History of Feminism

I have witnessed people I love, for whom I feel a lot of empathy, experience their lack of that privilege. In those instances, when it happens to these particular people, it really brings it home to me that there is a host of things that they have to deal with, and be aware of, and absorb into their psyches in order to be safe and make their way in the world. Things that I do not need to deal with to make my way through the world.

Those who live in an all white neighborhood and who have all white friends and relations may say that they don't have that second thing, and that is the reason they don't see white privilege. But I would say that the mere fact of living in an "all white" world is proof of an awareness of white privilege, and proof they are working very hard to avoid looking at their white privilege while at the same time taking every advantage of it.

This stubborn denial that we have seen here, this refusal to concede that it even exists, is either the result of an infantile self-absorption, or a real effort not to see what is in front of their faces.