My Privilege

There are so many things that I take for granted. Every morning I go out to my driveway and I take it for granted that it will start. I take it for granted that my electricity will turn on and that the water will run in my faucets. Those are big things. I also take for granted lots of small things.

Up until yesterday I took it for granted that I could go play baseball on an empty ball diamond with my son.

My son had been working out with his baseball coach at a ball field for a couple of weeks. That is, until yesterday. Before yesterday it was just my son, his coach, and myself. Two of the three of us are white. Yesterday, Ethan was joined by a number of other kids and dads.

Ethan and I were the only white people.

For an hour the boys were working on fly balls and ground balls. They were running and working hard. It was fun to watch the boys learning and improving their skills. They were being challenged to become better.

Then a guy who had been up to the field the day before drove up. He got out of his vehicle and called over Ethan’s coach. His coach was asked, “Why aren’t those boys playing at their own fields? You need to leave now.”

We packed up and headed down the street to another field. As the boys got back to work one of the other dads said, “You know, if more of these boys were your skin tone we’d still be playing over on the nice field.”

“White privilege.” Something that I’ve heard about. It’s something that I’ve intellectually understood.

What I’ve now realized is that privilege is like water for a fish. Privilege is not something, that those of us who have it, are aware of. It’s in the air we breathe. You don’t see it, feel it, or realize it until you’re with someone who doesn’t have it.

I have always taken it for granted that my son and I could play baseball on an empty field. Yesterday I realized that assumption was based in my privilege. This is something small.

You know what? There are big things. I don’t worry about much when I leave the house. I don’t really think too much about law enforcement. People don’t pay much attention to me.

Privilege is real. I need to see it more. I need to help my kids see it. They need to be aware of it and they need to be strong enough to stand for their friends when it happens.

So do I.

The post My Privilege appeared first on The Journal by Daniel M. Rose. It was written by Daniel M. Rose.

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