Privilege
Privilege “...a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group.” Dictionary.com
White Privilege
“What is white privilege? It’s the level of societal advantage that comes with being seen as the norm in America, automatically conferred irrespective of wealth, gender or other factors. It makes life smoother, but it’s something you would barely notice unless it were suddenly taken away — or unless it had never applied to you in the first place.”
“...But white privilege is something specific and different – it’s the idea that just by virtue of being a white person of any kind, you’re part of the dominant group which tends to be respected, assumed the best of, and given the benefit of the doubt. That just isn’t the case for people of other races, no matter how wealthy, smart or hard-working they might be.” Christine Emba,Washington Post
“White privilege is an institutional (rather than personal) set of benefits granted to those of us who, by race, resemble the people who dominate the powerful positions in our institutions. One of the primary privileges is that of having greater access to power and resources than people of color do; in other words, purely on the basis of our skin color doors are open to us that are not open to other people.” Francis E. Kendall, Ph.D., Understanding White Privilege
White privilege doesn't mean your life hasn't been hard, it means that your skin isn't one of the things making it harder.
Embracing Self-reflection
Cultural Proficiency begins from within; recognizing and accepting our own biases, and learning to overcome them is the work for the journey to becoming more procificient with cultures other than our own. Self-reflection is at the heart of this work. Being open to recognize our biases and privilege, and willing to make conscious decisions to make frequent, consistent, equitable choices daily requires ongoing self-awareness and self-reflection
How Privilege Shapes Pedagogy
When the culture of the teacher is different than those of the student, it is imperative that teachers recognize assumptions and work to acknowledge and embrace the culture of their students. Understanding how culture impacts learning is essential for the achievement of all.
Moving Past Guilt Towards Action
"No Blame, No Shame"(BMW) As teachers engage in the work of cultural proficiency, it is essential not to fall into the trap of guilt. Rather than feel the weight of past wrongdoings, energy should be harnessed to address systemic inequities and push toward social justice.
Resources
White Privilege Spelled Out
Race Cars - A CHildren's Book About White Privilege