It has been brought to my attention that my other post was dripping with something called, “white privilege”.
As a person who has yet to experience any of the benefits of being rich and white, I have to argue that I’m not a recipient.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am in fact, poor.
My disorders have left me unable to hold a proper job.
We opened the bookstore without any financial backing from a bank. In further attempts, I was unable to procure a loan even for less than $6000 dollars.
I live in constant fear of my car being repossessed.
I would venture to suggest that my skin color has not made way for any monetary favor.
In fact, It has not helped even with government assistance. By virtue of the food benefit system not understanding the financial set up of a business we were told that living on less than $500 a month from my husband’s job was just fine. I have been turned away at the food pantry for not having the proper paperwork saying that I am unable to keep a job because I did not have money to first visit a doctor and get a note.
As far as college, despite my grades and well rounded resume, I was denied financial aid at every turn as well as many scholarships. So, in this area as well I am confused by how my skin tone has helped me.
I have in fact had many people refuse to sit by me in class or on the bus. I was bullied for most of elementary years as well as my middle school years. In fact every day of sixth grade I was told that I am ugly.
As for being part of a race that was enslaved, I would have to comment that of the labor groups, prostitution rings, and general international trafficking of humans, there are many white people that are in slavery as I type this. Slavery does not discriminate. Traffickers are meeting a demand and the wider the selection the greater the profit.
As for international slavery, I’d say that countries like Ghana, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, and myriad others have a good bit to say about how it is more the cycle of violence and poverty that feed into those systems of slavery.
Do I know what it is like to be used? Certainly. I know what it is like to be beaten, raped, worked to tears, and almost killed.
But for those who would point to my “unaffected and privileged” life I would say that for your calculated and heated reply, you are missing the point.
We need to stop comparing.
This isn’t about who has it worse.
Ghandi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
For all the preconceived notions you have about others how many do you apply to yourself?
Don’t set yourself up to fail by comparing yourself to anyone.
That is the point. Noone will ever be safe from discrimination if it begins before they’re done brushing their teeth.
healing, poverty, race, recovery, slavery, Trauma, white privilege