The *Check* List
/You probably all know by now how much I love words and word choice.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Words are magic. With words you can create and you can harm. You can build and destroy. You can make beauty and you can strip it away.
That’s powerful.
Right now there is a word that has become a hot topic (for obvious reasons), which seems to be quite misunderstood. And that word is Privilege.
But before you roll your eyes and decide to close this post, I ask you to consider whether or not you are fully aware of what that word means - in large part because I thought I had a full understanding and it turns out that I did not! My understanding was partial and narrowly applied.
In her book So You Want To Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo says:
“Privilege, in the social justice context, is an advantage or a set of advantages that you have that others do not.”
But there’s more to this definition and concept - which she does go into - and it seems important to dive in and understand.
To bring this conversation back to the arts, the Theatre Community is being asked to take a good hard look at its structural issues, but we are all also being asked to check our own personal privileges (of which there are many types).
So how do we begin?
Definitions
Privilege
We’ve already begun with a definition of what privilege is, but there has to be more, right?
Yep.
Privilege as a word developed from Latin, and I think we can gain some immediate insight by looking at where the word began. At its roots it means:
“A law or ordinance in favor of or against an individual”
Over time the “or against” part fell out of use, and it became about a law that was in favor of an individual. This means that the root of our modern day word privilege is a codified advantage of a person or people over others.
This is not a new principle and it certainly isn’t a made up idea that is just now circulating. There is a deep and deliberate history to this word.
Now - in her continued exploration of privilege - Ijeoma Oluo expands the definition to mean not only an advantage, but explains how the mere presence of a social advantage automatically creates a disadvantage for others.
I think that many people look at privilege like its something that uplifts a person or group while everyone else remains neutral. But by the very definition of the word, this cannot be.
Advantage
An advantage can be defined as:
“Superiority of position or condition” (Merriam-Webster)
But what this definition fails to point out is that if we begin in the same place and you are allowed to move to a position superior to where we both were, my position is now inferior to yours. Advantage creates disadvantage.
Or to put it another way, the root of the word is French for “in front.” So if you are now in front, I am now behind. And if that were the beginning of a race, you would have the privilege of a head start.
Now - to continue with that metaphor for a moment - that head start does not mean that you didn’t run the race well or that you didn’t work as hard as you could to maintain the lead. Nor does it mean that you automatically won - there are always exceptions - though more often than not, a head start does mean a win.
Check Your Privilege
One more definition today, and that is for the phrase “Check your privilege.”
As Ijeoma Oluo describes it, all that this now-negatively-viewed phrase is asking of people is to:
“…pause and consider how the advantages you’ve had in life are contributing to your opinions and actions, and how the lack of disadvantages in certain areas is keeping you from fully understanding the struggles others are facing and may in fact be contributing to those struggles.” (So You Want To Talk About Race)
Pause and consider. That’s all.
That doesn’t mean fix it and fix it all right now. What it means is to take yourself out of the conversation for a moment to make yourself more aware of your own advantages and the disadvantages of others.
And that’s what we are being asked to do right now, as a Theatre Community and as a society.
So let’s take a look.
The List
Okay, so we hear about one particular privilege all the time (again, for good reason) and that is White Privilege.
And lots of (white) people like to roll their eyes at this because they either feel like it doesn’t exist - due of their own personal struggles - or because they feel desensitized and cannot completely grasp its meaning.
However, I have found that a great way to start understanding this concept is to look at other privileges that exist in addition to whiteness.
So below is a (not fully comprehensive) list of different privileges that you may want to consider as you begin to do the work or checking your own:
Racial - Whiteness being the obvious one here, but what advantages and disadvantages are afforded to other non-white groups? How do these feed into stereotypes? (Black men seen as threats, Asians seen as more intelligent, Latinx seen as hard-working, etc.)
Financial - Wealth is a huge advantage for those that have it. Perhaps you grew up middle class, which provides certain advantages over those who grew up poorer, but provides you less advantage than those who grew up richer. Things to consider.
Gender - Male-identified folx have proven statistical advantages over womxn across the board. How might you be advantaged or disadvantaged by your gender?
Gender Identity - Are you cis-gendered? If you have never had to consider whether or not you identify with the gender associated with your physical sex, you have an advantage over trans and non-binary folx.
Sexuality - If you have never had to fight for the right to exist or for the equality of your sexual orientation, that is a privilege.
Education - What kind of school system did you grow up in? Did you have good teachers? Did you have access beyond your immediate school? Are you college-educated? Were you able to afford education at a high-ranking institution? Or a graduate or post-graduate education? Did you have the time needed to complete your studies in grade school, or did your home life present obstacles to your learning? So many facets to consider.
Physical Ability - Do you have full function throughout your physical being? Are you unable to complete tasks without assistance from a device or another human? Do you have now, or have you ever had, a prevention in your physical motion due to a disability or disease?
Mental Ability - Are you neurotypical? Do you have the privilege of not knowing the meaning of the word neurotypical? Do you suffer from mental illness? Has someone in your family or immediate circle suffered from mental illness? How has that affected them and you?
Religious - Are you Christian? How has being part of the culturally-dominant religion given you advantage? How are non-Christians in the US disadvantaged culturally and socially, and how are they often punished for it?
Passing - Passing privilege is having the advantage of being able to blend into a specific group, even if you don’t strictly belong to it. This could mean: Having an unseen mental or physical illness that others would not be readily aware of, or Being a particularly masculine-oriented gay man who could pass as straight in said company, or Especially light-skinned BIPOC, or Dressing in clothing that makes it appear you are more financially well-off than you are…and the list goes on. Where are you passing on this list, or beyond?
Citizenship - Are you a citizen of the country in which you are living? Are you afforded all of the rights of a citizen, or denied some?
Stable Home - As an adult or as a child, are you the product of a stable home environment? How has that provided advantage if you are? Disadvantage if you are not?
Housing - Do you have a roof over your head? Is it a stable one? Are you in danger of losing it?
Transportation - Do you have reliable transportation? Can you get to and from work without issue? Are you at the mercy of public transit?
Age - Are you at a disadvantage because of your age? Do people see you as inferior or unintelligent because of the number of years you have lived on this planet?
Height - Are you tall? What kind of advantage does that give you? Are you short? What are common disadvantages you encounter daily?
Thinness - Are you thin? It’s clear our culture values thinness and affords it extra privilege. How has the size of your waistline advantaged or disadvantaged you?
Attractiveness - “Pretty privilege” is a real thing. Not only are people more likely to give advantage to people they personally find attractive, but also to those who are “conventionally” attractive according to social standards. How have your looks provided or lost you advantage in your experiences?
And oh boy can this list go on…
Do you have food in your fridge each night? Is your family close by? Do you have family to rely on? Does your work afford you the time for a social life? Do you have kids? Can you afford the technology required for your job or educational institution?
And so many more.
Recognition is the Beginning
If you can recognize your privileges and list them, that is just the start.
Awareness is great, but - more importantly - you must be able to use your advantages to either change the system (Anti-Racism) or aid those at an unchangeable disadvantage.
So as the world asks us to look at ourselves, our words, our identities, our advantages, and our privileges, it is up to us to do the work. Not just to make the world a better place for others, but to improve our own lives as well.
Cheers, everyone.
