If you want to get a good handle on Critical Race Theory, Derrick Bell's 1970 classic, Race, Racism and American Law might be a good place to start.
Conversely, this woman's Facebook post provides for an interesting read.
Often, throughout history, the chore of speaking out against an oppressor has befallen the oppressed. Unfair, of course, but horribly common. So it's always good to see someone in a position of privilege challenging something that they see as wrong.
Jenny Ludnt posted on Facebook at the beginning of May and the post has gained a lot of traction.
At the moment it has 22k reactions, over 15k shares and 1.4k comments.
The original post said this next to a photo of herself, a petite white female, brandishing a huge sword:
THIS is what white privilege looks like. This is me, only one year ago on this very campus, running around the academic quad with a fucking sharp metal sword. People thought it was funny. People laughed- oh look at that harmless, ~ silly white girl ~ with a giant sword!! Today, a black man carrying a fucking glue gun shut down my ~prestigious liberal arts college~ for 4 hours. The limited information that was released put all black men on this campus in danger and at risk of being killed. That is the reality of the institutionalized racism in the United States. If you think for even a second this wasn't profiling, ask yourself why this sword is still in my room and has not ONCE made anyone uncomfortable. No one has EVER called the police on me. Understand that there are larger forces at play than this one night, and this once instance of racism. This is engrained in our university and our larger society. White Colgate students, we need to do better. #blacklivesmatter
Jenny is pointing out how her white privilege means she can walk through school brandishing a dangerous weapon, whilst a black man can't carry an innocuous tool.
After the post had been up for a while, Jenny expanded on the post. She wanted to explain how she understood that this post wasn't 'about' her - instead it was something of an allegory, explaining about a larger problem at hand.
This post is getting far more shares than I ever imagined. I just want to remind everyone viewing/ sharing this that this narrative is not about me and my feelings. This story and the event that happened last week is about are people of color that are oppressed each and every day by this institution and this country at large and I in no way meant to take the conversation away from them and their stories. Race and discrimination are just as much of a problem here today as it was on Monday- even though many people are not talking about it or even THINKING about it anymore. My privilege allowed me to share my story. My privilege and my influential friends and thus their influential friends made this post go "viral". All of that is privilege at work. To those white people that are seeing this, use this as an opportunity and wake up call to confront the privilege in your own life. Have these conversations and find the own 'swords' in your life- with things you could get away with that your friends of color could not. There are many white people on this post trying to suppress the voices of others with comments such as 'all lives matter' or 'white privilege doesn't exist'. CHALLENGE THAT. fight back. And not just on this post, but in real life. Challenge racist jokes. Challenge stereotypes and hold your white friends accountable. POC seeing this, I am sorry that this post is taking up a lot of space. It was never my intention for it to be spread this vast, and I am sorry to those who could potentially feel silenced by the airtime this is getting. A lot of white people from different areas in my life have messaged me to have important conversations about race that we've never had before. That was my intention in writing this post- using a relatable narrative to help fellow white people acknowledge their privilege. Thank those of you for those of you who have seen this and been able to have critical conversations. However, let's please not forget who is actually affected by the campus events this week. Hint: It's not me. I am returning to my comfortable life in Southern California where I will enjoy a summer of traveling and interning freely as a white woman through South America (which is not without problems of its own). Part of the reason I am able to do that so freely and without fear has deep roots in colonialism, which I need to be challenging within myself each and every day now, in the US, and when I am abroad. POC at Colgate were traumatized this week. I was not. That is what should be remembered about what happens at Colgate- not a Facebook status.
There were mixed reactions in the comments section, as Jenny addressed, and some people have commented on how the praise Jenny is receiving is itself an example of her privilege.
And this may be true, of course.
However, it doesn't bode well for us to discredit anyone who seeks to challenge the status quo in the name of equality, right?
The president of the university, Brian Casey, has apparently echoed Jenny's thoughts and has reportedly asked for a complete review of the incident, saying, 'It is important that we understand the role that implicit racial bias had in the initial reporting of and responses to the events of last night.
'… In addition, communication and enforcement steps were taken that, I believe, confused and harmed this campus and our students.'
You can read the full Facebook post below:
Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.
