As an Odyssey creator, I love to read articles from other creators and love to show support but when I read the title "I'm White And Don't Have White Privilege" I couldn't help but react like my favorite meme below.
Brianna Lyman is the classic example of the white working middle-class American. The ones who swear by the "Rags to Riches" stories we all heard of in our high school history classrooms. The same ones who support tax cuts on programs that benefit the poor and minorities because it does not benefit them.The same ones who voted for Donald Trump and didn't realize that the only reason they received medical care was because of the Affordable Care Act.
Throughout her article, Brianna claimed that her privilege does not exist. The Lyman's simply work hard for the things they've achieved.
Brianna, accepting your privilege does not diminish all of your hard work.
You stated that your dad wasn't handed his union job. Well, it is known that in 1776 white men who were property owners were the only ones who were allowed to vote. Excluding poor white men and white women. Let's not forget that the slave population only counted as three-fifths of the total (1787). The Declaration of Independence set precedent for division and inequality in America. So don't blame the media for further dividing the masses, blame our founding fathers.
As time went on white men began to receive rights at a faster pace than women and people of color. Let me put this in perspective for you. ALL white men have been able to vote for the past 227 years. People of color have only been voting for the past 66 years because legal change doesn't necessarily mean societal change will occur at the same time.
While your dad worked hard to get his union job imagine how much harder people of color had to work to attain their jobs. Facing a system that once viewed you as only three-fifths of the total. Facing a population that utters racial slurs at you, toputa population that won't allow you to drink or eat at the same counters, made you attend separate schools as white children, the same ones who made you sit at the back of the bus. The reason why we have historically black colleges in America is because students of color needed their own space to become educated. Imagine if you couldn't attend Fordham because you are white.So how does white privilege work in your life today?
It is statistically proven that white people are less likely to get arrested. So you'll probably have the opportunity to juggle for the officer before you'll be asked to put your hands up. It's less likely that you will end up like "the struggling college graduate" you spoke about in your article when compared to black college graduates.Your name is Brianna Lyman and you won't ever have to worry about creating a workplace persona to fit in. You are less likely to face eviction because you are a white woman. The list goes on and on. Yes, you can work hard for things we all do but remember, while life throws its darts at you, you're still Brianna Lyman. So check your privilege and accept it because we're not here for your tears.
