White privilege is a bit painful to learn and see in oneself. I write those words as one who is white. The blind spots are a bit embarrassing. There is a kind of shame that many of us feel. There is an awakening that needs to be encountered individually, yet I find, experienced communally.
Awareness of white privilege pops the bubble of many mythical stories that I’ve grown up in, yet didn’t know about. I didn’t grow up in intentional malice or prejudice. We were and are good people. But therein lays a seduction and distraction — a blindness to “othering” and to categorical privilege.
I’m learning. I’m grateful for big-hearted friends, particularly those honest enough to explore a shame and kind enough to know there are many layers of undoing.
Last night I saw this clip from Macklemore, the American rapper and songwriter, as he appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. This song is a collaboration with Ryan Lewis. It features Jamila Woods. This goes well with another song from the same album, This Unruly Mess I’ve Made.
There is a lot that I love in this song. That includes the honesty and truth-telling that seems prerequisite to any level of societal or personal change.
