The other day I had a conversation with a very wealthy and well-educated
white man. This conversation still bothers me. Probably because it’s a
discussion whose main points I’ve had to deal with many times before with other
people. Note: this guy was not some ignorant, insensitive racist spouting
ethnic slurs.
Still, he didn’t understand what I was talking about because ultimately
he was not yet able to stand outside his privilege of white skin, male gender,
and inherited wealth. I say, “not yet,” because I refuse to give up hope for
him and others I’ve encountered like him, who have genuinely good intentions
but can’t get past the blinders of privilege. Earlier conversations with such
people have focused around the difficult lives of women living in poverty, the
automatic racism encountered over and over by people of color that can leave
them justifiably hypersensitive, and similar topics. This conversation centered
on books. More
#WeNeedDiverseBooks #diverselit
