In the Gold Trail white privilege debate, both sides are right

Both sides in this debate may be right.

Downs and her colleagues say they have been helped by white privilege in their careers, and who is really to argue with their own accounts of their own lives?

But they haven’t actually defined white privilege, and that has led to a lot of misunderstanding.

White privilege doesn’t mean white people were given all we received on a silver platter without the need for talent and hard work.

It means our skin colour wasn’t a hindrance along the way, as it is – yes, it still is – for people who aren’t white in North America.

Whiteness is an arrow in our quiver.

Our privilege is not something to be ashamed of; it’s something to be aware of – a deeper understanding of where the history of western race relations has brought us in 2018.

The most articulate voice in the counter-offensive, though, suggests the argument shouldn’t be about whether there are advantages in our society to being white.

It’s a complicated and nuanced discussion, and even adults can’t get on the same page with basic definitions.

Starting to explain even the context to the secondary students is a challenge in itself.

For primary and intermediate students, it will be lost on them.

The discussion is great to have, and as a society, we shouldn’t prevent people from talking about difficult issues.

On the other hand, it should be approached with a level of maturity and understanding that, judging from comments on social media, is hard to come by even for grown men and women.

by Two & Out

In the Gold Trail white privilege debate, both sides are right

Our Community