About a month ago, I was walking to class when a large, white man in a “Make America Great Again” hat told me to check my privilege, and I didn’t know how to respond. I shared a look with the students behind me who were similarly confused by his outburst and then continued on to class (and with my life). Who was he, a white man, to tell me that I needed to check my privilege when he was literally flaunting his on top of his head and supporting a candidate fueled by its denial?
And yet, it is because of him (and the millions of other people who voted for Trump) that I have actually come to check and understand my own privilege. Strangely, it is the millions of Americans who voted for Trump who are responsible for the awakening that I am currently experiencing.
I am not ashamed of my privilege, but I am ashamed that, until recently, I completely took it for granted and failed to understand or even acknowledge the unique struggles of the people I live alongside. I am ashamed of the way that I immediately searched desperately for a way that Trump’s presidency would impact me rather than focusing on those whose lives will be negatively altered. I am ashamed that I have gotten caught up in the rhetoric that “the president doesn’t change our daily lives that much” just because it will not change mine. I am ashamed that I sought entertainment through jokes aimed at Trump’s platform, because his ridiculous words are now the reality for my fellow Americans.
I am not ashamed of my privilege because I now realize what it can do. Though I cannot change the results of the election, I can offer support to those who are affected and acknowledge their struggles. I can use social media to educate and unite my peers. I can research the identities and histories of those who are marginalized so I can more thoroughly support them and efforts made on their behalf. I can refuse to tolerate racism or bigotry of any kind.
But my actions on their own are not enough. In order for true change to take place, it requires privileged Americans like myself to acknowledge and use the power they have been given--not just by blindly sharing Facebook statuses, but by standing alongside the marginalized and demanding equality.
