like how you say we need to embrace it and acknowledge how it hurts others. It's the biggest part of awareness, and looking at other perspectives allows you to change your actions accordingly. Thank you for posting this!
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting exercise, it sounds very enlightening.
ReplyDeleteI really love this exercise! It's so powerful and worthwhile. It also allows people to be vulnerable and check some privilege without feeling confronted.
ReplyDeleteI love this exercise! I agree with Nick when he says "allows people to be vulnerable and check some privilege without feeling confronted". Privilege can be so uncomfortable for people (including myself) and this sounds like a good way to address it in a group setting.
ReplyDeleteI want to do this exercise. We have talked a lot this year about privilege, something that I honestly can say I never thought about. I'm not big on feeling shame as I don't think it is productive. Instead, I would rather take the truth and run with it. What can I do to change this outcome?
ReplyDelete