Blog Post 2 Privilege, White Privilege, and Racial Identity

 Privilege, White Privilege, and Racial Identity 

    I grew up in West Lafayette, Indiana, home of Purdue University. The school brings people from all around the world, and I have been able to experience this for the entirety of my life; I was very aware that people looked different, had different cultures, came from different parts of the world, etc. This was sort of an unspoken topic in my household. We never discussed the color of our own skin, or the privileges that came with it. This is not to say I did not understand I had privilege, I was. I knew that my family had money and that I never had to worry about whether or not I would have dinner. I had nice clothes and toys. I always felt like I fit in and I always had friends. I understood I was privileged, but I did not understand that those privileges were awarded to me, at least in part, because of the color of my skin. It wasn't until I was in junior high or high school when I began to understand these nuances and that they went further than I could even imagine. 

    This week we watched a video where a woman discussed her racial identity as a white person. I found that this resonated with me deeply. Much like her, I had never thought about the color of my skin. It wasn't until fairly recently that I realized how much of a privilege that is in and of itself. Also much like the speaker in the video we watched, I was very uncomfortable talking about race and I wasn't sure how to do it, mainly because I never had before. In the past few years, I have taken many classes about diversity and how to teach young students about it. I would not say I know all I need to know (not anywhere close), but I believe that I have grown a lot and I plan to continue to learn. I hope to help future generations gain a deep understanding of the unfortunate workings of our world. 


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