privilege Archives - The Race Card Project

2042 can not come fast enough.

June 1, 2026June 1, 2026 2042, CA, empathy, majority, Minority, Nathan Henderson-James, Oakland, privilege, public school, understanding

Nathan Henderson-James,
Oakland, CA.

6 words is obviously limiting. However, my 6 reflect my own experience growing up as one of the few white kids in my local public schools. It was an education being constantly in the minority (in school, outside of those walls, I was comfortably back in a white affluent world) and one that more people with white skin privilege need to go through. It breed empathy, understanding, and a full 360 degree view of people from outside your own background. You get the good, the bad, and the ugly. It made me better at dealing with difference and better at interrogating my own prejudices, internalized racism, and privilege. It wasn’t sufficient to make me struggle for racial justice, but it was, for me, a necessary component for striding that path. And that’s why I picked my 6 words. Because people with white skin privilege need to experience being the only one more often. It won’t be sufficient to build the political will to change the institutional racism in our various national systems and culture, but it is necessary to help build the shared experience necessary to have an honest conversation about getting there.

I (don’t) fit. Don’t look closely.

May 8, 2026May 11, 2026 belong, check the box, Emery Boyle-Scott, fit in, group, Lesbian, look, Milwaukee, mom, privilege, whiteness, WI

Emery Boyle-Scott,
Milwaukee, WI.

I want to belong in a group, and it’s nice to belong until someone looks closely. My whiteness is always sidelined when people learn about my lesbian moms. Don’t look closely and I have all the privilege. But, then it disappears and I’m not allowed, I’m questioned on everything. There’s no box for my diversity. There are literally dozens of us, but we’re not connected.

My privilege matters, not being Latino.

January 26, 2026 Columbian, Ellicott City, Emilio Cosgrove, irish, Latino, MD, mixed, narrow, perceptions, privilege

Emilio Cosgrove,
Ellicott City, MD

I am a mixed-race individual who is Colombian and Irish. While being Latino is more significant to me than the privilege I have because of my light skin, my white privilege is what matters in determining the opportunities that are available to me, the day to day interactions I have with other people, and my quality of life. The fact that I do not think about the very movements I make in public is evidence of the freedom I have because of white privilege. America’s cultural idea of race is also very limited and confines people to a handful of categories based almost entirely on skin color. As a mixed-race person, I have lived the pain of this truth because my white identity is assumed by people who look at me, but my Latino identity is not. Due to America’s narrow perceptions of race, a core part of myself is almost never recognized.

White, but scared to be alone.

January 26, 2026January 26, 2026 alone, Derry, fear, Hailey Mosher, NH, privilege, scared

Hailey Mosher,
Derry, NH

While I am white and live in a privileged world, I am still afraid to be alone in public places, especially places I am unfamiliar with. As a woman it has been instilled in me to be aware of my surroundings and the people around me at all times, especially when in public. I cannot imagine women of other races fear if even I am fearful while I live in privilege. I wish that we could all be treated as what we are, human beings, and not have to fear when doing day to day activities.

Is it privilege when it’s forced?

December 2, 2025 CA, forced, privilege, Rebecca Grant

Rebecca Grant,
CA

Yes, I transitioned. Still white, though.

May 13, 2025May 13, 2025 BIPOC, Brooklyn, male, man, NY, privilege, transgender, whiteness

Jonah F.
Brooklyn, NY

As a transgender man, I can relate to being marginalized. But still, my whiteness (and now maleness) affords me privilege in 99% of my everyday life, and I know that’s still 100% better than what BIPOC people are experiencing.

White passing privilege, biracial and proud

May 13, 2025May 13, 2025 Boston, Cecil Carey, MA, passing, privilege, white

Cecil Carey,
Boston, MA

This country is such a beautiful place

March 4, 2025March 6, 2025 america, AZ, beautiful, Chandler, culture, great, Kelly Mulvany, People, privilege, USA, variety, whitewashed

Kelly Mulvany,
Chandler, AZ

This country is beautiful BECAUSE we are not all white. The variety of cultures and beautiful people ARE what makes America great and I would not like to see that whitewashed. If that means giving up privileges than so be it- after all, have so many people already proved it’s doable?

Born privileged, living poor. Gained perspective.

March 4, 2025March 6, 2025 American, AR, Chicago, Elizabeth Foster, hood, Little Rock, living poor, perspective, poor, privilege, suburb

Elizabeth Foster,
Little Rock, AR.

