Whites: Privileged or Advantaged?

I received a group email recently from one of our African American members. It invited a visit to an MSNBC news article and read ...

"Hello Everyone,

"I'm glad there is research that will support what is well known by African Americans. When I speak of anything concerning race in America, I always communitcate what the research will substantiate. I do not speak solely from experience because I know my experiences are null and void to the dominate culture. In 2007 African American experiences are being written off as not true or compared to the classism experienced by whites. When the dominate culture is honest about their privilege, maybe our experiences will become apparent and valid."

I thought Glue Sticks (group identity for all who read my blog:-) might be interested in reading my response. Here's what I wrote ...

Hey (name withheld),

Thanks for forwarding the interesting article. I wanted you to know that while I agree that most whites are unaware of their "privileged" past and still current status in American society, I think it is more accurate to speak in broad strokes (such as you are) of White "advantage" vs. "privilege." I'll use my own personal experience to share with you why.

It is true that I am a White Male who at one time did not recognize, but has now come to understand how "advantaged" he was (is) - yet, it is equally true that I was in no way "privileged" growing up. For instance, I was one of only 6% of children in 1961 being raised in a single parent home; I was a latch-key kid before the term was even invented and had a mother who worked two jobs to support us. I was helping her to sell Avon (going door-to- door throughout the ten-block neighborhood in the evenings and then, packing the orders, etc.) by the age of 8 and began holding steady jobs in the 6th grade (age 11) to help support her efforts on our behalf. Even as late as my junior year in high school, I was sharing a one-bedroom apartment with my mother and while we slept on separate twin beds, they were in the same room. Talk about embarrassing!

In the end, then, and as as you know, I believe it will take much more than honest dialogue among human beings to promote sincere understanding, genuine healing and authentic community. Racism is, ultimately, a spiritual problem that in no way can be overcome apart from Jesus Christ and, more specifically, believers committed to pursuing his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven in and through the local church.

Toward that end, I am so grateful that you and David are helping to build a healthy multi-ethnic church in Little Rock and to model real solutions for others, i.e, an intended outcome free of distinctions via Mosaic!

One in Christ with you, M-