Musings
White privilege is a comfortable cocoon that most white people are blissfully unaware of. So when racial issues, questions or accusations come up, it can be awkward because it’s new territory. Confusion, defensiveness or deluded overconfidence often ensue. If the status quo persists, then society will continue to move on the spot. The following innocuous survey is as much for those who are uncomfortable talking about race as it is for those who think they already know how to spell it out.
When you say the word ‘black’, do you:
a. Whisper it in case someone hears you.
b. Hesitate because it’s surely offensive.
c. Say it as you would any other word.
d. You avoid saying it, as you’re not sure how to.
If you’re accused of racism, you:
a. Get defensive and deny it.
b. Prove your accuser wrong.
c. Hear them out.
d. Accuse them of racism.
Which comment makes a person the least racist?
a. I have loads of black friends.
b. I’ve been to Barbados and Morocco.
c. I loved The Oprah Winfrey Show.
d. Curry is my second favourite takeaway.
If whites became a minority in Europe and North America, you’d:
a. Be fine with it.
b. Think it’s racist.
c. Denounce non-white privilege.
d. Establish a White Studies curriculum.
As an employer looking at CVs, whose name do you most like the sound of?
a. Belal Mohammed.
b. Arabella Rees-Guggenheim.
c. Silvia Elena García del Campo y Picasso Cuellar Jones.
d. Matthew Davies.
If you’re not sure whether to capitalise races and ethnicities, you:
a. Check online.
b. Capitalise all of them for consistency.
c. Capitalise none of them for consistency.
d. Double check online.
What implicit biases do you have?
a. What are implicit biases?
b. I have none.
c. My biases aren’t implicit.
d. Is there a test I can take?