Privilege; what it really means

There’s been a lot of debate this year of years about white privilege, with many white people getting very defensive about this saying “I’m not rich!” or “I’m not racist!” or “I’ve never stood on someone’s neck!”

Now, the thing is, privilege doesn’t have to equate with wealth, racism or murder for someone to have it. Some people may feel that I’m privileged to be able to write this article (trust me, I’m not, there’s a penalty attached, but more on that later).

Let’s start to break it down

The dictionary definition of Privilege (thanks Google):

“A special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group.”

Notice my bold emphasis on the second part of this sentence?

Privilege = The s&^t you can do and don’t ever think about doing because you’re you

Now let’s get some examples …

White author’s guerrilla marketing raises both my eyebrows

I was at Google’s London HQ a couple of years ago. Not humble-bragging, just giving context as this is the kind of place that decisions are made (plus they do give a decent goodie bag at these gigs).

The gig was an invite from an agency I know (no shout outs on here, want to keep you focused till the end of copy). Approximately 200 people in the room, for a learning and networking type day with decision makers in the Digital, Media and Ad spaces. I’ll be generous and say that I was 1 of 5 non-white people in the room.

A good enjoyable day, with the main speaker being a very charismatic dude who was promoting his first book, with the book theme based on being disruptive. Due to the theme, this guy had wanted to be authentic in the self-promotion of his book, living his values if you will. He then went onto describe a few guerrilla marketing stunts that he had done to push his product.

This guerrilla marketing included 2 stunts that no Black person I know would ever try.

Stunt 1; The author hijacked the main display window of a major branch of a well-known UK high street bookseller and replaced ALL the window display titles with copies of his own book. Then snapped selfies, posted to his 'gram and bailed.

Stunt 2; The author and a pal, at night, wearing high-viz jackets as some kind of building worker cover, managed to project a cover of his book onto Big Ben. And remember folks, these stunts were in central London, a couple of years ago with Westminster terror attacks very much a recent tragedy and still live threat …

Now whilst the 200 or so attendees in the room were all applauding this guy’s brazenness, his audacity - his chutzpah, I was thinking about the repercussions if I had tried either of those stunts:

Illegally altering the main window display? Police called, I’m going to jail, there’s a criminal record. Done. 

That Big Ben caper? 2 treatments; I’d have been shot and ended there and then OR I’m still in a Dark cell right now whilst the government try and work out if I’m a lone actor or part of something else.

See, Black people know that they can receive injustice on an average day, just whilst they’re going about their day-to-day. So, the notion that we’d extend the risk to life and liberty in this way is not something we have the luxury of doing.

“Just because they can, doesn’t mean you should” is a mantra that is given regular consideration from an early age (You can see one of my earlier posts, about having to have The Talk with my 10-year-old son).

My brother, the “Professor”

My elder brother was called the Prof (Professor) for a while when we were growing up. Partly this was props because of the emerging 80’s hip hop scene and my bro leading a crew from our area to break dance down in Covent Garden. Also, a nod to our Dad, being an academic and respected community leader. Lastly, an acknowledgement of the fact that he was both quite laid back and stoic on the surface, but also can debate till the cows come home. Debate was (is), something instilled in our upbringing, wider family circle and ultimately tribal heritage.

But I’ve also reasoned that my bro was called the Prof for very practical reasons. He was nigh on 6ft tall at 12 years old, a full head height taller than most of his mates.

I remember him telling me how, one time, aged 11 or 12, when some of his class mates were mucking about on a bus ride home from school, an adult passenger pulled him up for not rebuking the classmates. This adult passenger assumed my brother was a lot older than his classmates and should therefore have been admonishing them, setting a better example etc.

What this meant was that from an early age my brother was aware that “just because they can, doesn’t mean you should.”

So, there’s an element of not doing as others do when we contrast the lived experience of most white people with that of most Black people. 

Rock star rocks into posh building, on a whim

I read the autobiography from Alex James of Blur fame a few years back. In it, he talks about his interest in Astronomy. This interest was partly built from his absent-mindedly wandering into an elegant, old-school style building which piqued his interest.