Growing up in a mostly-white suburb of Chicago, I was isolated from cultural and socioeconomic differences. Through my privilege, I was able to travel to countries both more and less affluent than that of my upbringing. Now that I live independently & make much less money than my parents, I live in “the hood” & appreciate my life exactly as it is. I have the perspective of many walks of life, and now realize both how good, and how ignorant, I had it growing up. My wish is for others to be able to walk both sides of the fence to reach a better understanding of their fellow Americans.

White Privilege Doesn’t Eliminate All Struggle

October 2, 2024 IA, Mt. Pleasant, privilege, Tarynn Dascher

Tarynn Dascher,
Mt. Pleasant, IA

Sometimes we should just listen quietly.

August 30, 2024August 30, 2024 Christiansburg, cishet, conversation, Educause, impact, listen, Lucas Sullivan, privilege, quietly, realty, truth, VA, voice

Lucas Sullivan,
Christiansburg, VA

Michele’s presentation on the Race Card Project had me in a tizzy for days thinking of what I could say. What could my impact be? As a white cishet male in America I have loads of built in privileges. If the only voice that gets heard is mine I will be doing a disservice to the cause of fighting against racism. Even people who don’t consider themselves racists or who consider themselves allies can have a hard time with knowing when to listen and that is a vitally important part of the conversation. So we (white people) have to be careful to not talk over people of color. In this conversation minority voices must be heard and that means sometimes what we don’t say is as important as what we do. Listening to people of color or giving people of color a voice is part of the way that we participate in the conversation. Sometimes it’s best to listen to what people of color are telling you about their truth and their reality.

#Educause

Privilege means responsibility to be better.

August 9, 2024August 9, 2024 abuse, change, Minneapolis, MN, Morgan Lavandowska, Power, privilege, responsibility

Morgan Lavandowska
Minneapolis, MN

As a 21 year old white woman, I have the privilege of being white that gives me power to do what others can’t. Instead of abusing that power, I prefer to try to help bring positive change to the world and, hopefully, help bring equality for all.

Uncomfortable with privilege born of whiteness

July 11, 2024 attractive, blond, CO, Durango, privilege, tall, zip coke

Tamara Hoier,
Durango, CO

I was born into some blessings and acquired more because I was born in a “good” zip code, and am well educated, tall, blond, and reasonably attractive. I am never insulated from these facts and their outcomes for others. I have tried to counterbalance these outcomes with resource sharing, neutralizing “opportunity hoarding” for family by mentoring and coaching other children, and being kind, really trying to “see” the person in my presence. I know I am entwined with all people. That is always on my mind as well.

Privileged Latine in a “comfortable” district

June 3, 2024 CA, comfortable, district, Latine, Los Altos, Mia Garcia, neighborhood, privilege

Mia Garcia,
Los Altos, CA

White kids without shoes, white privilege

June 3, 2024 barefoot, black children, Champaign-Urbana, children, crunchy, IL, Kate Maguire, kids, no shoes, privilege, same, socioeconomic

Kate Maguire,
Champaign-Urbana, IL

There is a parenting trend happening now towards “natural” childrearing which conjures up for me a picture of young kids frolicking barefoot in the grass, with grass and dirt-stained knees, perhaps not even completely dressed and fully enjoying the outdoors as nature intended. I live in a higher socioeconomic, predominantly white neighborhood in my city, and as a white mom with small children regularly encounter this parenting philosophy. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with it, I can’t help but always wonder that this parenting trend is not open to people of color. A white parent with a dirt caked, shoeless child running through the neighborhood is given the benefit of the doubt as “natural” or “crunchy”. A black parent would more readily be labeled a neglectful or bad parent, and that could have dire consequences for their family. This doesn’t seem fair to me at all. I have thought is over and over again since becoming a mom, and this is the first place I have ever voiced it.

Privilege does not pay for college

May 15, 2024 College, MA, Marlborough, privilege, scholarship

Dylan Zickus,
Marlborough, MA

We are beautifully different, but EQUAL.

April 18, 2024April 22, 2024 beautiful, blossom, different, diversity, Emily Vallies, equal, privilege, Spokane, WA

Emily Vallies,
Spokane, WA.

I am happy to participate in a project like this. It is very important to me that people start realizing their privilege and start working to make this country a better place for diversity to blossom.