White Male Privilege is a Socialized Pattern not a Personal Weakness

Recently, a female police captain was placed on paid administrative leave. Her offense? She told a fellow officer that he benefited from “white male privilege.”

Should she should lose her job because of this? Or can it be effectively used as a learning experience for her, for her colleagues and for the community?

When given the opportunity to educate we chastise. When given the opportunity to change, we dig our heels in deeper. When given the opportunity to learn, we defend what we've done in the past. When given the opportunity to model a new and better way of navigating differences, we slip into the behavior of past leaders because that's what's been modeled for us.

Pointing out examples of white privilege in action can be powerful when done well. Pointing out examples of white male privilege can be meaningful when a foundation for both willingness and readiness has been laid.

If you are going to talk about white privilege, or white male privilege, or ANY of the dozens of types of privilege that exist, describe an action taken as an example of privilege in our society. Describe a pattern of behavior as an example of the socialization in our society. But don't cross the line of accusing someone's behavior of being initiated or inspired by their privilege.

No matter how tempting it might be, refrain from using white privilege as a weapon or as a justification for a personal attack.  #minetodo

This is not just "being nice" or "being careful" or "being afraid." And it is definitely not about being "politically correct." The truth is that we can never know someone's unstated intentions; we can only describe our interpretation of their behavior -- or the impact of their behavior on us and others. And, in the case of privilege, the whole point is that the person with the privilege is usually unaware of the unearned benefits they operate with.

Privilege is the Product of Our Socialization

White privilege is real. White male privilege is real. However it is a description of a pattern not a person. An understanding of privilege gives you a diagnostic tool not a weapon. Privilege is difficult topic you can educate about, not a derogatory title you use to punish or denigrate.

Privilege is a difficult topic not a derogatory title .

Ironically, the female officer was most likely also operating from a sense of privilege based on her position (captain) and her tenure within the police force. She probably felt empowered and entitled to speak based upon her professional status much more than she felt she was a victim based on her gender.

It's also ironic that this exchange occurred during a training session about interacting professionally with transgender citizens. No doubt, Captain Carrie Weber could probably speak for hours about the many ways she has witnessed and experienced the negative impact of white male privilege in her years as a police officer and in her personal life as a woman. Had she used the topic of the workshop to highlight cisgender privilege and then use male privilege examples that would have been powerful!

Privilege, Personality Conflicts and Professional Expectations Can Intersect

But, most likely, there was a existing personal irritation between the two officers involved. Or, there was some negative dynamic that already existed between their two departments or teams within the police force. It's pretty unlikely that the source of her comment was a reaction only to the specific question asked by the male officer on that day in that meeting.

So here we are: “I was racially and sexistly slurred by Captain Carri Weber while I was asking a question of the instructor in training,” the officer wrote in the complaint. “I am now firmly aware of the discriminatory belief she just verbally communicated. … There is no place in the Plainfield Police administration or supervision for someone who holds and espouses her discriminatory views.”

Unfortunately, the pattern of white male privilege within law enforcement has been demonstrated nationwide and it is being demonstrated in at least two ways related to the handling of this incident. Complaints by women about unfair, disrespectful or discriminatory treatment have traditionally been discounted or ignored. Women have been told they are working in a male environment so they need to adjust to the jokes, accusations, criticisms and put-downs they receive from numerous men. They are told to not take it personally and they need to develop thicker skin. But in response to a group of men complaining about the action of one woman, quick, and serious action is being taken.

Does your organization's response to complaints differ depending on the race, gender or economic status of the person complaining?

Second, the department has been quick to release details about this officer's previous and completely unrelated suspension, as if laying the foundation for the case to dismiss her from the force. Typically no details of an officer's background is shared unless there have been previous charges for the same type of offense ... or if there is a reference to previous (unrelated) suspensions in an officer's record, the reason for those suspensions is not released unless the officer is terminated.

What is the Real Issue?

Most likely this will be handled the same way Colin Kaepernick's kneeling has been handled. To avoid discussing solutions to the issue of inequality based on race which Kaepernick attempted to bring attention to, he became the focus and was labeled unpatriotic and worse. He has been ostracized both as a person and as a professional football player.

In this case, the real issue is how (white, male) privilege is negatively affecting relationships within the police force and between the force and the community it serves. However the debate and drama will most likely be focused on Capt. Weber and her comment. If we make her the focus, and punish her harshly, we won't have to deal with the deeper issue that affects us all.

Let's Transform an Insult into an Inspiration for Improvement

It's up to us to transform this kind of conflict into a common commitment to mutual respect. That will only happen if we learn to talk about our biases, cultural perceptions and unintentionally offensive behavior in meaningful ways. Don't shut the conversation down. Have more conversation than ever before.

There is room for improvement on both sides. Refrain from using insults when you could educate instead. Refrain from ignoring any patterns or behaviors that created the level frustration that resulted in an insult being spoken. Let's all commit to understanding privilege and its impact so we can create or choose more equity, more inclusion and full engagement for more people.

Tracy Brown: Shifting the Diversity and Inclusion Conversation from Politics and Personality to Results and Relationships