How Can You Use Your Privilege to Fight for Social Justice?

Privilege comes in various forms, and it means different things to different people. While some may have the privilege to empty stores or cause chaos, true social justice requires a conscious and deliberate effort to use your privilege for good. Whether you are aware of your privilege or not, understanding its implications is crucial to fighting for a more just society.

What is Your Privilege? How Can You Use It?

The privilege we possess is deeply intertwined with our identities and the social structures we live within. It is often invisible to those who have it, but it is a powerful tool for making positive changes when used consciously. As someone who can take action, you have the responsibility to understand and leverage your privilege for social justice.

White Privilege: An Invisible but Powerful Force

White privilege is like the air we breathe. Those of us who have white privilege experience it without consciously thinking about it daily. We assume that the way the world works is fair because we have not encountered many barriers personally. On the other hand, those without this privilege constantly confront obstacles that affect their daily lives.

White privilege is more accurately defined by what we white people above the poverty line don’t have to think about. Here are some examples of the consequences that often accompany a lack of white privilege:

Being stopped by police and questioning whether you will be treated with respect or violence Thinking about how your job application might be perceived due to your race Worrying about whether your home and school have safe water supplies Desiring that your mother receives quality medical care

Understanding the list of what I know is fairly automatic for me because I am white can help in recognizing the frictionlessness of my experiences compared to those without such privilege. White privilege is a form of frictionlessness, while those without it are surrounded by obstacles that have been willfully crafted over hundreds of years.

Fighting Social Justice Through Awareness and Action

Using your privilege for social justice doesn’t require wealth or grand gestures. Instead, it requires awareness of conditions as they are and an understanding of how the advantages we enjoy are supported by the disadvantage of others. Being aware that your relative ease in life is actually supported by the pain of others is a crucial step towards positive change.

We are often quick to diagnose social problems as a result of the underserved population ‘not trying hard enough’. However, the dominant power structure has spent considerable effort to ‘control’ those perceived as ‘maladjusted, lazy, or inadequately civilized’. The sliding scale of inferiority has always been in place, and our economy was built on it. It has been easier to rise from this evaluation for those with paler skin, while dark skin and different appearances have hindered advancement regardless of the facts.

The Power of Community and Systemic Change

The main obstacle to effectively implementing change is often the bias within allies that fosters the 'Great White Savior' syndrome. Instead of sweeping in and telling communities what they need, we must listen to the communities themselves. Start by asking what they need and supporting the efforts already in place, rather than imposing our own solutions. Community resources like churches, mosques, childcare centers, and school teachers are often the best sources of support.

Instead of seeing social problems as a result of inaction, consider that the dominant power structure has actively worked to keep the underserved in their position. It is crucial to recognize and support the efforts of those already working to combat systemic issues. By listening and supporting their initiatives, we can work together to create a more just society.