When we hear the word privilege, many of us envision a worry free life of sunshine and leisure, to many of us it implies coasting through life having our every need attended to. And, to most of us, it bears little resemblance to the daily challenges, worries, frustrations, and struggles that we know all too well. 

Since the early days of colonial America, in order to maintain the capitalist system that we are under, in order to have enough willing accomplices to keep the social, political, and economic gears churning, and to keep the real benefits accruing upward, token rewards have been placed on offer for those who don’t challenge the system.

We are told that the privileges that we and others are afforded don’t exist, but they lurk constantly at the edges of all of our conversations and interactions, they lurk at the edge of our consciousness. They are phantoms, present but unacknowledged, felt but uncomfortable. 

But if we don’t challenge this system that is predicated on arbitrary advantage and disadvantage, we must accept the unnecessary and cruel disparities that exist in our communities —  disparities that damage our values, our beliefs, and our spirituality — disparities that do irreparable damage to our own humanity on an individual and collective scale.

While it is true that white privilege exists, white privilege is a lie -- it is wrapped up in an unholy bargain that hurts us all.

See show notes and more at whitepeoplemakeeverythingaboutrace.com