Privilege

When I wake up in the morning, I do not have to think about my skin color.  

When buy makeup, I do not have to go to a special store.

When I buy hair products I do not have to go to a special section of the store.  

When I go to a hair dresser I do not have to find one who can do "my kind of hair."

When I get my boys dressed, I do not have to think about their skin color and if what they are wearing makes them look threatening. 

When I go out the door I do not have to worry about how I will be perceived due to the way I look.  

When my boys go to school I do not have to worry that other children will be frightened by them or will exclude them because of how they look.

When my husband leaves the house I do not have to worry about him being pulled over for no other reason than being the wrong color in the wrong neighborhood.  

When I go shopping I can aimlessly wonder the isles without having to worry that someone will assume that I am going to steal something. 

When my boys act out in school, I can be assured that the teacher will contact me to discuss the problem, not call the police. 

When my husband is on a job site and managing the work, he will not be second guessed or thought of as cocky or uppity when he tells people what to do.  

If I get pulled over for no good reason, for say, changing lanes without using a turn signal, and I am frustrated and running late and have an attitude, I will not have to worry about that officer illegally forcing me out of my car and arrest me for resisting arrest.  

When my boys go out at night with their friends, I do not have to worry that they will be targeted and harassed because of what they look like.  

When my boys go to college and do something stupid, like get drunk or get into a fight, I will worry, but will not have to worry that they will be beaten or killed by law enforcement.  

When my boys apply for a job, they will not be prejudged when sitting down to the interview.  

When my husband and I walk into a restaurant we will not be the only people who look like us.

When I walk into a supermarket, school building, dollar store, movie theater, church or out my front door, I will not be the only person who looks like I do, nor will I be noticed at all. 

When I speak my mind, When I speak my truth, When I tell my story, I will not be second guessed, questioned, and responded to by being told that racism or what I have experienced does not exist anymore.  I will not be told that I am antagonizing or “dividing.”  I will not be told that I need to rise above it.  I will not be told that others have had it just as bad.  

That, my friends, is privilege. 

While I love and support my black brothers and sisters, I will never know what it is like to walk in their shoes.  While I support #BlackLivesMatter I can not begin to feel it.   This is not putting myself or my experiences down. This is not discounting my struggles as a woman.  This is not discounting my struggles when I was poor.  This is not dishonoring all that I have done or overcome to be where I am.  This is just, very simply, trying to understand the culture of America and what others have and continue to deal with and hoping that others can do the same.