Giving Up Privilege: How "White Privilege" Keeps White Supremacy in Place

The concept of “privilege” represents a deep misunderstanding of racism and its impacts, instead reifying White supremacy and sowing separation and guilt. During this workshop, you will learn to differentiate between three distinct phenomena that have been lumped into “White Privilege”: 1) “Human Rights,” 2) “Systemic Obliviousness,” and, 3) “Entitlement.” We explore how “benefit” and “advantage” narratives—connotations of “privilege”—are counter-productive to solidarity and equity and instead reinforce White supremacy, advocate assimilation, and perpetuate paternalism and defensiveness. We also examine how “privilege” denies the costs to White people as non-targets of racism: loss of humanity, connection, and belonging. NOTE: In this offering we use “White privilege” for teaching concepts that apply to all types of oppression and the use of “privilege” in broader social justice work.