WHITE PRIVILEGE – A REFLECTION ON CLACTON-ON-SEA
I live right next to the sea; I look out of my window, feeling incredibly fortunate to own my little wooden beach house, it’s a remote, quiet community. It is also within five miles of one of the most deprived areas in the UK, Jaywick Sands Essex, the catchment area of Clacton-on Sea. When I moved here a year ago, I choose this area as it was affordable, accessible to London but still felt isolated, I did not consider the political and social isolation I would now feel living here. I saw the beautiful countryside, not the St. George’s flags, and did not consider government labour data that economic inactivity in Clacton was 46.8%, more than twice the 21.7% UK average. In hindsight I did not have to think about whether this was a ‘safe’ place for me, I now recognise I was afforded the privilege of ‘feeling safe’ as a white person. In this sense White Privilege as described through the lens of Peggy McIntosh’s ground-breaking essay “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” Originally published in 1989 and extracted here in 2009 (PDF). I experienced the privilege of not being marginalised by my race; could choose to live in a deprived area within my economic resource without any fear because I am white. As Frances E. Kendall, author of Diversity in the Classroom and Understanding White Privilege: Creating Pathways to Authentic Relationships Across Race, gives an encompassing definition of the feeling of White Privilege: “having greater access to power and resources than people of colour [in the same situation] do.” (Collins, 2018)
‘White privilege is the unquestioned and unearned set of advantages; entitlements benefits and choices bestowed on people solely because they are white. Generally white people who experience such privilege do so without being conscious of it.’ Peggy McIntosh 1989
As we prepare for the general election on 4th July it is impossible to escape the feeling of an oppressive force arriving on my doorstep in a ‘white male shiny suited form’. The Manifesto put forward by the Reform Party and leader Nigel Farage is deeply troubling and by voicing extracts of the party manifesto on Clacton Pier last week it has highlighted a divide in my community, sky blue posters in widows appearing daily. Worrying Clacton may become a Reform UK seat and Farage be given voice within the parliamentary system. To paraphrase one comment made two weeks ago on BBC Breakfast News Farage states that one major money saving exercise would be to: ‘for a start scrap all Diversity training in the NHS completely’. In a recent article in The Telegraph, (Penna, 2024) , it was within education that the manifesto outlined a predominantly dangerous and harmful list of threats/promises should they be governing this country:
- Scrap student loan interest – OBVIOUSLY GOOD!
- Ban teaching gender ideology and critical race theory
- Introduce political bias or cancel culture fines for universities
- Tax relief for private schools
- Introduction of Home Economics
- Double pupil referral units
- Make school curriculum more ‘patriotic’
While it is unlikely at this point that we will be governed by Reform UK, we never thought Brexit would be a reality or Trump be US president. There is increasing support for the right-wing populist, driven by white supremacy support for the Reform UK in the polls; I speculate on a government that would outlaw the teaching of Critical Race Theory and would ban the teaching of gender ideology.
Although the foundational education system is far from dismantled or non-biased, according to a UCL study, 46% of UK schools do not have a teacher from an ethnic minority background. So education is really brushing the surface, but planting black history, (Black History Month) and CRT within the curriculum, albeit within the government guidelines for school political impartiality (Option I ) for teachers ‘not to share views which go beyond the basic shared principle that racism is unacceptable’. Schools are allowed to work with independent organization, who share information, workshops for wider discussion, like The Black Curriculum (TBC), who conducted the first ever public consultation on the Model History Curriculum. This was discussed in 2024 at a roundtable in Parliament with the Working Group. The concept of open discussion and learning through lived experience is seen as a powerful tool of change. The power of experiential learning is witnessed in the film ‘What is Privilege?,
demonstrated through positionality questions to a group of young adults, and using the teaching activity of The Privilege Walk, we witness deep emotional response and awareness; it is the black, queer, female student that ends in the last position. Engagement and discussion being a first step towards dismantling systemic racism and shining a light on the concept of ‘white privilege’. We see a glimmer of this in this 2020 Channel 4 documentary extract: The School That Tried to End Racism, this was the first UK trial of a US initiative aimed at educating pupils in unconscious racial bias. While it was hailed as a great success, it was not implemented through a policy or systemic change it was a three-week test in one school filmed for a television documentary. We see the 24 year 7 pupils from Glenthorne high school in south London, as they take up positions in a running race according to how they respond to certain questions. “Take a step forward if you’ve never been asked where you come from.” “Step back if you have ever worried about stop and search”. “Step forward if you’ve never been the only person your colour in a room”. It feels very uncomfortably for all the children. Half-white, half-Sri Lankan Farrah doesn’t immediately get the point. “Farrah,” explains Mahkai quietly, gesturing towards the back half of the field, “None of us are white.” The lasting impressions is encapsulated by one boy “Feels like,” Bright explains, “a very racist sports day.”
