My White Privilege.

I hear you. I get it. I was just like you. Color blind. Humanist. Our blood runs red, our veins shades of blue. “BET”, “Black History”, “Affirmative Action” all reverse racism dividing peace and perpetuating the notion some exception was necessary where it wasn’t. I was just like you.

It insulted me. My first childhood friend was black. My experiences told me it was cultural and that privilege wasn’t a fact. It was just another way to blame me for the past. And I hated it.

Because I wanted so much to believe Rodney King. I wanted us to all get along. To strive for unity. I wanted so desperately for racism to be our history. I needed it to be.

So I hear you. When you talk about equality. I hear you. When you bring up opportunity. I hear you. When you feel insulted and blamed and shamed for the color of your skin. And you think it isn’t fair. And you just want it to end. I hear you.

And I don’t know how to convince you. I don’t know what analogy to use. Because evidence and obvious aren’t getting through. So I will use my white privilege to show it to you.

My chestnut haired, hazel eyed child was born into advantage. My three year old son has more opportunity in this nation than a forty year old college educated black woman. And that is the truth. And even in acknowledging that, I am benefited. My acceptance…