Thought of the day: Racism/Sexism and Privilege, and why it is still a Thing, even if you don’t think so

You read a Want Ad that says “Women and People of Color Encouraged to Apply.” What’s your reaction?

• Straight up Sexism: “Well, that’s the problem with Affirmative Action. Everyone knows women can’t do that job as well as men.”
  
•  Straight up Racism: “Well, that’s the problem with Affirmative Action. People of color are always less qualified.”

Fortunately, most people with a basic education wouldn’t say these things. A lot who DO think them wouldn’t say them out loud “for fear” of being called a sexist/racist/etc, and the vast majority of folks in this country know that both these statements are, at their core, not really true. Most of us have come across people in our lives of a different race or gender who were pretty ding dang remarkable. We know, somewhere, that people different than us, but better than us at various skills, exist. It takes a Trump sized ego to walk around believing you or your group is just BETTER at all the things by virtue of being WHAT you are rather than WHO you are as an individual.

So…. Most of us aren’t straight up racists or misogynists. And that’s good because only a few decades ago, you would have heard a lot of those types of statements made and assumed to be true. So, for all the folks who keep insisting that this is a post-racial country….. there’s some truth in that UP TO A POINT.

(SIDEBAR: I DO know people who still say those things. Those are not people I respect. Those aren’t people many people respect. Please try to grow and change and get over yourself if that is you.)

But let’s move on to privilege. This is something that is FAR more interesting anyway.

Go back to that Want Ad. “Women and People of Color Encouraged to Apply.” If you really want that job and are qualified for it (specifically my white male friends) it is perfectly OK for you to be a little nervous about the fact that you might not get the job over a woman or a person of color. After all, you want the job, and you might not get it because of WHAT you are when you are perfectly qualified to do said job. It isn’t racist or sexist or even privileged to be bummed out by that and wish it wasn’t the case. 

Here are some reactions that aren’t straight up racist or sexist, but ARE a mark of the privilege white, straight men receive in this country and often don’t want to acknowledge. Consider what you think when you see these words. Here are some typical gems:

• “This is the problem with Affirmative Action. Companies are forced to accept lesser candidates to make quotas.”
  
• “This is the problem with government interference and overreach. They tell private businesses who they can hire and who they can’t.”
  
• “This is political correctness bullshit.”
  
• “This is reverse racism/ sexism.”

First off, this isn’t the way Affirmative Action works. There is nothing in the words “Women and People of Color Encouraged to Apply” that shows coercion. No company has ever been shut down because the Census Bureau or the IRS came in and said, “You don’t have enough black people working for you. I’m pulling your license.” Stop peddling that lie unless you can cite specific examples. You can’t, so stop.

All three also make an assumption, though, that is at the HEART of White Male Privilege. There is the idea that the idea of wanting someone of color or a woman specifically is always a forced decision and probably a lesser one. It rarely occurs to you that perhaps the conversation may have gone something like this (and these are just a few of MANY possible scenarios):

1. “We’re reaching a small percentage of market share here. How can we attract a broader range of customers? Let’s seek out members of those groups to get their input so our marketing can reach communities we aren’t reaching now.”
   
2. “Our thinking is becoming very routine because all of our workers are very similar. Perhaps getting people on board with different life experiences can make our work processes more flexible and fluid.”
   
   
3. “Studies repeatedly show that more diverse workplaces are more dynamic which often makes them more efficient and more profitable. We have a lot of white guys here. Let’s branch out.”

I don’t know if that’s the logic behind our hypothetical company’s Want Ad. Being aware of privilege isn’t about knowing those things for sure. Privilege is in the fact that none of those scenarios would OCCUR to many white men. Those words in a want ad are seen as an attack. Often, when someone not like us is promoted as being a more ideal candidate than we are, especially because of reasons we can’t change and didn’t choose, we fail to see the dozens of ads before and after that one that DON’T specifically ask for a type. 

So…. Be bummed you aren’t the ideal candidate. Be pissed off there’s nothing you can do to make yourself the ideal candidate. But lay off playing the victim. We all have times in our lives we’re the Belle of the Ball, and we all have times when we sit in the corner and wait. 

I promise it is rarely personal. You will survive.