Judge Me Not: Exposing Privilege in a Professional Development Session
- Dr. Nicole Forrest
- May 19, 2024
- 6 min read
Table of Contents
“Take one step forward if you didn’t have to pay for college.” The gym echoed with the principal’s voice. Staff side glanced as they either stayed put or took a step forward.
We all started at the same point, but as the seconds rolled on, it became clear that we weren’t all the same even though the majority of us were white. Many staff members were way ahead of me as I lingered closer to the starting line.
As an administrative team, we decided to lead staff in some intense equity work - a privilege walk.
Now a more common practice with organizations pursuing social justice and/or equity, back then, we were a bit avant-garde. Our district was entrenched in equity work. In our school, various factions wanted and were ready for more.
In education, we do not have the privilege of not acknowledging our students' varied backgrounds and experiences.
We thought participating in a privilege walk as a staff could do two things:
Strengthen our relationships with one another.
Make us more empathetic to each other’s and our students’ experiences.
In this post, I’ll shed some light on the concept of privilege and the privilege walk as both have come under fire and scrutiny even from those who promote equity work. Then, I’ll share some of my takeaways from engaging in a privilege walk.
Unpacking Privilege and the Privilege Walk
The basic premise of privilege is that some people are born into circumstances that give them clear advantages over those who are not born into those circumstances.
In the U.S., privilege is generally distinguished by race and/or socio-economic status. Privilege can be transacted into social capital which further separates groups and perpetuates a system of haves and have-nots.
Despite the concerns that some have raised, engaging in a privilege walk in the right environment with appropriately aged participants (ie. adults), can broaden perspectives and understanding.
A privilege walk is a visual representation of some of the differences between individuals. A moderator reads through various statements and everyone either steps forward or stays where they are. Statements could include:
1. If you are male, take one step forward.
2. If you went to college, take one step forward.
3. If you had your own bedroom growing up, take one step forward.
4. If you were raised by two parents, take one step forward.
You get the idea of where this is going. Over a series of questions, it will be clear who has had privileges and who has not. The goal of the exercise is to get people to see how power and privilege can impact our lives even if we are not fully aware of it.
Now, there is some controversy with privilege walks. Some believe it is connected to critical race theory while others believe it forces shame on marginalized groups so that those with privilege can learn. Both sides of the political coin take issue with the concept.
Despite the concerns that some have raised, engaging in a privilege walk in the right environment with appropriately aged participants (ie. adults), can broaden perspectives and understanding.
4 Takeaways from a Privilege Walk
1. Discomfort leads to connection
Was it uncomfortable to expose some of what I had experienced? Was there a hint of shame? Absolutely. But just because the walk was emotionally tough at some points does not negate the benefits. Discomfort can be a sign of growth and improvement which I think Vygotsky would agree.
Discomfort allowed me to learn about other’s lived experiences and see those individuals and myself in a different light. Assumptions were challenged.
One teacher whom I became close with approached me afterward, saying, “I was surprised by how far back you were.”
We all have different stories and experiences that shape us into who we are. And in education, this realization needs to be at the forefront of our minds as we deal with varied students and co-workers.
2. Lead with empathy
Similar to the connection you can find, a privilege walk affirms the notion that we must lead with empathy in everything we do. People can judge others on how they look and sound, sometimes never digging deeper than the surface. If we rub away some of the exterior, we can find experiences that enrich our understanding of others.
Can a privilege walk unjustly expose marginalized groups? Possibly. Can a privilege walk help someone realize their privilege and change their perception of others? Possibly. We must live in what is possible and not be afraid.
There are risks and benefits to a privilege walk, but gaining a deeper understanding of the lived human experience is a hefty benefit.
3. Establish a safe community
To even engage in a privilege walk you need a safe space with pre-existing relationships. When you have that environment, the risks of a privilege walk lessen and the benefits can increase. Once you have that space, a privilege walk can strengthen your community and cause others to take risks and learn from one another.
Exposing your past and the challenges you’ve faced can also help others see you, the entire you – history, hurdles, highlights, and all.
Discomfort allowed me to learn about other’s lived experiences and see those individuals and myself in a different light. Assumptions were challenged.
4. Ensure there is follow-up
One of the deficits of my privilege walk experience was the follow-up. We engaged in the activity, discussed briefly in small groups, and that was it. While it drew some of us closer together, the follow-up lacked. There should have been some deeper activity that helped us continue to build connections.
I know some participants took the experience and wove their insights into how they viewed and interacted with their students. This was one of the goals. But for any activity or professional development to be truly successful, there must be follow-up.
One Last Thought
I grew up in an affluent area in one of the best public school systems in my state. I was very fortunate and privileged to have been given this opportunity. To have two parents who had the capacity to move me, my brothers, and sister to an area that could set us up for a lifetime of success.
Despite these privileges, I always felt like the “poor kid.” In middle school, I remember standing in line, waiting to leave tech ed. Suddenly, a boy from my neighborhood pointed his index finger in my direction and chortled to another kid, “Yeah, she’s poor.”
I gazed down and around, pretending not to hear. My stomach ached, my face flushed, and it felt like I swallowed an egg.
My mom didn’t work until my youngest brother finally entered kindergarten. Before then, we were living on my dad’s salary – the wage of a postman. Out of necessity, my mom re-entered the workforce as a bank teller and then as a postwoman.
There are risks and benefits to a privilege walk, but gaining a deeper understanding of the lived human experience is a hefty benefit.
Layered on to the starkly different socio-economic status between my peers and me, my dad was an Arab immigrant. Living during the post 9/11 era where peers besmirched Arabs and Muslims, I felt further alienated.
So while I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to have an exceptional education, there were moments I felt othered. I have taken the struggles and used them as fuel to make myself better and prove others wrong.
In education, we do not have the privilege of not acknowledging our students' varied backgrounds and experiences. Everything we do with them and for them should consider those experiences.
When we understand, we can do and be better. We can and should lead with love, care, and concern in every single interaction with every single child.
References
Bolger, M. (2020, July 7). Why I don’t facilitate privilege walks anymore and what I do instead. Medium. https://medium.com/@MegB/why-i-dont-won-t-facilitate-privilege-walks-anymore-and-what-i-do-instead-380c95490e10
Ehrenhalt, J. (2017, June 20). Beyond the Privilege walk. Learning for Justice. https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/beyond-the-privilege-walk
Rothman, J. (2014, May 12). The origins of “Privilege.” The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-origins-of-privilege
Simply Psychology. (2024, February 1). Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development & Scaffolding Theory In Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/zone-of-proximal-development.html
S, B. (2022, February 16). Mastriano demands answers on “privilege walks” occurring at PA Elementary School. Senator Mastriano. https://senatormastriano.com/2022/02/16/mastriano-demands-answers-on-privilege-walks-occurring-at-pa-elementary-school/