Act Accordingly

Act accordingly.

In the last week, I have been chased and haunted by these words.

In my last piece, the last line – “act accordingly” did not sit well with me.

Addressing and naming privilege is the easy part. But how do we “act accordingly”?

So, here I will tackle that two-word imperative. I am grateful for the people who have shared their thoughts. I am grateful for a few conversations this has created amongst myself and other overly privileged folks on the subject.

Thoughts for those of us who carry excessive un-earned privilege on how we can begin to “act accordingly”:

Internal work

* Humility has to replace guilt; humility will move us to action/healing whereas guilt usually makes us feel bad without prompting action/healing.

* Naming privilege and developing an awareness of such privilege as you walk through each day. (A piece from early on in the blogwhere I used the wind as a metaphor for privilege)

* Thinking back to your first experiences when you were taught that race matters, to the first time you were exposed to anti-LGBTQ or anti-immigrant rhetoric. How were you taught to “other” people that didn’t look and sound like you? And how do you “other” people in your current existence. What would it look like to see those “othered” people as your brothers and sisters, aunties and uncles, sons and daughters?

* Then a deeper question rises within our internal work – do these set of biases fit with who we feel we are at our core being? Do these biases fit with what we believe about the worthiness of those around us. How do these biases affect how we see and treat others? If we believe that all human beings are equal, how do we deal with a set of biases that divide humans up on a privilege hierarchy?

 

Interpersonal work

* Once we have begun to do internal work, we are ready to find ways to be courageous in how we relate to others.

* We can try being more intentional in speaking about privilege, for example. In a doctor-patient conversation where I am worried that my un-earned privilege is inhibiting my patient from sharing, I can be courageous. “I recognize that right now you may not feel safe in sharing, and I wonder how my un-earned privilege is contributing to that.” In such a statement, the room is transformed. The 800-pound gorilla has been named. And, most important for this person’s care, they may feel comfortable sharing.

* We can find ways to open the door to the room for those not invited. We can find ways to amplify others’ voices in the room while we silence our own.

 

System-level work for equity

* In your workplace, in your sphere, what are systems-level policies and structures that allow un-earned privilege to determine who gets hired, who is promoted, and who is served by your organization? How have these systems benefited you directly? What changes would it take to make them equitable? Find your voice to change them.

* Speak up for equity. This will often mean speaking out against current policies and ways of doing business. This will mean speaking out against systems that have led to inequities. In this work, ask those lacking un-earned privilege for their input and talk openly about whether or not it is safe for them to be a part of the action/activism. (The old model put all of this on people of color and other marginalized groups, often under the guise of a “diversity committee”, asking them to suggest needed changes. This old model ignores the reality that this group that lacks un-earned privilege may not feel comfortable saying what needs to be said, while also allowing those with un-earned privilege to stay silent/safe/comfortable.)

 

Now, I can say the two words that have chased me.

Act accordingly.

It is going to be hard, and there won’t always be a clear best/right answer.

Act accordingly.

It will make you uncomfortable and put you in situations where you don’t feel safe or supported.

Act accordingly.

Feel the pain of brothers and sisters not given opportunities that you are afforded, simply because they don’t carry un-earned privilege.

Act accordingly.