What Your Privilege Looks Like
February 12, 2016
You stand in a straight line, shoulder to shoulder. Some of the people in the room you know, many of them you don’t. You are told some of the following statements may be of sensitive nature for some individuals.
“If your ancestors came to the United States by force, take one step back.”
“If there were more than 50 books in your house growing up, take one step forward.”
“If you ever felt unsafe because of your sexual orientation, take one step back.”
“If you believe that you were denied employment because of your race, gender, or ethnicity, take 1 step back.”*
*
Last summer, I participated in a Privilege Walk, an experiment in privilege and social consciousness made popular by a recent Buzzfeed video. In the privilege walk, volunteers of various backgrounds all start together in a straight line. The administrator of the Privilege Walk asks a series of questions relating various privileges such as gender, race, family income, and education. Depending on the respondents’ answers, they either step forward, step backwards, or remain where they stand. Metaphorically, stepping forward indicates greater privilege, while stepping back indicates lesser.
At the end of the privilege walk, I looked around the room with a mix of sadness and guilt, noticing my position among the crowd. After the walk, participants are encouraged to discuss how the privilege walk made them feel about themselves and other people. The experience made me contemplate my privilege and become more acutely aware of the reasons for my success.
Still, I felt an unease as I left the room. Not because I disliked the privilege walk; the experience was both moving and intellectual. As I left the room, I began to fear I would forget about the privilege walk, that it would have no greater effect on the way I treat other people or view others with less privilege than myself. It’s easy to empathize with others during small, reflective experiments like the Privilege Walk. Becoming conscious of your privilege in everyday life is a harder, far more rewarding task.
