White Privilege?

Recently, the Edmonton Sun published an article about a campaign in Edmonton that is targeting racism. The campaign, a project of non-profit organization Racism-Free Edmonton, is aimed at getting white people to acknowledge their ‘white privilege’, and how it plays out in social and professional dynamics of power and interaction.

The term they chose surely is a controversial one. Now, it falls upon us to question what the intent of using the term ‘white privilege’ seemed to be for the organization. Perhaps it is an attempt to merely ask Caucasians to acknowledge the fact that white privilege exists. Perhaps it has an even stronger aim, to eliminate the presence of white privilege. However, it must be known that white privilege is something that exists after being manufactured, stolen, remodelled, and engrained through centuries of dirty history.

Despite what the intent of Racism-Free Edmonton was with the campaign, the use of the term ‘white privilege’ was quite a risk on the part of the organization. No matter what your knowledge is of the history of colonialism, imperialism, slavery, or minority rights movements, the term evokes strong links to overt acts of racism. It calls to mind prominent images of Ku Klux Klan, plantation owners beating slaves. In less violent and grotesque impressions, it calls up middle-upper class white suburbia, white tourists naively enclosed in white sand beach resorts being served by quaint  and subservient ‘locals’.

The problem is that here, in Edmonton, Alberta, the average citizen does not conjure up those images in his or her head. Instead, it is taken as offensive, as a direct attack on the morality and ethicality of one’s own value system and way of life. Indeed, reading the comments section of the article in the Edmonton Sun it became quite clear that the campaign did not work to instil awareness in the broader population. Rather, the article saw a viewership becoming more and more irate, more offended, and sadly, more racist. It’s the quintessential human defense system, in an environment of attack, our hackles raise and the claws come out. Some of the comments I read evoked personal emotion for me, as a minority female, and I almost felt unsafe.

The majority of the racism that we see today is not the kind of overt racism that we associate with the KKK or slave owners. Rather, it is a very subtle, very nuanced form of racism that manifests itself not only as power dynamics, but as awkward social situations, xenophobia, and wildly misplaced assumptions about identity. As a minority myself, I can count on two fingers the number of times I have been the target of outright racist remarks. However, the number of times I have felt different, ostracized, or disadvantaged because I am not white are innumerable. I am from a middle-upper class family, have a university education, and speak only English. I am by no means ‘underprivileged’. But the point of the campaign by Racism-Free Edmonton is to call on people to recognize just this fact: that racism is inherent in our social structures, simply because there exist colours of skin. Unfortunately, the campaign went about detailing this in the wrong way.

Most people I meet are not racist. They may be uninformed or just unaware. They are not ignorant people. But, they are human. If you call them racists, they will respond. The pointing of fingers is the absolute wrong way to win people over to a cause, to encourage self-reflection, or even to get someone’s attention. Racism-Free Edmonton marred an excellent campaign by playing the blame game, and as a result, it seems as though the counter-response of the population has become one of increased xenophobia and discrimination.

I admire the audacity of the organization to use the term ‘white privilege’. But in our climate, in our political environment here in Edmonton, Alberta, was this the smartest move? We need to tread carefully when we deal with any social justice issue. We have no hope but that of raising awareness. Surely, education is the strongest weapon in our artillery. To put forth a campaign without a solid base of support is suicide. The only people who will subscribe to the idea that white privilege exists are those who probably already know all about race dynamics. The campaign thus far has only served to alienate the broader population, and it is at the expense of minorities. The potential backlash is frightening. The City of Edmonton is aware of this, and has pulled support for the initiative. In the meantime, Racism-Free Edmonton must engage in some serious damage control. How they will do this, I’m not sure. But I hope that their next attempt is one that seeks to be far more inclusive, educational, and enlightening.