White Privilege and Covid Vaccines
Look up in the sky... It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s, it’s…
WHITE PRIVILEGE!
Black people can dance. I don’t know if it’s seen as a “superpower” that Black people have, but because of it we can pull up to a party and be proud to share our gift with the world. For the most part, our ability to dance adds to the collective enjoyment of everyone at the party. This ability is something that (most) Black people seem to just bring with them wherever they show up. While that is somewhat different from the concept of white privilege, it is something we can embrace and be proud of.
White people need to claim their white privilege as something they can be proud of. I often hear comments from white people about being ashamed or sad about their white privilege or embarrassed by it. I say EMBRACE your white privilege. Wear it like a superpower because if you do and you recognize that power, you can use it for good and not just sit around trying to pretend you don’t have it. You can literally be a superhero. You don’t even have to wear a costume or a silly outfit, you can just show up as is because the minute you do show up, it is undeniable that you bring white privilege with you, everyone sees it. When you bring it for good, insert and utilize it for good… that is heroic. Very few actively use it for good and more need to start. We need more white privilege superheroes in the world.
I happen to be lucky enough to have a white ally who utilizes his white privilege superpower and he recently shared the benefits with me.
I am in a group chat with some colleagues and friends. One day, early March… EARLY March, one of the participants, a white man, commented that he was lucky he was able to get his Covid vaccine. I jokingly said, “Tell the truth and shame the Devil, was it luck or was it white privilege?” without pause and singing glory hallelujah to His name, this white man shamed the Devil and told the truth! He said, “Kyle, this was clearly white privilege.”
We had a good laugh, I told him I knew it was and he said, “You know what? I can extend that privilege to you if you’d like. When do you get your shot?” Now, I had been online for many combined hours waiting, trying to get an appointment. I was clicking, clicking, and clicking at one point for 2-3 hours to get into my local spot here in Southeast DC and after finally getting through, I was scheduled for July. I told him this and he looked at me with the knowing smile of White privilege superhero and said, “We can fix this right away. Now you have to be inconvenienced a little bit because I know how you are, I know how you feel about your word but if you are ok with jumping the line a little bit then I can extend this to you without a doubt.” I asked, “What you do you mean jumping the line?” This concept doesn’t naturally come to my mind. He said, “It's’ exactly what I‘m saying. You are taking a spot, cutting the line.” I said, “ What do I do? How does that work?” Immediately warming up to the idea that I may not have to wait 4 months for a vaccine. He said, “Well I used child-care because I’m a coach and I coach kids on the court which is a form of child-care so I rationalized that I can do this and feel good about it.” I said, “You know what - I’m a basketball coach as well. My son plays basketball so every time he leaves and goes to the gym and comes back to me that is me taking part in child care too.”
Now I could see how quickly I was able to rationalize and accept this privilege. How easy it was for me to set it into my own rationalization on why this is a good thing. But when I said that - it released the magic. It released the opportunity. He said, “ I got you”. This was 10 o’clock at night and I went to bed feeling pretty good about my chances. I woke up at 7 am in the morning feeling even better, because when I checked my email, I had already been scheduled for an appointment the next week! Not just one dose, but two. I was set up for a space in Prince George's county in Maryland to be vaccinated. Potentially saving my life. So thank you white priv warrior for extending your privilege to me.
I will say this - I went and got my shot in Oxon Hill, MD, at a CVS next to a liquor store (shout out to Eastover Liquors). This pharmacy is located in a predominantly...majority...pretty much all Black neighborhood. There were eight of us in line. I was the only black person. I'm not saying that we all had the same “hook up” and that I happened to be the one Black person that it was extended to, BUT I am saying I was in a CVS in the hood with seven people about to receive the privilege of being vaccinated and I was the only person that fit the neighborhood demographic of that store. I don’t know how the rest of these white people found their way to Eastover, but only one of us was there as a Black man with a White privilege warrior superhero friend.
So to my white allies who are wondering what you can do to “help the cause”, just show up and flex your powers! Like any superhero, you can swoop in, scan the scene and apply your superpowers in a way that ONLY YOU CAN. Your presence alone on the right side of history adds you to this new “Justice League”. Speak up, stand in the gap, shut down the negative noise, and show your support so that we can cause racism to have to take its last dance. Your timing is perfect. We spent the whole summer tearing down the “heroes” of the past. It’s time to create and elevate some new ones.
