What is Privilege?

It’s getting harder and harder to say the words Diversity, Equity, or Inclusion. Also Belonging, Access, Justice, or any of the other words connected to my profession. But if you really want to see some heads explode, try talking to people about privilege.

“Privilege” is tough, because as soon as they hear it, (some) people think you’re accusing them of being stupid, undeserving of their success, having everything handed to them, and not working hard (ironically, the same things they’re saying about women and people of color in leadership positions whenever they derisively refer to them as “DEI hires”).

Privilege isn’t a collection of obvious, visible, and tangible perks and benefits. So if you’re not seeing your privilege, perhaps you’re looking for the wrong thing.

I define privilege as the absence of obstacles and barriers in your life that may be present for someone else. So — if you’re convinced that you don’t have privilege, you might just be right. Because it’s hard to possess the absence of something. That doesn’t mean that examining your privilege isn’t a worthwhile activity. Watch the video (above) and tell me what you think.