My whole life I have felt this internal conflict, but the
recent state of society has made it so much more prevalent in my day-to-day
life. I have been both blessed and
cursed by birth, by things I did not choose. I am a white female, and I am
ashamed.
I am ashamed that white privilege is something that has been
awarded to me over something as trivial as the color of my skin. I like to
think that I am a good human being, but people do not even care. I am treated
better not because the content of my character but the color of my skin. So many people will be offended by my writing
this because they want to believe racism is not alive and well, I guess denying
its existence makes them sleep better at night. But, you see, they say they are
not racist, because they can’t be because racism isn’t real, but yet they
parade around enjoying all the advantages associated with being white. WAKE UP!
White privilege may not be as in your face as the KKK and lynch mobs but it is
still racism and ignoring it doesn’t make it better and it certainly doesn’t
make you better. Please don’t take this as an attack, because most people do
not intentionally enjoy white privilege, and the fact that you experience it
doesn’t mean you have not worked hard to accomplish the things you have in
life. We need to come together and end this, because the shame I feel for the
advantages given to me that I have not earned make me cringe. Please don’t misunderstand me, I feel no
shame for the color of my skin, really have no opinion on it other than that I
am really grateful to it for protecting the inside of my body, but as for the
color of it, I have no preference. What I feel shame for is how people treat me
due to the color of my skin.
I am made to feel ashamed of being a female. I was born with 2
XX chromosomes and all my life I have experienced consequences of that. As a
female, in nearly all cultures around the world, we are considered weak, less
important, and an object. In the U.S. we are very lucky, women are allowed to
choose their own clothing, work in whatever field they choose, obtain an
education, and speak without being spoken too. I have travelled the world and I
recognize how very fortunate I am to live in a society that treats their women
with this much respect. So why do I still feel shame for having a vagina and
breasts? So why have I felt so many times in my life like my brain does not
function correctly and my body is lesser? Why have I felt so many times like an
object and not a human? Once again, this is NOT an attack on all men, this is
an expression of frustration towards a societal issue. I have many good men in
my life who value me as a person, BUT that does not erase my shame. At 15 I was
touched inappropriately by an adult in his 40’s and told that my choice in
clothing was an invitation. How often are rape and molestation victims made to
feel like they are at fault, like they did something to deserve it. At 19 I
made less for the same job as a male counterpart with the SAME job title, same
amount on work experience, and I had more education. Women are valued less
solely for being female. I could go on and on with examples, but I think I have
made my point.
I am so angry with a society that bases their treatment on
humans on anything other than their character! Racism is an issue, sexism is an
issue, white privilege is not a made up term, and rape culture is unacceptable.
I am ashamed of society, but I refuse to be ashamed of myself for choices I did
not make. We need to start taking responsibility and recognize that these issues
are very real so we can work to change it. Stop being upset by this
conversation, it is not personal, if you are defensive its part of the problem.
Ignoring the problem created ignorance… Don’t be ignorant, be part of a better
society.
