"Privilege isn’t about what you’ve gone through, it’s about what you haven’t had to go through."
—Janaya Khan, Canadian Activist
Privilege manifested
Every time I go to the grocery store for just a few things, I add the items I want to purchase directly to the reusable tote I bring with me instead of bothering with a cart. And every time I do this, I think about how I can get away with store management, security, and other shoppers giving me the benefit of the doubt that I am indeed going to pay for those items before I leave the store. I am well aware that a person of color most likely could not do the same. And depending on where they were in my country, a person of color might even be followed around a store regardless, just because of the color of their skin.
Privilege. It's a bit of a loaded word. It might give us a bit of a prickly feeling to think of ourselves as privileged. Or maybe hearing it send us on the defensive if we feel someone is "accusing" us of being privileged.
It refers to unearned advantages, benefits, or rights that are granted to individuals or groups based on aspects of their identity, such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, ability, or nationality. These advantages often stem from historical and systemic structures that favor certain groups while marginalizing others.
In light of that definition, it's a word that conveys inequities — an unfairness that has led to unequal access to jobs, money, housing, opportunities, and even civil freedoms.
The idea that our privilege is unearned often doesn’t sit well with us. And in our modern times, and even within this community, we like to think of that type of privilege as a thing of the past. We try to overlook all those unseen advantages we benefit from in favor of working to earn them. And we tell ourselves that this is the Age of Equality — where everyone has equal access to opportunities that would give them the life they want and deserve.
You should get into a good school because you're an excellent student. You should get that job because you're objectively the more qualified candidate. You should get that speaking slot because you always speak and you're more experienced in the subject matter. You should earn your money and wealth because you worked hard for it, not because you inherited it. And we simply ignore, or don’t consciously recognize, any boost we might get from the benefits that are embedded into our societal systems, institutions, and structures that are absolutely not distributed equally across all groups.
Playing society’s game of "earning" privilege is not the same as winning the genetics lottery.
What privilege is and isn’t
Now, before you get defensive on me, let’s talk about what privilege is not. It does not mean you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth; that you didn’t work hard and struggle to get to where you are. It means that perhaps you had a bit of a tailwind based on factors outside of your control, such as your genetics, socioeconomic status or nationality. We all have many identities, and each identity plays into our level of privilege, which in turn, makes privilege relative.
Why is it important
As someone in a fairly privileged position, I can verify how easy it is to just overlook those unseen societal benefits and chalk it up to "the way things are." It's a position I held before I knew better.
I’ve worked very hard to get to where I am in my career and in my life. I’ve fought for recognition, respect, and to be seen as a full human being equal to any man. But I also recognized that because of the color of my skin and the socioeconomic background I come from, I had access to schooling and other opportunities many others did not.
Because of the country I was born in, I can easily move about the world attending conferences or holidaying as I want.
Because I am able-bodied, I have physical access to buildings. I don’t need extra or special accommodations in my workspace or on an airplane. I don’t have to think about how to get to a conference venue, or whether there will be a ramp to get into the bathrooms or any session rooms.
Because I am cis-gendered and straight, I don't have to worry about how I'm going to be received publicly or if I need to repeatedly come out to different groups of people, or worry about being targeted by homophobic and transphobic people.
There's a lot I don't have to think about because I am white, American, English-speaking, cis-gendered, able-bodied, and straight. These are some of my identities and there are unearned privileges that go with each one.
Privilege, however, whether earned or unearned, is not inherently good or bad. We cannot help the color of our skin or the country we are born in. Instead, it's a social construct we've given credence to, as we can't help but sort ourselves into categories and in a hierarchical manner. But if we acknowledge our privileges openly and understand the history behind them, we can think through how it helps or hinders another from getting access to the resources and opportunities they need to grow and thrive.
By recognizing our own privilege, we begin to see that not everyone sees or lives in the world the same way we do. By examining ourselves, we have a better chance of recognizing those who might be restricted from fully participating in the community or at our workplaces. We start noticing who is speaking up and who isn't; who is given the benefit of the doubt and who has to work harder to prove themselves. This gained awareness, by examining our own privilege, gives us a launching pad to design a more equitable community — one that welcomes everyone with actions rather than just words.
Privilege and the community
The Umbraco community has grown exponentially in the last 10 years I’ve been a part of it, and the continued growth is inevitable. Along with growth comes change — change in the makeup, the demographics, and maybe, heaven forbid, even the vibe. To maintain our friendly moniker depends on those of us who do stay and how we set the tone — not only for those coming in, but those on the outside looking in. We have an opportunity to put our individual privilege to use, which in turn defines the kind of community we become as we grow. What we do with our privilege is the true social value.
So what’s your privilege?
Earlier this year, the DEI community team read Conscious Inclusion by Catherine Garrod. Hands down the best book I’ve read on the subject with actual actionable takeaways. In the first chapter, before the book even really got started, she sets about defining all the different terminology of inclusion so we readers all have the same understanding. On page six, there is a table to help readers reflect on and understand their level of privilege. With her permission, I am including it below. I have seven in the most advantaged column. That helps me understand that life is a lot easier for me than someone who has the same seven in the least advantaged column.
What’s your number?
