By Sara L. Roche
Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, was killed last month in Minnesota because a police officer apparently mistook a gun for a Taser.
It is impossible to ignore the disparities between society’s treatment of Black Americans and white Americans. But, we need to stop hiding behind the message that it’s just a few bad apples. These apples are everywhere. We need to look past the individual and realize that, in fact, the whole tree is diseased.
I am a white American, a young, straight, woman. Almost every part of my identity belongs to the dominant culture. I do not experience paralyzing fear when I see police officers. I do not overanalyze my actions in public. Do I struggle in other ways? Yes. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have privilege. And if you’re white, the same goes for you.
It is 2021, but some white people fail to understand what white privilege is. Let us use a metaphor. If society had to run a marathon, white people would receive sneakers, athletic gear and all the resources needed to do well in the race. Non-white people would not even be given directions to the location of the marathon. This is how deep the disparity has become.
White people may be thinking that this topic has been exhausted. Why are we still talking about this? Well, white privilege goes beyond just acknowledging its existence. We, as a country, need to do more.
Racism and white privilege are different. However, white privilege exists because of historic systemic racism and the institutions that continue to uphold racist policies. Racism occurs on an individual level, but is reinforced by many of the systems that remain historically in place, such as schools, government and prisons. We need to address this on all levels.
What can one person do?
— Understand the gravity of the situation. Listen. Absorb the words of Black leaders in your community. Feel the weight of their experiences.
— Read books on the topic. Realize that this is a historic issue. Internalize that recognizing white privilege is not admitting fault. This is the start for white people to become allies in the social justice movement for racial justice and equity.
— Make the commitment. The Black Lives Matter movement is bigger than an Instagram picture. It is more than a hashtag. It is a voice for the silenced; a platform for the oppressed.
Christopher Coles, an activist and poet from Rochester, N.Y., said last year, “You get to live and lean on your privilege. But if you’ve got privilege, start (expletive) spending it.”
What does this mean?
It means that recognizing privilege is only a start. But it’s time for white people to use their privilege to help the Black community.
What else can I do?
— Do the research. This can transform any biases and misinformation that we have learned and engrained over time.
— Standing alongside the Black community is the next step. Joining marches, donating to causes and offering your platform to Black voices are all ways to make a change and stay committed.
— Do not hide from tough conversations. Challenge your friends, family, superiors and colleagues. Your ability to speak up and fight for those who are unable can make a difference.
— Call on your legislators to spend tax dollars on finding alternatives to policing that serve the community. Advocate to ban and criminalize police use of chokeholds. Support the development of community efforts to reform unjust policies that only serve to harm the Black community.
However, there is one important thing white people must remember if they want to fully commit to being an ally in the fight for social justice. There is a difference between empowering and overpowering. Uplift Black voices and empower them, but do not overpower them. White voices have been dominating society’s ears for centuries. It’s time to pass the mic.
Do the work. Do it for Trayvon Martin. Do it for Breonna Taylor. Do it for Daunte Wright. Do it for your Black friends, colleagues and neighbors who have no guarantee of tomorrow.
Sarah L. Roche is a graduate student in social work at Monmouth University. She writes from Clayton.
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