priv • i • lege (noun) a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group of people: education is a right, not a privilege | he has been accustomed all his life to wealth and privilege.*
This principle is easily understood and universally holds true. A privilege always requires that at least one criterion be met. Here’s three of my favorites, but I’m sure you can come up with your own.
1. Physical Attributes From hair color to bicep measurement to bust size and everything in between, nothing is off-limits. Take those “You Must Be At Least This Tall” signs located at countless theme park attraction entrances. If you meet the required height, you are afforded the opportunity to enjoy the ride. If you don’t meet the requirement, no ride access for you until you either grow to the right height or the theme park changes the height restriction.
2. Genealogy We’ve seen instance of privilege granted due to bloodline for centuries: most commonly in royal families, some religious orders, bluebloods, and high society. Do you think nearly as many people would be concerned with the birth of Prince William and Kate’s child if William wasn’t the grandson of Queen Elizabeth? I rest my case.
3. Social Status Who doesn’t remember the street-walker with a heart of gold in Pretty Woman? You remember when Edward (Richard Gere) gave Vivian (Julia Roberts) a fat wad of cash to buy something to wear from the exclusive Rodeo Drive shops for their dinner date. The chilly condescension the sales clerks served America’s sweetheart for not meeting their unspoken dress code made everyone’s blood boil. No access for our damsel in disguise until Edward leveled the playing field on her behalf.
Three elements are usually in play for the principle of privilege to take effect.
- Power I like to think of the bastardized version of The Golden Rule: he who has the gold makes the rules. Only the Midases get to decide who’s in and more importantly, who’s out.
- Elitism The notion that these meet the criteria and those do not. Also, the Have Nots must always outnumber the Haves. The greater the number of Have-Nots, the more exclusive the assembly of Haves.
- Demand Others must see value in the privileges and demand access to them; the more sought after the privileges, the greater their value.
Let’s not forget another criterion for privilege: race. When someone sets a person or group of people apart from others based on the color of their skin to deem that person superior (or inferior), that’s racism. When race is used as a criterion for privilege, that’s racism also.
Privilege + Race = Racism
The insidious thing about privilege based on race is that if you haven’t been exposed to it, seen it at work, or had it perpetrated against you, it’s easy to deny its existence. I’ve found that people look at race-based privilege in one of three ways, 1) they acknowledge that it exists, 2) they are unaware that it exists, or 3) they refuse to believe that it exists.
Proving that race-based privilege exists is a lot like proving the existence of snow. If you’ve lived your entire life in the Caribbean and not have experienced snow, a Minnesotan’s account of their arduous firsthand experience with snow during winter are not void because you haven’t had the same experience.
A friend of mine asked me why I thought people denied the existence of racism in America in the 21st century. My answer? No one in their right mind wants to admit to having a worldview that could be considered racist. People deny the existence of race-based privilege in America because to say that it does exist means they may have to recognize and take ownership of a part of themselves that is socially unacceptable. It’d be easier for most people to admit having bad breath. But like bad breath, racism is out there before you open your mouth.
Today’s pervasive Us versus Them mentality is on the verge of bringing America to its knees. When are we going to realize we’re all in this together? Let’s talk it out and hug it out, America.
*from the Dictionary widget on my Apple computer.
E. Zoltz says:
The acknowledgment of race based privilege is the first step. This goes both ways, but with societies that began with colonialism or imperialism, it is inherently built on the backs of the lesser-thans. People are quick to associate this with class, but more often these relationships started with things more insidious than just holding loot over someone. That is the first step, after which many other conversations can take place. But, when you run into that wall first in any argument or conversation, you will likely circle back several times over with no resolution. This is the major fight over public services and the crux of the us vs. them in our current 2 party system. This is the “self-made” argument that ramped up during the last election.
Clay Rivers says:
Mr. Zoltz, you write with great understanding. Hopefully, others who deny that such privilege exists will take off their blinders and take a long hard look at the world around them and realize that balancing the scales is in no way an inequity. Thank you for your commentary.
Jeanette Adams says:
Very intuitive analysis of a very serious situation. I am disheartened and disgusted by my home state’s actions Re: the trial and the verdict.
Clay Rivers says:
Jeanette, it’s a dire situation. Hopefully, Florida’s voters and legislators will re-examine the law and its longterm impact on the general public.