Privileges

The term “privilege” refers to a very broad topic that can be interpreted in many ways. To me, privilege is defined as an advantage or physical thing we receive, that we have not rightfully earned or asked for. Most of the time, we are unaware of the privileges we receive, however, others who may not receive them can see that we have an advantage over them. This is especially true in the topic of race, gender, orientation, and economic or class standing.

Almost everyday we experience privileges as we go about our daily routine, and we hardly ever realize it. For example, as a white American, I can turn on the TV and find characters that are of my race and are not stereotyped or misrepresented. Also, and most commonly, people do not make assumptions of my financial state, job performance, or actions in general based upon my race. I have been working in retail for almost two years now, and I can honestly say that I am guilty of automatically judging a customer based on their race, although I was never aware of it until we began discussing “white privilege” in this class. Most of the time, if a group of young African American women walk in our store, my managers and fellow associates know to look out for them as they shop. However, this does not apply when an average white family enters the store. And why is this? White privilege.

Every day, I, and most other white individuals, benefit from white privilege in some way. And in the classroom, it is especially important to avoid these types of biases when teaching a class that includes a diverse amount of students. It is our responsibility as educators to provide students with equal opportunities that otherwise, they may not receive outside of the classroom. Therefore, I must welcome each student with open arms, and despite their skin color, religion, economic background, or home life, offer them the resources they need to succeed and gain the highest level of education possible.