I've written some background here into the events that lead me to this topic, some of my personal opinions, and how I arrived at the method I am following for this project today. Each individual meaning people have of the word 'privilege' is unique and personal to their experience, and given consent, I think that's something interesting -and potentially important- to explore and talk about. Please feel free to use the comments below to express any thoughts you might have on the show and thank you for listening and being my audience!  

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During the pandemic in 2020, there were many civil rights protests held across the US in response to the wrongful death of George Floyd, which rekindled the Black Lives Matter movement. Realizing that there were things I didn't understand about the subject, I asked my black boyfriend, Josh, with no ill intent, "Why is it called the Black Lives Matter movement? Don't all lives matter?" He took a moment to think...and then calmly responded: "Yes...all lives do matter. But not everyone has to fear being gunned down in the streets by the people who are supposed to protect them."

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That line -and the conversation that followed- helped me take in just how unaware I was of the struggles he went through daily, as well as the uncomfortable situations I unknowingly put him into when I did things I thought were perfectly normal- like going into stores to browse or window shop. My naivety, or rather, my privilege, caused him to feel unsafe, and that wasn't right.  I think the hardest part to grasp was that I wasn't doing it intentionally; I just didn't know. I didn't understand that I was being harmful, and I think that might be the situation a lot of people are in right now.

 

It is no secret that this is a sensitive subject. There is a lot of anger, hurt, and pain behind racial inequality and no one knows definitively how to solve it. But I think that running away from it or denying that it exists is part of what led us here in the first place. I avoided the news and these conversations because I was afraid of hurting people, or offending anyone, or making them feel angry- but I had to understand that that is a normal response to this situation, and is not directed at me personally. I needed to have empathy, both for the people that are in pain and for myself.

 

I think having mutual conversations, where both parties are ready/willing to talk and listen may not be the cure for this problem, but I think it's a good way to start. That's why I made them the base for my show. I think sharing ideas and insights with as many people as possible can be a helpful way to better understand this topic and many more. It is my hope that with my series Privilege, I may inspire my audience to have mutual conversations of their own.