White Discomfort Is White Privilege
Our attention was drawn today to a few more examples that show how insidious white privilege and racism really are.
First, Florida now has “a bill pushed by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that would prohibit public schools and private businesses from making white people feel “discomfort” when they teach students or train employees about discrimination in the nation’s past received its first approval Tuesday.”
and then, there are continued posts, images and stories about white unvaccinated people running around wearing holocaust symbols, comparing themselves to those in concentration camps… because they do not want to wear a mask or receive the COVID shot.
“Get used to that uncomfortable feeling that arises when you discover that perhaps your privilege is hindering your ability to truly understand or address an issue. Get used to that pang of guilt that comes with realizing yet another area of life where you've benefited at the expense of others. It will not kill you. You can withstand it . . . listen and learn.”
― Ijeoma Oluo, So You Want to Talk About Race
Imagine being so privileged that the slightest inconvenience or discomfort feels like oppression…
The fact that most white people have never experienced oppression does explain why they are incapable of resilience and compassion, to consider anyone but themselves- the immune compromised or essential workers that keep them fed and comfortable, the BIPOC who have dealt wth racism their entire lives and for many generations.