As a thought, under a government that banned the teaching of CRT and by making educational curriculum ‘patriotic’ the concept of Anglo normative practices being challenged in education as we actively follow at UAL through providing Language support, Anti-racism strategy, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training and awareness, etc. This inclusive environment would be discouraged, and the academic system would be not value linguistic and cultural diversity. (Linguistic inequality within my own teaching practise is explored in my teaching intervention). While I speculate on the extremities of the worst-case scenario, I also draw on the roots of Critical Race Theory, that it would take a massive shift, a complete dismantling of the systems that created racism, a breakdown of ‘the system’ a revolution to forge change. This change happening slowly through embedding into systems the academic thinking of CRT to challenge “equity,” “social justice,” “diversity and inclusion” and “culturally responsive teaching.” In a article in New York Post CRT academic Christopher F. Rufo states ’No longer simply an academic matter, critical race theory has become a tool of political power’ (Rufo, 2021). I conclude, on a personal note, through enquiry, discussion, active engagement and reflection, it is crucial to first understand and recognise white privilege
UPDATED: 5th July 2024 – SHOCK HORROR!!! Clacton-on-Sea voted and 21,000 people in this area sided with Reform UK….Words fail me!
References:
As/Is (2015). What Is Privilege? YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD5f8GuNuGQ [Accessed 15 Jun. 2024].
Ashe, S. (2021). SHF RACE REPORT 40 years of tackling racial inequality in Britain. [online] Available at: https://www.stuarthallfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/SHF-Race-Report-2021.pdf [Accessed 20 Jun. 2024].
BBC News (2024). General election 2024 poll tracker: How do the parties compare? BBC News. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68079726 [Accessed 20 Jun. 2024].
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Having read this after the general election and the racist riots that have been taking place across the country in the past week highlights white privilege even more. Having friends who are concerned for their families’ safety and being in fear that they will be targeted next is terrifying and this post has further highlighted for me how different my position is from theirs due to the white privilege I am afforded. I am concerned about going into areas where these race riots are taking place but do not live in fear about the discrimination I may face due to the colour of my skin of the religion I follow.
Peggy McIntosh’s essay “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” was an interesting read. She says on page two “I repeatedly forgot each of the realizations on this list until I wrote it down”, highlighting how these privileges are so normal to white people and leads to ignorance. These realisations are just a part of the privileges white people are afforded but I found it to be eye-opening and led me to reflect on the unearned privileges I hold.
This piece reminded me about an essay I read on privilege walks in education https://www.researchgate.net/publication/379504631_The_Limits_of_White_Privilege_Pedagogy_A_Reflective_Essay_on_using_Privilege_Walks_in_the_College_Classroom This was an insight into how limited the effects of these strategies to combat racism can be, as they fail to situate white privilege in its own broader context of white supremacy and instrumentalise minorities students for the pedagogical benefit of white students. (Dundon et al. 2024)
Thanks for the comments Beth, and the link, as I have finished my hand-in I have not had a chance to read the attached link – will save it for another time. The line by Peggy McIntosh “I repeatedly forgot each of the realizations on this list until I wrote it down”, really jumped out to me – and made me realise that by studying as we are, on this course we are writing down our own views, adding to this story, in this way activating conversation and strengthening messages – we are now part of change making. I find myself immersed in thought, and contemplate my lack of awareness, even thou my family are multiracial, I had not, until now, considered properly the differences between my upbringing and life experience, the privilege afforded by white skin, to my nieces and nephews who have a black father. In discussion with my niece, since my learning journey, she has shared with me, that she already knew from a young age she was different, and had work triple hard if she wanted to succeed, this made her very ambitious to become the first doctor in our family, but her sense of belonging a battle sometimes affecting her mental health.