What is a privilege walk?
The purpose of the privilege walk is to make people think about certain
experiences that they had during their life, whether they were subtle or
apparent, traumatizing or satisfying—they affected you in some way. Participating in a privilege walk can help
you realize just how many benefits you have just from being you; on the flip
side, the privilege walk can show you just how marginalized you are by the
system. To participate in the privilege
walk, individuals gather in a line—each starting at the same point. Then, a list of statements are read aloud, and
the individual either steps forward or backward. Moving forward suggests that you benefit in
society from the statement; moving backwards suggests that you experienced an
obstacle or a setback. A sample
statement would be “If you have visible or invisible disabilities, take one
step backward”. On September 26, 2016
the Rhodes College first-years participated in a version of the privilege
walk. It is a part of the school’s
initiative to reform their students’ college experience, while ensuring that
every student gets exposure to diversity, health and well-being, academic
preparedness, etc. After this event on
Monday, one of Rhodes’ passionate students took to Facebook to exclaim his
outrage at the privilege walk. The
upper-class student shamed the administration for “publicly embarrassing those who
were fortunate enough to be born with a few, several or many blessings but also
those who were born without any.” The
student ended their rhetoric with a fiery #BringBackTheRhodesILove!
This post is dedicated to that student and the one hundred
and twenty students who agreed with that mortified status update. This post is
for the percentage of the student body who just do not get “it”. We, as
Rhodes students, are considered young adults.
We go to a liberal arts college, one of the best in the American
South. Our liberal arts education
teaches us how to think and ask questions—to seek a better understanding of
subjects and the human experience. We
should be mature enough to have a productive discussion about individual’s
circumstantial advantages. So why was it
a problem to present something like the privilege walk? Why was so much stress emphasized about
students realizing their fortunes? As a
marginalized individual, there is not a day that goes by that I am not
conscious of my circumstances. Society
does not allow me to forget who I am and how I got here.
So, for a student to feel outraged because their fortune is brought to
their attention is ridiculous, and quite frankly a slap in the face. The purpose of the privilege walk is so that
you can understand that not everyone grew up with your same conditions.
I want to relate this incident to the bigger picture. Instead of getting the point, privileged
students looked past the purpose of the walk and decided to make it about
themselves. They managed to overlook the
young student crying in the corner because they had to step back; they failed
to try to understand why that student was crying. They silently judged the two
students of color as they had to step back for certain statements. They did not try to understand the why or the
how of the situation. Instead, they
shifted the attention to how uncomfortable they
felt stepping forward because they can simply identify as American, with no
separate identifier in front of it. When
will people be able to look past their comfort in order to understand? You cannot have a conversation about the
hindrances of the status quo without feeling uncomfortable. You have to abandon your comfort, in order to
comprehend the message that marginalized individuals are conveying. Each and every day marginalized people are
forced into situations where they feel uncomfortable. So why should you be allowed to stay within
your comfort zone, ignoring your life of privilege? Lastly, do not feel embarrassed because you
were born with blessings. Instead, take
the opportunity given to you to recognize and identify barriers that can change
someone’s outcome.
I really respect this post. As a commuter student without a social media presence, I find myself often lost in discussions about campus events. By the time I get to class and hear about whatever has recently happened, there are seldom facts about the event but rather intense, divisive debate. Perhaps this is better because it allows me to listen to more fully formed arguments, like yours, rather than my immediate reaction.
ReplyDeleteThere's so much to parse in this post, but I'll focus on one part which were particularly thought-provoking and personal for me.
Many white middle-class liberal arts students often seem to form a stigma around white privilege, turning the fact that Europeans and their descendants have marginalized groups into their current identity. I feel that this shame over privilege is often unhelpful because it encompasses and tokenizes the very people 'allies' are trying to help. Rather, each of us must admit our blessings and the ways we have been marginalized, and must admit this without embarrassment. In this way each person can approach discussions on equal terms.
Lastly, I'd like to say that #BringBackTheRhodesILove sounds awfully similar to urges to make America Great Again. Today we are more openly discussing issues than any time before, recognizing and addressing the problems that plague our communities, from local to international. To romanticize a time where there was not conflict is to long for a time when the group speaking out now has been silenced.
As a first-year seminar teaching assistant, I agree wholeheartedly with this post. It's very discouraging and frankly helped me to understand how many of our Rhodes upperclassmen were uninformed when I saw the posts on Facebook. There were even students whom I am friends with on Facebook who had graduated who showed outrage towards this exercise. Let me tell you, however, this exercise was incredibly healthy and helpful to first-year students. I talked to them before the exercise, stepped forward and backward with them, and debriefed with them afterwards. The person who ended at the very front and the person who need at the very back both agreed that they thought this exercise was enlightening and encouraging. It did not polarize the people in our class and it certainly was not damaging to our morale but instead, I believe it strengthened our bond and vulnerability to be able to talk about these things and how they effect us not only at Rhodes but in the community that surrounds our gates.
ReplyDeleteRaven,
ReplyDeleteI applaud you for your response to this activity and these negative comments. I think this is well thought out and well said.
Often times, I believe it is so easy for people to become enveloped in their emotions and experiences that they forget to look at the world around them. They forget to look at those having experiences that they could also learn from and become obsessed with what is directly affecting them. Particularly when speaking about people of privilege, it is to easy to overlook the discomfort of others and avoid it on a personal level. It is indeed a privilege to have the opportunity and ability to complete overlook an entire facet of discomfort because it does not directly affect one’s life. However, it is in these times of discomfort that present the most learning opportunities. Discomfort marks the exiting of one’s comfort zone and this then provides the opportunity to expand and develop it. By exposing oneself outside of one’s comfort zone, it is presenting a learning opportunity; the opportunity to share an experience or feeling with someone different than you. It allows for others to attempt to conceive, not completely understand, the difficulties and struggles that come from being a person of color.
Thank you for pushing people to step outside of their comfort zone hopefully to realize that there are some things that cannot be learned by not pushing the boundaries.
I agree with you Raven. For me, your post brought up a question that I continually ask myself: what about Rhodes that attracts people who refuse to adhere to Rhodes' vision, mission, and standards for students? I would imagine that Rhodes' image as a liberal arts college and as a community of inclusion would deter those, who don't want a community like this, from coming here.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post Raven it was very well thought out and articulated. As a man with immense privilege I can sympathize with those who find it emotionally difficult to come to terms with. Guilt his a hard emotion to handle but not nearly as hard as the pain of persecution, discrimination, or being told outrightly or subtly that you are inferior. People of privilege can not hind from the realities of their condition for not only is this insensitive but it is delusional. The privilege walk seems like a fascinating idea and I would be more then willing to take part in one had I the opportunity. Those individuals who can not address the realities of their privilege are hiding from the truth. They must ask themselves if they refuse to address it out of shame or from denial. The former is unfortunate but the latter is unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent post Raven. The ideas brought up here are all well spoken and emulate how we should be going about inequality issues here at Rhodes College.
ReplyDeleteNot to give excuses to people, only to try and understand what others are thinking, but perhaps they do not know how they can help. They feel bad that they got to step forward or back so many times, and are demonstrating obvious privilege because of this, and do not feel they have the right to try and console someone. They feel guilty, and figure that trying to say "it's all okay" only would sound like they were rubbing their privilege in the other person's face.
I believe we should all try and step out of our comfort zone and hold open dialogue about the issues addressed in the privilege walk. People need to start stepping out of what they know and feeling more empathy. This will allow them to understand others and begin to help.