If I were a white woman, even just for a day, I'd roll outta bed in the morning and throw on what I wanted and go. I'd kick it with who I wanted and I'd never get confronted for it, 'cause they'd stick up for me.
I knew that Queen Bey preached the gospel according to the Book of Slaying, fourth chapter verse four. But I never knew that her song would sum up how I feel about white people who think that they are untouchable and confuse privilege with culture. Now I know with Trump becoming President, that many white people feel as though they have gotten a hall pass to try us, but I caution you against these hands. As a graduate of Dem Hands University, I find it remarkable that there has been an annual parade in a city that birthed Meek Mill featuring minstrels. What's more remarkable is that even without a parade, there are countless white people who have confused privilege with culture as well, just ask the KKK (is our new AG Jeff Sessions still leading meetings?).
If you have no idea what I'm talking about let me be sister Google for you. This year on New Year's Day, like every other New Year's for the last 118 years, minstrels took to the streets of Philly to participate in the oldest folk parade in the country. Sounds innocent, right? Wrong. The Mummer's parade is a tradition that is "pure fun, enjoyment, folk art, has withstood the test of time because of the strength of the diverse communities the Mummers' represent."
You know what else has withstood the test of time? Racism. "Strength of diverse communities they represent" makes me think of Rachel Dolezal leading a NAACP meeting, girl you don't have to black face us to advocate for us. Which is what mummers' do. They use blackface and racial slurs to identify with black and brown folks, and that my friends is diversity in 2017.
If black people were to hold a parade masquerading as white people, yelling racial slurs, we would be banned from ever getting a permit to parade. Oh, wait, that actually does happen because of the fear that when black people parade, something is most definitely going to pop off that will instill fear in the white community. But the mummers' can do it in the name of tradition and culture. I call it a "privilege".
White privilege is including two black people in a parade and calling it diverse. But just like the parade, some of the top companies look the same way. The truth is, if you can count the number of black people you have on one hand, you sound like that person who always "has that one black friend".
White privilege is thinking that the ability to parade racism and blackface in the streets is what will make America great again. There is no thin line between privilege and culture. There's a building between it. Yet, I'm not mad at the Mummers'. After all, despite the outcry from black people in Philly feeling targeted and discriminated against during this great parade, the city of Philadelphia held sensitivity training to teach white privilege how to mask itself as a culture. It's the same way companies have diversity training to teach white people how not to say the wrong things like "can I touch your hair?" or " does your mom make the best fried chicken and collard greens?" Training doesn't work for everyone though, there's always that one. Like the one guy who held up the sign that said "Flunked Sensitivity Training". Sigh, these folks are bold. And it's all in the name of culture.
This year they turned racism down a notch, (probably waiting on January 20th to incite the rapture), but one thing is for sure, racism and privilege are here to stay. Just make sure you refer to them in a cultural context the next time you complain of the culture profiling you.
