Let's Take a Stroll

Let's take a stroll down white privilege lane. 

My white privilege lane.

I'll start with a runner's perspective.

Here is one friend's story. He is one of the nicest people I know and a much better runner than I will ever be. But he is a black man; he doesn't run with my white privilege. When he goes to the track, he gets "watched" very closely. Sometimes people leave. And once (god, I hope it was only once), a woman stopped running, turned around, and held up her pepper spray as he approached and passed her (from two lanes over). Running. In running clothes. On a track. Where people go to run.

That just wouldn't happen to me. And you can say it's because I'm a woman all you want. It doesn't happen to my white male runner friends either.

• I don't fear taking out my cell phone for fear it may be mistaken for a gun.
• I don't worry that someone might assume I'm a criminal because I'm running. 
• When police pass me at night, they wave; they don't stop me for questions (same friend...multiple times). 
• And if I am EVER fast enough to pass another runner from behind, I doubt very seriously they will feel the need for pepper spray. 

Seem insignificant? 

How about a mother's perspective? 

Here's another story. This time, my son's.

He's had his fair share of run-ins with the law. You don't need all the details to see the point, so here is a rough outline of his experience.

Strike One

Deferred Adjudication: Just stay out of trouble for one year.

He didn't.

Strike Two

Probation: Just stay out of trouble for one year.

He didn't.

Strike Three

House Arrest: Just follow these rules for one year.

He didn't.

It wasn't until strike four that he finally saw the inside of a jail cell.

Find me a black man who was given four strikes before he was put in jail.

I'll wait.

I appreciate every mercy and every kindness shown to my son. With my whole heart I appreciate every police officer and every judge he ever came in contact with. They saved his life. How many black mothers can say the same?

My son came out the other side of this story a good man. 

Because of the compassion he was shown. 

How many black men come out the other side of this same story angry men? 

Because of the injustice they are shown. 

White privilege doesn't mean your life has been easy. 

It doesn't mean you haven't struggled. 

White privilege means your life wasn't made harder because of the color of your skin.