Mikki Kendall Quote

As Mikki Kendall writes in her book, Hood Feminism, “White privilege knows no gender. And while it makes no promises of a perfect life, free from any hard work or strife, it does make some things easier in a society where race has always mattered.”

To say that I have privilege as a white woman, does not mean my life has not been hard. It does not mean that I have not struggled or suffered.

It does mean that my race has not added to my suffering in this society. It does mean that I have not had to think about my race if I did not want to, that I could assume I was the default person referenced in my textbooks, in the media, and in casual conversation, because otherwise race would be mentioned.

It does mean that my wants and needs have predominated in society and in many feminist spaces.

And for me, it does mean that I have a responsibility to name this privilege, to talk about it, to raise awareness in the spaces I enter and work in. It is my responsibility to use my privilege for good.