With reference to the two readings you have, please write at least a one-page reflection on privilege – thinking about your own invisible power/privilege – and the ways you advance or are disadvantage because of some of the categories that we’ve been exploring. In particular, pay attention to the ways those oppressions/categories intersect for you.

In more recent years, I have been extremely aware of my privilege, especially the privilege that comes with being white. In addition to my race, I am aware of my privilege in terms of my social class/status. I have been aware of these privileges because of the prevalence of the BLM movement, the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the other events that are currently shaping our historical moment. This past year has made my invisible power/privilege a bit more visible to me. It is one thing to recognize my privilege, but the next step is to do something about it. I have been more active in these current movements by participating in BLM protests, donating to BLM organizations, supporting small businesses – especially black-owned ones. In terms of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am a college student that has been able to still live at college and attend in-person classes. In addition to this, I was able to nanny this past summer and keep a steady income. Even if I hadn’t been able to work, my parents both work in the medical field so we were never faced with the difficulty of losing income during this pandemic. My parents were needed during this pandemic now more than ever. I had their financial support behind me and a roof over my head that was never threatened by the inability to make payments. Additionally, throughout the heaviness of the pandemic, my parents were both healthy enough to travel to the grocery store and continue with their normal operations. I was young and healthy enough to do this as well. The only major sacrifice I had to make was limiting the time I spent with my boyfriend. These realizations have caused me to find that I am extremely privileged to have gone through a pandemic and multiple social movements with little impact on my life. I identify with most of the statements found within this week’s readings, “White Privilege and Male Privilege” and “Cisgender Privilege,” but I thought it would be extremely important to examine my privilege in terms of what is happening in the world right now. While I may feel being a woman is a disadvantage and I’m often discriminated against for this reason, I am conscious of the idea of intersectionality, which means I do not feel the full weight of this discrimination because I am a white woman who is straight. I can easily identity with the statements in these two passages and almost feel shameful for being able to do so. However, I reassure myself that at least being aware of this privilege is a step in the right direction; what I do with this knowledge is what matters.