Comments on: The Privilege Walk http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/04/04/the-privilege-walk/ (bôr'dər-lănd') n. Located on or near a frontier. An indeterminate area or condition. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:58:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Doug Noon http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/04/04/the-privilege-walk/#comment-70514 Doug Noon Tue, 29 Jan 2008 07:34:46 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/04/04/the-privilege-walk/#comment-70514 Thanks, Lance, for your contribution here. It's been a while since I read this. I'm wondering about the implications of using "choice" as a filter because opportunity is still a necessary factor for any choices we could seriously consider. Without opportunity, our desires are wishes, or hopes. Thanks, Lance, for your contribution here. It’s been a while since I read this. I’m wondering about the implications of using “choice” as a filter because opportunity is still a necessary factor for any choices we could seriously consider. Without opportunity, our desires are wishes, or hopes.

]]> By: Lance http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/04/04/the-privilege-walk/#comment-70477 Lance Tue, 29 Jan 2008 03:33:04 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/04/04/the-privilege-walk/#comment-70477 I have really enjoyed reading this blog about the "Privilege Walk". I am a white, heterosexual male in America and I run workshops on racism, privilege and alliance building for high school students. I, too, have facilitated the privilege walk, but I am always curious to see the different ways it is managed. For instance, as Keith said above, I have usually run it as an exercise about privilege, but not specifically about white privilege. Although I have done it with the focus being on white privilege as well. The results are different, but I would still say that in either form, there are more white people up front by the end of the exercise and people of color near the back, regardless of which list I read. The most recent time I facilitated the exercise, I had an interesting discussion with the participants (students and teachers). Someone said, "I didn't think you were asking the right questions." This, I thought, was a fascinating point. That I - a white male - was making up the rules for the exercise, was a good metaphor for privilege in society. The question is, who is asking the questions? Who is making up the rules? It is true in my experience that the list of privileges is almost entirely focused on externalities and not personal choices. Keith, I would love to hear more about how you run the second half of your "Privilege Walk" (the part that focuses on choices). Justice then Peace, Lance I have really enjoyed reading this blog about the “Privilege Walk”. I am a white, heterosexual male in America and I run workshops on racism, privilege and alliance building for high school students. I, too, have facilitated the privilege walk, but I am always curious to see the different ways it is managed.

For instance, as Keith said above, I have usually run it as an exercise about privilege, but not specifically about white privilege. Although I have done it with the focus being on white privilege as well. The results are different, but I would still say that in either form, there are more white people up front by the end of the exercise and people of color near the back, regardless of which list I read. The most recent time I facilitated the exercise, I had an interesting discussion with the participants (students and teachers). Someone said, “I didn’t think you were asking the right questions.” This, I thought, was a fascinating point. That I - a white male - was making up the rules for the exercise, was a good metaphor for privilege in society.

The question is, who is asking the questions? Who is making up the rules? It is true in my experience that the list of privileges is almost entirely focused on externalities and not personal choices. Keith, I would love to hear more about how you run the second half of your “Privilege Walk” (the part that focuses on choices).

Justice then Peace,
Lance

]]> By: Sarah Puglisi http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/04/04/the-privilege-walk/#comment-37836 Sarah Puglisi Sat, 09 Jun 2007 01:30:13 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/04/04/the-privilege-walk/#comment-37836 I missed this somehow. Awesomely done. I was a McIntosh, think it's a cousin? I have no idea how to relate inside a "white group" anymore I've been so long enjoying this world I came to live in. Of late I think I want to just be in more space so much seems to be going downhill.But I do teach immigrants, some illegal, that are the current political football. I missed this somehow. Awesomely done. I was a McIntosh, think it’s a cousin?

I have no idea how to relate inside a “white group” anymore I’ve been so long enjoying this world I came to live in. Of late I think I want to just be in more space so much seems to be going downhill.But I do teach immigrants, some illegal, that are the current political football.

