White privilege is …
 

A reflection, by Abbie Ametewee 

white privilege is existing without the assumption that you are
a thief
a ratchet
a danger ...

for me it is accepting I am not the norm, and spending a whole lifetime building resilience for when that is pointed out,
it is a change in hair style that isn't just a comment but an experience that leaves your body exposed,
the possession of whichever white person takes ownership of the moment,
it is watching leadership fights between old white, sexist, racist, exploitative men, knowing it will probably take longer than my lifetime to see someone like myself up there, because someone unqualified is in better than someone brown,

white privilege is where you’re more likely to die at the hands of a white man but it’s ‘black on black’ crime that’s the problem,
it is adopting the Curry as a ‘British National Dish’ and in the same breath yelling ‘Paki go home’...

white privilege is that I see the radical, revolutionary, brown skinned, refugee Jesus as a white man with 12 white disciples in a white world...

is it easier to follow him when he looks like you?

white privilege is being taught your existence is victory
whilst every other colour was to be conquered,
in history, the coloureds are passive, we are done to
we are civilised, modernised, and we are to be grateful

as if paved roads and concrete buildings were worth what you took from us.

white privilege is being more outraged at property damage of riots rather than the generational damage caused by years and years of living in a system built to treat you like the 3/5ths of a human the US constitution told you you were,
it is looting countries of their belongings and displaying the trauma disguised as trophies… 

white privilege is having your feelings protected at the expense of others, it is being scared of talking about race, where black people are scared of not returning home,
it is being able to walk away from this conversation because the world is designed to protect you.

it is the privilege of knowing that the ground will never hear you cry ‘I can’t breathe’. 

 

Abbie currently works for a relief and international development organisation in London. She studied African Studies and English language, followed by a Masters in Poverty, Inequality and Development at the University of Birmingham. 

She is interested in work that seeks to dismantle systems of oppression and passionate about pursuing gender and race equality. 

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