Gò0dNews for Everyone
What Exactly Is Privilege?
M
by Heather Guillen
erriam-Webster defines privilege as a
a day-to-day basis unless it involves ourselves, but the
right or liberty granted as a favor or
next time that celebrity gets a shorter prison sentence
benefit, especially to some and not others.
for a crime committed because of their status, take a
It all comes down to the fact that many people are
mental note, and the next time you witness a female
treated differently and may have to work harder to
peer getting paid less for the same job a male peer is
obtain rights and liberties that should be granted
performing, don’t be afraid to start up a discussion.
regardless of their race, socioeconomic status, gender, sexuality, and so on. When I take a good look into my life and the lives of others around me, I can easily remember ways this mindset affects people on a regular basis. I’ve seen someone not get the job because of the way they look. I’ve heard people get accused of taking advantage of the system because of the color of their skin. I’ve seen people get into certain schools because of their status. This causes an unnecessary and cruel divide amongst ourselves. Why does it even exist? God sees us all as equals, and we should embrace that. Self-awareness and the willingness to openly discuss difficult topics as such is just the beginning
Being privileged in certain aspects or not being privileged is nothing to be ashamed of because much of it is out of our control. We all deserve certain rights and liberties without having to put forth more effort than others. Sadly, though, privilege will always exist, but we can teach our peers and our children to be aware and open in order to lessen its impact.
of mending this gap that hinders lives more than we It’s usually easy to overlook instances of privilege on
46 // May 2020
About The Author
typically allow ourselves to realize. We’re all human. Heather Guillen is a 28-year-old wife and mother resides in Georgia. She works part-time as an inspector/packer and she is an avid reader.
