The Power of Privilege

I want you to think about it – how many times have you heard the term “check your privilege”? 

When we talk about our identities, equity, and inclusion, it’s a very typical conversation that comes up. “Checking our privilege,” refers to the process of taking stock of our socioeconomic status, skin colour, gender, physical and cognitive abilities, etc.

But this doesn’t tell you what you need to do once you understand your privileges. At most, we are directed to make space for others, to listen and learn from the experiences of marginalized people. 

Looking at Sylvia Duckworth’s well-known infographic, we see that having privilege is about having access to power. When we are nearer to sources of power, we have access to more resources and opportunities.

The very act of acknowledging privilege and then stepping back can become a practice that inadvertently maintains structural inequities. Simply recognizing our advantages within existing power structures is insufficient for creating real change. 

Instead, we must find new ways to engage and challenge these systems, leveraging our privilege actively rather than passively acknowledging it.

This means when we have access to power, we use that access to advocate for the change that we know needs to happen!

It’s so easy to check your privilege, remain silent, and learn from the experiences of others. But what I invite you to do is to push past your discomfort and hesitations to engage in these conversations.

Don’t check your privilege – leverage your privilege in the interest of advancing equity and inclusion. Share your experiences, your perspective, and most importantly, your access to power. 

When you have privilege, you are easily accepted into spaces where others share the same identity as you. Your privilege allows you to engage in conversations with people to whom others may not have access.

For example, a cisgender, heterosexual man addressing homophobic and transphobic comments made by other men would land differently than a woman or a queer person challenging this behaviour. Who do you think would be more effective? 

If you are white, leverage your privilege to advance anti-racism frameworks to challenge racist attitudes and behaviours.

If you do not have any disabilities, leverage your privilege in the fight to create more accessible spaces and opportunities for all.

If you are a citizen of the country you live in, leverage your privilege to advocate for and support those who are refugees or undocumented immigrants.

Leverage your access to power knowing you will try, you will stumble, and you will be corrected as you engage in this practice.

Moving forward, I invite you to consider which spaces you have access to, how you can make the most impact, and where your voice is needed most. 

How will you leverage your privilege to make meaningful change?

Written by Shafiq Aziz