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We often don& #39;t get too political because our show is meant to be fun & light. However, it has become impossible to remain silent. On the show Angel & I (Mike) are equals, in society, we are clearly not.
An incomplete list of things I never have to worry about, that he does:
An incomplete list of things I never have to worry about, that he does:
1) I have the privilege of learning about my race in school. In fact whenever I am told how great this country is, I am shown pictures of people who look like me, and I am told they built this great nation. My history is core curriculum, his in an elective.
2) I have the privilege of moving to a new neighbourhood and assuming that my neighbours will like me, or at least be neutral to me. It is assumed that I own my house and will take care of it, and have never been asked if "I& #39;m the homeowner".
3) I have the privilege of having a positive relationship with the police. Generally, my interactions have been respectful . I have no reason to fear law enforcement. when I am pulled over I may receive an inconvenient ticket, but I have never feared for my life.
4) None of my actions, good or bad are attributed to my race. I am never asked to speak for my entire race, or be a representative for my race.
5) I have the privilege of escaping violent stereotypes associated with my race. Given that, throughout Canada& #39;s history, white people have been responsible for unspeakable atrocities (genocide, forced migrations, internment camps) we are barely held accountable for any of it.
6) I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection. I do not have to teach them how to act in certain situations, because if they don& #39;t act "correctly" they risk their lives.
7) I have the privilege of being insulted from the daily toll of racism, I have the privilege of living ignorant of the dire state of racism in Canada today.
If you are a white, straight, cisgendered, male like me, you have these privileges too. Our privileges are massive, whether you choose to acknowledge them or not. They are real, and they are unearned.
So what can we do? Well besides educating yourself, and fellow white people about what this all means. There are other simple ways to do this, and be allies in our daily lives.
The biggest way is to risk our unearned benefits to benefit others. It can be as simple as intervening if you see a boss or anyone else treating someone differently because of their racial identity. It can mean advocating for a coworker to receive equal pay or opportunities.
It can mean being an active witness when you see people of colour confronted by law enforcement or harassed by bigots & letting them know you are there to support them & record the interaction if necessary. And it most certainly can mean engaging directly in anti-bias work.
