Everyone struggles with conflict, both external and internal. Obstacles, abuse, trauma from the world, self sabotage. To be human means to be caught between these. But here’s the thing… Black, Indigenous, (and) People of Color (BIPOC) Experience is something more.
White privilege is the difference between “Shooting ourselves in the foot” and THIS.
White Privilege is suffering at the mercy of demons from childhood trauma, daddy was mean, mommy didn’t love me enough, I got bullied, hooked on drugs, violated, worked hard my whole life just to be…
White Privilege is fighting inner demons of self doubt, self hatred… all the things that land us in therapy or turn us into bitter old, entitled people. White Privilege is doing all that without wearing a suit of lead – both a weight & a poison.
When you wear that suit – all those White Privilege problems have to be pushed way down on the priority list because your son has two very real guns held to his head from the moment he leaves your arms… every time he walks out your door.
When you wear that suit – it is not just your own personal demons but demons of entire communities. You are at the mercy of both the community within, struggling with frustration, rage, loss… acting out, self sabotaging.
AND at the mercy of the community outside your own – a system that identifies your zip code, your name, your manner of speech – your lead suit… every single characteristic about you and sees you as both inferior and a threat -justifying its subjugation of you in a never ending self fulfilling prophecy.
When you wear that suit – it can never be taken off but the only reason it weighs so much and is poison is because history, systems, ignorance… has made it so…
When you wear that suit – you are held to the standard of the handful of men & women who also wear the suit but who have risen to be examples – without anyone realizing holding out examples is part of the PROBLEM.
When you wear that suit – every day you survive and don’t become your own enemy, is a victory.
When you wear that suit – it can never be taken off and every single time your son walks out your door you feel those two ACTUAL guns so close to him that you drill him, “show your hands, don’t wear your hood up, ALWAYS say SIR”… You teach your daughter to find a profession, become an EMT…
Because every day one of those guns kills your child in her home at night while she is watching tv with her boyfriend. One of those guns kills your 12 year old while he plays with a toy. One of those guns is killing one of your brothers or sisters or nephews every single day in America. And it doesn’t matter who’s holding it. Because gangs and violence and fear is created and perpetuated by the same system that empowers and perpetuates every other aspect from police brutality to redlining to the George Zimmermans and the Susan Smiths. It creates & reinforces the narrative of blaming the victim & the white savior hero (or “the real victim here”).
White Privilege is that even when we cry for your loss, we debate amongst ourselves about what racism is and means as if it’s an intellectual exercise. Some of us are so terrified to truly face it, own it – that you will come for our homes and children. So we are afraid to empower you. And others are willfully ignorant. And others know and revel in it.
White Privilege is walking around being allowed to be any of these with impunity while our BIPOC brothers, sisters, ancestral daughters of Eve and her children wear weighted suits of poison that we fabricated out of our hubris, ignorance and fear while holding two guns to the heads of their children.
About The Author: John Morrison Aka Brother John is the Head Coach of the YO.K.O Boxing Team, that has produce 5 Golden Gloves Champions, 3 Ringside Champions and 10 Junior Olympic Champions. He is the Co-founder of Brother 2 Brother Radio, bringing information to the Community and is the President and co-founder of the 100 Black Fathers for change Organization. His goal is to work for the betterment of our Community and the Development of our Youth.