]]> By: Doug http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/04/04/the-privilege-walk/#comment-6853 Doug Wed, 02 Aug 2006 19:55:12 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/04/04/the-privilege-walk/#comment-6853 Keith, Thanks for your contribution to this thread. I like the idea of trying out different sets of questions since they would sort with different criteria. It would be interesting to see if a group, after doing the exercise, could develop a set of questions they believed would tell them something about themselves. In the group of people I was with, the members of racial minorities were not all in the very back, but scattered, which seems to say something about the uneven workings of racism in our culture. For me, I knew where I would end up when the exercise began, even though I don't normally think of myself as Privileged. I would say that I was naive. I didn't know how the taken-for-granted leaves people feeling when they don't have it, or when they have to fight to get it. I agree, it is a powerful exercise and needs to be handled with skill and sensitivity. Keith,
Thanks for your contribution to this thread. I like the idea of trying out different sets of questions since they would sort with different criteria. It would be interesting to see if a group, after doing the exercise, could develop a set of questions they believed would tell them something about themselves.

In the group of people I was with, the members of racial minorities were not all in the very back, but scattered, which seems to say something about the uneven workings of racism in our culture. For me, I knew where I would end up when the exercise began, even though I don’t normally think of myself as Privileged. I would say that I was naive. I didn’t know how the taken-for-granted leaves people feeling when they don’t have it, or when they have to fight to get it.

I agree, it is a powerful exercise and needs to be handled with skill and sensitivity.

]]> By: Keith O'Brien http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/04/04/the-privilege-walk/#comment-6851 Keith O'Brien Wed, 02 Aug 2006 19:33:02 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/04/04/the-privilege-walk/#comment-6851 I have followed a couple threads about the Privilege Walk and found it very interesting where they lead. I run a youth personal development and leadership organization and we have used the Privilege Walk for years in some of our workshops, but I have to saw that I never even considered it to be based on White privilege. Perhaps that is because I am white, naive, or simple an idealist, but in South Florida, where I live, there is rarely a high school or college group that we work with that doesn't have 10 or more races/ethnicities represented. When we run the activity, the races are split - some minorities in front, some in back and the same with white students. This process usually stirs up great conversation with the students, and students equally vocal whether they are at the front or back. The conversation inevitably shifts to valuing people for other reasons, not based privilege...and this is where the learning comes from. Something I haven't seen spoken about is the second part to the activity. We then have the students line up again and read a second set of statements...this time, all based on choice. These second statements are all things they have conscious choice over, regardless of their starting point (privilege) in life. It's incredibly powerful for the students who end up in the back of the line with the first statements and end up in the front on the second set. It's equally as awakening for the student who finished further back the second time than the first - a waking up to how they have perhaps squandered their opportunities. I've read some of the threads of people who have criticized this activity. All I can is that in my experience, when done well and processed effectively, this has been a very powerful exercise for people of all races. I have followed a couple threads about the Privilege Walk and found it very interesting where they lead. I run a youth personal development and leadership organization and we have used the Privilege Walk for years in some of our workshops, but I have to saw that I never even considered it to be based on White privilege.

Perhaps that is because I am white, naive, or simple an idealist, but in South Florida, where I live, there is rarely a high school or college group that we work with that doesn’t have 10 or more races/ethnicities represented. When we run the activity, the races are split - some minorities in front, some in back and the same with white students.

This process usually stirs up great conversation with the students, and students equally vocal whether they are at the front or back. The conversation inevitably shifts to valuing people for other reasons, not based privilege…and this is where the learning comes from.

Something I haven’t seen spoken about is the second part to the activity. We then have the students line up again and read a second set of statements…this time, all based on choice. These second statements are all things they have conscious choice over, regardless of their starting point (privilege) in life.

It’s incredibly powerful for the students who end up in the back of the line with the first statements and end up in the front on the second set. It’s equally as awakening for the student who finished further back the second time than the first - a waking up to how they have perhaps squandered their opportunities.

I’ve read some of the threads of people who have criticized this activity. All I can is that in my experience, when done well and processed effectively, this has been a very powerful exercise for people of all races.

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