I see in color. I am not going to tell you that I do not because we all do. I will not say we all look the same because we do not. I will not say that we all have the same privileges because guess what? We don't. Another black man's life taken by police, but here we are again going through the same old cycle. Of course, as a result of this horrific event, a bunch of white people start to preach about how white privilege isn't a thing and it isn't their fault and that all criminals are black. Or about how this black man must have egged the officer on, because GOD FORBID we acknowledge racial profiling in police work. Well I have a news flash for every single white person who denies racism and white privilege in this country. You're wrong.
White privilege is raping someone and getting 6 months in prison. White privilege is when your child gets dragged into the water by a Florida gator and there is not a criminal investigation of your actions, meanwhile, a week prior a black family's lives were uprooted when their child survived falling into a gorilla exhibit. White privilege is not having violent and completely incorrect stereotypes associated with your race. White privilege is not having someone question my citizenship on a daily basis. White privilege is not facing racial bias when applying for jobs. White privilege is not fearing for your life when you are pulled over because you don't know if the man pointing the gun into your car is racist.
Now I am by no means saying that I (or any other white person) am privileged in the sense that I was given a silver spoon and daddy's money, a stereotype that is sometimes associated with white privilege. But what I am saying is that I have no idea what it is like to be black, hispanic, asian. middle eastern, or in a minority of any kind. I am white. I will never know what it feels like to be a racial minority. I don't know what it feels like to be discriminated against for the color of my skin, however I can empathize with it. I can be a part of the solution and take a stand. I can be brave enough to say that I do see color, and I will not ignore the issues that my fellow Americans face every single day, and I will not stand back and do nothing while you are slaughtered by police. I won't pretend that there is not racism in this country. I will not act like I do not have the privilege of not having to fear for my life, my job, my safety. We can all see color. The issue isn't conforming our sight. It's about not being threatened by equality and not seeing yourself as having more worth than someone with a different skin color.
