When I was about ten years of age, our family took a vacation trip to the Miami area where my mom had some relatives. Hialeagh to be exact. On the second day my brother and I were out in the yard playing with our newly met cousins when some neighborhood kids came along. After a few minutes, they started laughing, and making fun of our "accents". One asked why did we talk like that, to which I asked in complete honesty ''Talk like what"? One of my cousins said they are from Tennessee, and his mom had told them to not make fun of us. I got pissed and told them if anybody talked funny it was them. There were a coupe things going on here, first, I learned right early that while Florida may be located in the south, it is not a southern state. I also first felt how discrimination can come along when you are not even thinking of it and punch you right in the self respect. I have tried to never make someone feel like I did that day.
I think that this interpretation of white privilege means that white people dont earn anything because their privilege gives it to them. Some idiots might think that but to me that's a useless definition. But there is a much more useful definition that centers on recognizing the advantages one does have who is white. This has more to do with the comment IP made and many more.
That sounds like black people having a disadvantage, not white people having an advantage. Maybe that logic doesn't quite work for all, but I think there is a difference.
But that's not what white privilege is really about. Or at least because I agree with you I choose not to make it about that. I'm not sure which. I don't want to just dismiss it so maybe I only focus on the definition that I see as most real. Those would be the privilege we have that allows us to avoid specific disadvantages others face because our skin color is different. And those disadvantages aren't really about economics. It's about walking while black, shopping while black, being a suspect while black. Often it isn't even being pushed by racist folks - which is actually more dangerous. Unconscious bias is hard to pinpoint or address.
The unconscious bias is dying off. It's taking longer than anyone would like and it's there, but it's going away. I won't argue it isn't, but I also think marginalizing what people do due to some kind of privilege isn't going to help stop racism in this country. I also don't like using excuses as to why someone isn't where they want to be in life, regardless of race.
Wait...this goes against the oft-cited narrative that bigotry is to blame for a surgeon from India being relegated to menial labor in America.
Again that's just not where I take the privilege argument. It isn't a car of 'you didn't build that' for me.
He is. He lived right down the road from me, and never once offered to go fishing or hangout. Maybe I was too white trashy for him? Damn.
Yeah, I think privilege is a useful and obviously true concept that can be taken off the rails really easily. Here's the part that's useful and obviously true: if you grew up with money, or in a stable household, or not facing discrimination based on your race or gender, you have it easier than some other people. And you should recognize that and take extra care to listen to the perspectives of those who had it tougher. Here's how it can run off the rails: you're privileged, so your opinion doesn't count. (Translation: shut up, ******)
I agree. I now live in the most redneck place I've lived and I'm in a Philly suburb. Farming area that is very similar to the West Tennessee where my parents were raised.
I left Maynardville in 2006. 2002, really. And Tennessee in 2010. I didn't know you then. When I was exiled from VN, I was already in CO for a year. And there's no way you're too white trashy. I spent time growing up in an Oklahoma trailer park. The only thing going against peak white trash is my parents never did drugs and worked their way out from teenage parenthood, which is one of the toughest things I can imagine. It takes more heart and faith in tomorrow then I'd have wanted to test in myself.
I lived in Western Heights from age 5-8. Most other time was skipping out on rentals before eviction and double-wides. Look, nobody cares about your timeline of events, IP. We lived like two streets over. I never saw you. Did you or did you not ever ask me to go fishing?
My best friend lived on Luger Drive, and I was there several times. I never had either one of you stop by.