As a friend of Jorgen Raymann who is also subscribed to his Facebook page, I saw the following question: “Just curious, what do you think 'white privilege' means?”.
To my surprise, the answers showed that most people clearly did not understand the term “White Privilege” literally translated as “white privileges”. As a result, the comments quickly fell out of context. Since I have the privilege of knowing more about this subject, I would like to explain it. Not only because I am black and have frizzy hair myself and certainly not because I like to take on the role of victim of slavery. Absolutely not.
Soledad O'Brian, Bartunde Thurston and Tanner Colby
I think I am privileged because I grew up in multicultural Suriname, studied in the Netherlands, have lived in America for over 10 years now and have a reasonable analytical ability. Perhaps even more important to mention is the fact that the subject of racism and everything that has to do with it only really started to interest me since I started kroeshaar.com.
That’s why I went to “A conversation about race” in September at the Sub Culture theater in Manhattan. The panel was moderated by none other than Soledad O’Brien, journalist and CNN producer. The two other panelists were Bartunde Thurston Comedian and author of How to be Black and Tanner Colby author of “Some of my best friends are Black.”
The goal of this conversation was, as Solidad said in the introduction, to solve racism in one evening, or not even a whole evening, within a few hours actually. Although I was familiar with the CNN program maker, had met her in person and knew that she was an intelligent woman, I had no idea that she also has a gigantic sense of humor.
I should have known with someone like Bartunde Thurston on the panel. If you're talking about brilliant humor, you should read his book: How to be Black. I had never met Colby in person but I was familiar with his book and with his Ivy League background and sense of humor he was more than a match for the rest of the group. The one-two punches between Soledad and the panelists were hilarious, uplifting and effective. Even when the topic of white privilege came up and not everyone agreed with each other.
Although he understands the point, Colby, himself white from a very privileged background, disagrees with the terminology. According to him, the term is aversive to white people because it could come across as a reproach that implies an accusation that white people should give up acquired privileges to make life easier for black people. Soledad, himself married to a white man, responded and explained.
Her husband, who is as white as Colby, was once on his way to London, having forgotten his passport. In disbelief, she told him that after an explanation, he boarded the plane without any problem and made the crossing. Mind you, an international flight, post-9/11!
Soledad said she told her husband: you understand that this was only possible because you, as a white man, embody that which is not frightening. That they would not have let someone in the exact same position as you but of a different color through. She went on to tell the audience, it happened to me but I ran to get a taxi, get my passport as quickly as possible and beg the staff to let me on the flight. And I am known! The roar of laughter showed that the penny had dropped and Colby indicated that he understood even if he still disagreed with the choice of words.
White privilege is not a reproach, she said, but a term for a conversation to highlight the privileges that white people automatically enjoy. The essence of it is that white people enjoy privileges that others are denied simply because of their appearance.
In daily life there are countless examples of this. A very simple example: If a white man drives an expensive car, there is nothing wrong, but non-white men are stopped in advance because it could be suspicious. White people often do not realize how often black people are stopped and questioned for trivial things because they are seen as suspicious in advance. White people therefore do not think about this. White privilege is not an accusation, it is more to alert society that this is an injustice that needs to be corrected.
As a Social Entrepreneur who is involved with frizzy hair, I also have a fitting example. One of the unwritten privileged rules is that white people have the right to go out on the street and even to work with uncombed hair. I have heard it from various colleagues. Oh well, I just run my hand through my hair and hop, out of the house.
As a black person with naturally curly hair, you know you don’t have to try. You probably won’t even leave your house because your family will ask you if you’re crazy. We’re conditioned to think that’s impossible, but the fear of being laughed at or maybe even arrested is not unthinkable.
To indicate what you can do about this as a white or more privileged person see the example and explanation of Joy Degruy. It is absolutely not a duty and no right prescribes this but it helps create a better society for everyone.
You can watch the entire conversation about race on youtube: A conversation on about Race