White Privilege Checklist Helps University Of Minnesota Students Check Their Privilege

El Taco8 years ago

Man, Minnesota. You wildin’ with these signs right now. A few weeks ago we had those “Frat Boys: Stop Raping People” signs around campus, now we’ve got a “White Privilege Checklist” popping up in a dorm. The Gophers’ social activism is at record highs. Sell! Sell! Sell!

This white privilege checklist billboard is proudly (?) on display in Mark G. Yudof Hall. Students have photographed the billboard which, as far as we can tell, is still up.

From Campus Reform:

Evan Christenson, the student who photographed the board, told Campus Reform that he believes the display “attacks the individual and not the idea,” and doesn’t offer opportunities for dialogue about the issue.

“I do believe it crosses the line. When it attacks the individual and not the idea, there is a problem,” Christenson said.
…
Christenson also spoke to a larger “double standard” on campus, pointing out that a Trump mural erected in September was vandalized and offended students were offered emotional counseling, yet the privilege board is displayed proudly in Yudof Hall.

“I still consider myself a social progressive but I am quite frankly appalled by the double standard applied to free speech as of late,” he asserted.

A double standard you say? We will not have that kind of radical thinking around here, Evan. Collect your belongings because I am triggered. Those gringos need to know what’s up.

As Fox News Insider points out, “The items on the list come from a longer compilation developed in 1988 by Peggy McIntosh, a women’s-studies scholar at Wellesley.” Kinda all makes sense now, don’t it?

1. I can arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.
2. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assure that I will not be followed or harassed.
3. I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.
4. When I am told about our national heritage or about “civilization,” I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.
5. I can be sure that my children will be given curricular material that testify of the existence of their race.
6. I can go into a music shop and count on finding the music of my race represented, into a supermarket and find the food I grew up with, into a hairdresser’s shop and find someone who can deal with my hair.
7. Whether I use checks, credit cards, or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of financial responsibility.
8. I am not made acutely aware that my shape, bearing, or body odor will be taken as a reflection on my race.
9. I can worry about racism without being seen as self-interested or self-seeking.
10. I can take a job or enroll in a college with an affirmative action policy without having my co-workers or peers assume I got it because of my race.
11. I can be late to a meeting without having the lateness reflect on my race.

Strap in, we’ve got a lot to unpack. First on the docket: Did this really need to be 11 bullet points long? Who does that? You could’ve easily stopped at 10. Or, hell, go an even dozen. Posting 11 points is just down right absurd.

Right, now that we’ve got that out of the way, I’d like to highlight some of the ludicrous points this board brings up. Let’s start with no. 1: “I can arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time.” Is… is that not what the Divine Nine blatantly is? You literally have organizations set up focused around ostracizing people of certain races. Wait, no, I think that was racist of me to point out. I’ll pack my things as well.

Alright, let’s see. What else? No. 3 is pretty infuriating for the fact that I too open up the newspaper and burst into flames. No. 6 is an interesting one because I wasn’t aware music shops were a thing anymore. No. 8 just seems like a personal hygiene problem rather than a race thing. Someone contact Dove and get this SJW some soap.

I feel dirty just looking at this sign. Not dirty because I feel like my Mexican-American privilege has been checked but because it’s one of the more amazing displays of microaggressions I’ve ever seen. Please excuse me while I shower it off me..

[via Campus Reform]

Image via Twitter