On Privilege

I’ve been thinking about the notion of privilege lately. In the past month, the news has shed light on the plight of the British royal family, on the inequitable access to Covid vaccines, and on politicians who sought to escape the weather crisis in Texas. All of these and many other circumstances have been vivid reminders of the power of privilege and the pernicious nature of the absence of privilege. The privilege deficit among many seems to be growing but not nearly as fast as the privilege surplus for others appear to be. 

As a white, cis-gendered, heterosexual, male-identified, Jewish, US citizen with sufficient resources to enjoy my modest but satisfying quality of life, I’m fortunate to enjoy considerable privilege as compared to many others. Happily married for 47 years, Judy and I share many privileges though she experiences many examples of sexism that remind me of the economic advantages bestowed on (and sustained by) men in this and most cultures. 

Being Jewish adds a layer of complexity to the issue. With caucasian skin color and a name many misinterpret as Italian, I’m often thought not to be Jewish. But, as an atheist, I’m a misfit even among many in my tribe. In many settings my Jewish ancestry diminishes my privilege ranking while some others assign extra points for the long history of Jewish achievement. I’m also a child of Holocaust survivors (both of my parents) so I’m acutely aware of of the deleterious consequences of being Jewish in many conditions, including present day America where antisemitism is flourishing once again. 

But, nearly all of my other identity characteristics provide membership in the highly privileged crowd. To be sure, I may be among the highly privileged but there will always be a limit to my climb. There will always be wealth classes, corporate leadership circles, ancestral lineages and other characteristics which will reflect those with far higher levels of privilege than I’ll ever achieve. And privilege enjoys compound growth akin to financial investments suggesting that those in the privilege lead are assured of insurmountable and widening leads. 

Of greater concern, however, are the considerable number of people with far less privilege who are denied their benefits. They’re often bestowed labels of their impoverished class such as ‘blue collar’, ‘working class’ and ‘manual laborer’ among others even more insulting. My parents were tailors who proudly worked six long days each week in their shop in Quincy, Mass and I can’t think of anyone with better work ethics, pride in their achievements and high quality skills. But, they made sure that my sister and I were educated and offered all opportunities to progress to the careers of our choice. My preference to work in higher education may not be what they originally had in mind, but they became quite proud of my work and various roles. 

We know that there are many people who have been deliberately denied access to privilege and recent efforts to suppress voting access, alter tax policies in favor of the wealthy, and resist providing financial support to those most harmed by Covid 19 reflect the heartlessness of those who hoard privilege for themselves. Redistribution of privilege won’t be easy, but is essential to narrowing the many economic divides which seem only to be expanding. I support some form of reparations. I support higher taxes for the wealthy. I support a thoughtful and strategic reduction in military expenditures. I support major infrastructure investments with an eye to dramatic job creation. I support educational innovations focused on the under-prepared and under-privileged. I support a sound immigration policy. 

As I write this, we’ve seen a dramatic rise in anti-Asian offenses (we’ve seen dramatic increase in antisemitism incidents for several years). We’ve also experienced two major shootings, adding to the extraordinary and disgusting history of gun violence long plaguing this country. Privilege is evident among those who resist logical and effective gun ownership policies and is even more evident among those for whom white supremacy is paramount. 

In my family, we’re preparing for Passover and will enjoy a seder with our kids and grandkids by Zoom with three different time zones. Passover represents freedom from oppressors and discovery of one’s own place on Earth. May this holiday season be one of renewed commitment to sharing, of gratitude and of commitment to each other. Let’s work towards a more equitable, just and inclusive community and country. Let’s be kind to each other but never be afraid to call out injustice and unfairness. Let’s share our privileges and celebrate the achievements of those with fewer resources and higher hills to climb