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This story has been weighing on me for the last few days, because it shows me just how privileged I am as a white male. I’ve been hesitant to get this personal, but I’ll explain why in a thread because it is imperative that we confront white privelege at every possible turn (1/9) https://twitter.com/ryliekeeves/status/1283393687532208129">https://twitter.com/ryliekeev...
As I wrote about in April, this year I’ve dealt with a host of mental health issues, most notably depression. In the final few weeks before the COVID shutdown, I was missing most school days because of it and falling behind in many of my classes. (2/9)
The transition to remote learning coincided with a relative downturn in my mental health. I kept doing less and less work, to the point I could barely bring myself to do a single assignment. It wasn’t even laziness, just the frightening feeling of total in capability. (3/9)
By the end of the year, there was a real chance that I wasn’t going to graduate. Most of my grades for the final quarter were either zeroes or close to it. Even with teachers being lenient, it was very much an uphill battle. (4/9)
After back-and-forth between myself and my guidance counselor and then between her and my grade’s administration, it was decided that I would be excused in the fourth marking period, essentially granting me a get out of jail free card after months of barely working. (5/9)
I’m very thankful for my school’s understanding, but with the emergence of this story, I can’t help but feel guilty. What if I wasn’t a white, cishet male? Let alone one who lived in a nice town and went to a school that has the financial means to enhance our learning? (6/9)
For people who look like me, those in power will give us a second chance in the name of “protecting our future.” But when in similar situations, Black people are often deemed to be lost causes, even more often simply not being given a second chance. (7/9)
I’m not complaining that I was treated well, of course. Not being penalized for dealing with mental health struggles is a blessing. The problem is that it’s not a blessing everyone is afforded. (8/9)
This thread has gotten pretty long, so I’ll stop here. But I wanted to explain why this story in particular has hit home for me. There is no difference between me and this girl other than that the system is designed to oppress her and it isn’t designed to oppress me. (9/9)