He had wandered into not only what turned out to be The Royal Astronomical Society HQ, but specifically their members library. After reading and chilling there for some time, he was politely approached, told it was members only etc, but after more mutual niceties was allowed to enrol. Bob’s your Uncle.

Now, with this story, I think of a contemporaneously successful Black music star; Stormzy. If Stormzy - all 6 ft 4 of him - rocked into The Royal Astronomical Society because the building ‘piqued his interest’, what do you think would happen? Now I hear the protests the justifications ringing in my ears already, saying, "Stormzy’s all grime" and "looks thuggish". Nonsense. Delete. Ignore. Alex James (who I gather is also quite tall), can wear jeans and trainers and rock into an antiquated building so it’s clearly not about that. Stormz has blinded us with his grace on the cover of GQ suited and booted so it’s never about that.

Going further, I’d say that if Barack Obama, arguably the most famous Black man on the planet, suited or not, security caravan or not, rocked up to The Royal Astronomical Society on a whim, he isn’t getting passed reception unchallenged.

Going even further still, the talented British Nigerian Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE is one of the UKs leading space scientists (she should really be more well known than she is). I presume she has honorary member status to the Astronomical Society and therefore can rock up as she chooses. But I wouldn’t bet against her taking her ID every time, just in case.

Lewis Hamilton, asking real questions

Recently, Lewis Hamilton asked his Mercedes team manager Toto Wolff if he’d ever thought about being white. Toto said no. Yet Lewis Hamilton, (a globally successful sportsman) still does and has to consider has race on a daily basis.

 Amy Cooper (Central Park lady) leveraged her white privilege

White privilege is not necessarily about white people always knowingly exploiting their whiteness, rather, it’s them from early on being blissfully ignorant of things they can do because they are white, versus things that Black people wouldn’t dream of doing precisely because they are Black.

This is how we get to a scenario where Amy Cooper can attempt to get a Black man killed by police, whilst more broadly US statistics have shown that when someone calls Police that judgement calls are already being made about who is right or wrong, guilty or innocent, regardless of the actual facts and with the deadly consequences we have seen play out on repeat as trauma porn.

Fake news = death as a worst case, which again Amy Cooper knew.

A bad day at the office (when we still went to offices)

Workwise, most people clock my energy and cite enthusiasm, (tick), high energy/tempo (also tick). But I’m mindful when these descriptions slip into “passionate” (often, usually innocently). You see, words are coded and passion for someone who looks like me could equate to code for “angry Black man.”

So, despite seeing other people have unwarranted, work related meltdowns in the office, change the temperature with table thumping and shouting at others as part of their way of working, (a few thankfully, not many, but still), I’ve never had the privilege of being any more than visibly “moderately perturbed” in a work situation. Why? The penalty man, the penalty. Security may likely be called; I may be bounced from the office as “an angry Black man”. Fired while Black.

Penalty

Ah, penalties, I said we’d get to that later. Well here’s later…

A penalty is

“a punishment imposed for breaking a law, rule, or contract.”

So, for me, privilege is not really about what someone can do, what they’re capable of doing, rather it’s counter-weighted by what someone can’t do, for fear of the penalty – a sliding tariff of ultimately deadly repercussions if they chose to engage in that privilege afforded to others.

If you go on the web, check out the following to get to know the lived experience of your Black colleagues: You have an almost limitless menu of surreal to deadly choices, including:

·        Shopping while Black

·        Walking while Black

·        Gardening while Black

·        Going to work while Black, Edward Enninful, OBE and Editor in Chief of Vogue

·        Stopped by Police while Black (RIP countless Black people)

·        Jogging while Black (RIP Ahmaud Arbery)

·        Sleeping while Black (RIP Breonna Taylor)

So, for every person contesting white privilege, saying “I’m not rich”, “I’m not racist” or “I’ve never stood on someone’s neck”, be aware that firstly (curiously enough), it’s not about you.

Secondly (and more vitally), there’ll be many more Black people giving considered thought to self-preservation in even the most basic of life situations, reflecting on the potential deadly penalty for one false move, regardless of their own social economic status or whatever.