Privilege

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Why Does Privilege Make People So Angry? | Decoded | MTV News– “We all have privilege in some way, and it’s not always an easy thing for people come to terms with. However, pointing out someone’s privilege shouldn’t be a personal attack. Discussing privilege isn’t about blame; it’s about raising awareness of the inequalities that exist in today’s society. Realizing how we might be treating certain groups of people unfairly is the first step to changing the situation, and becoming true equals!!” Click here to watch video. (5-min. video)

What Is Privilege? | As/Is. This video shows how complex conversations around the topic of privilege can be. Click here to watch the video. (4-min. video)

Talk About Privilege at Work by Lee Jourdan | Diversity and Inclusion | Harvard Business Review. “Everyone has some level of privilege, and it is important to be open about these issues at work. How do you make it a constructive conversation? First, acknowledge that privilege does not mean being born with a silver spoon in your mouth… Second, encourage people to think about their own and teammates privilege and how it changes in various situations. Finally, explain that talking about these issues is the first step to addressing inequities. Click here to read the article. (article)

The power of privilege: Tiffany Jana at TEDxRVAWomen. Tiffany has directed organizational development, marketing, and community outreach initiatives for over 10 years. She founded TMI Consulting, the world’s first Diversity and Inclusion Certified Benefit Corporation. TMI Consulting recently designed and facilitated a very successful series of transatlantic cooperative civic-engagement workshops in the US and the EU for the German Marshall Fund as well as a Congressional Leadership series of bipartisan dialogues on race and democracy. Click here to watch the video. (15-min. video)

Cracking the Codes: Joy DeGruy and “A Trip to the Grocery Store.” A story about a simple example of using White privilege as an ally. Click here to watch the video. (3:48-min. video)

Explaining White Privilege To A Broke White Person | Gina Crosley-Corcoran | Huffpost. “I, maybe more than most people, can completely understand why broke white folks get pissed when the word “privilege” is thrown around. As a child I was constantly discriminated against because of my poverty, and those wounds still run deep. But luckily my college education introduced me to a more nuanced concept of privilege: intersectionality.” Click here to read more. (blog)

Privilege Checklists

“White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” and “Some Notes for Facilitators” | The National SEED Project. Click here to read the original paper on White privilege by Peggy McIntosh or to access the additional facilitators notes on discussing privilege. (article with notes, downloadable PDF version available)

Middle-Upper Class Privilege Checklist. Socio-economic class is a topic that often gets glossed over, but has a huge impact on people’s experience in society and in the university where middle class norms are dominant. Click here to view the checklist. (article)

Christian Privilege Checklist. If you practice Christianity, this list will help you understand how non-Christians may feel. Click here to read more. (article)

Able-bodied Privilege Checklist. This list is meant to generate an awareness of “ableism” (along the lines of sexism, racism, etc.). Click here to learn more. (blog)

Male Privilege Checklist. Don’t worry, this is not about how men are bad and beat down on woman. This is simply a list of things men do not have to worry about because of their gender. Click here to access the list. (article)

Heterosexual Privilege Checklist. Interestingly, this is the longest list. If you do not know any people who identify as gay or lesbian, then many of these ‘privileges’ might be totally new to you. Click here to read more. (article)

Cis-gender Privilege Checklist. This list provides some insights into the daily experience of transgender individuals. Click here to view the list. (article)

It might be helpful to learn or enhance your understanding of some of the terminology before proceeding. This website provides a great summary of this complex topic. Click here to learn more. (article)

U.S. Citizenship Privilege Checklist. This is something that most of us do not have to think about, but impacts many of our neighbors, clients, co-workers, students, etc. Click here to read more. (PDF)

Youth Privilege. Although young people (women in particular perhaps) face biases and stereotypes in the workplace, older workers (also particularly women) face another set of issues related to age. This list provides some insight into privileges that younger people might not be aware of. Interestingly, was not able to find a list that addresses ‘elder’ privilege in the workplace. Click here to read more. (article)

Adult Privilege Checklist. This list provides perhaps a different way to think about privilege from a child/adolescent/teen-ager perspective. Click here to learn more. (blog)

Thin Privilege. Under the broader umbrella of “lookism,” which is preferential treatment for those who embody the culturally dominant ideas about ‘ideal’ body (weight, height, attractiveness, etc.), this privilege checklist provides insight for people who are never judged or mistreated because of their body size. Click here to read more. (article)