Saturday, July 28, 2007 9:22 AM
by
jtspencer
white liberal guilt
Like many Americans, I find myself drawn toward the story of Barack Obama. I find his appeal to hope to be refreshingly idealistic. He is young, articulate and charismatic. Besides, the fact that his initials are B.O. is a sign that he can bridge the chasm between the U.S. and Europe. Can you imagine the joy of the French when we announce, “America supports B.O?”
Even if it smacks of tokenism, I like the fact that Obama is black. Like Clinton’s success story of rags to riches or Bush’s success (proving that one could be a C student and still be president) Obama’s success alleviates some of the guilt I feel about my white privilege. Obama’s campaign is silent on the issue of race and he works as a sort high priest silencing the debate and telling us (as The Cosby Show did in the 80’s) that blacks could make it in America and hence, I have actually earned my status rather than receiving it as an inheritance.
The term “white privilege” is not very popular outside of a neo-Marxist sociology class. In fact, I know that mentioning it will peg me as a liberal. Yet, I know that it exists – not in the traditional sense of “Whites Only” signs or redlined cities. Nor do I believe that a colleague of mine will be paid less do to his ethnicity or that a classmate will not receive a scholarship. I'd even suggest that America has progressed at break-kneck speed, yet the white privilage still exists as a sort of invisible tool box that I carry around.
Instead, I notice that white privilege is often more subtle than this. When I criticize America, no one accuses me of ethnic nationalism. No one says, “It’s because he’s white,” if I point out discrimination at my school. When I am hanging out with friends, if I get too loud, no one makes an excuse such as “It’s the white culture. They’re just like that.” When I accomplish something, it assumed automatically that I earned based upon meritocracy rather than racial quotas.
I can choose to watch white television. When I read a textbook, there is an assumed white male narrative voice behind it. My news anchors, telling me the story of world, are also white and male. If I go to the grocery store, my food isn’t segregated into an “ethnic” aisle and my hair care products are always easy to find. If a crime occurs and the suspect is white, no one turns to me and says, “Do you know that guy?”
Incidentally, I do feel guilty about this underserved status. Yet, I don’t believe that white liberal guilt does any good either. I’m not sure what the answer is. I know that creating a separate ethnic nationalism is just as racist. So is dropping the expectations as in an act of condescension.
My only guess is that what it means is that I acknowledge this privilege. I notice when I am assuming authority simply because I am white. In the classroom, it means learning from students as well as teaching, being a servant as well as a leader and attempting to integrate other cultures into the curriculum. What this means is that it will often get uncomfortable and include conflict. So, then I consider voting for Obama. It’s easier at that point to say, “See how far we’ve progressed. A black man can now be president.”
That leaves me with two lingering questions: What do I do with my white liberal guilt? What do I do with my white privilige?