GET UNCOMFORTABLE
‘‘Privilege’’ was intended to be an enticement to action, and it is still hopeful, if depleted and a little lost. It is emblematic of the kinds of pressures we put on language, our stubborn belief that the right word can be both diagnosis and cure.
What will we do with such knowledge? As we know from watching men, it is an open question whether we will choose to use unearned advantage, and whether we will use any of our arbitrarily awarded power to try to reconstruct power systems on a broader base." (McIntosh, 1988).
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Peggy McIntosh leaves us with this question and I invite you to ponder the same. Reflect on your social identities, privileges, and experiences. As uncomfortable as it is, it is the only way to truly break down these privileges and begin to change policies, institutions, and norms. It seems like a big task but if we all shed some ego and look at privilege with humility, we can start to make strides and changes in our society. It begins with us.