Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER
11
Unsettling the Privilege of Self-Reflexivity
ANDREA SMITH
In my experience with a plethora of antiracist organizing projects over the years, I fre-
quently found myself participating in various workshops in which participants were
askedtoreflectontheirgender/race/sexuality/class/etc.privilege.Theseworkshopshada
bitofaself-help orientation tothem: “Iamsoandso,andIhavexprivilege.” Itwasnev-
er quite clear what the point of these confessions were. It was not as if other participants
did not know the confessor in question had her or his proclaimed privilege. It did not ap-
pear that these individual confessions actually led to any political projects to dismantle
the structures of domination that enabled their privilege. Rather, the confessions became
thepolitical projectthemselves.Thebenefitsoftheseconfessionsseemedtobeephemer-
al. Forthe instant the confession took place, those whodonot have that privilege in daily
life would have a temporary position of power as the hearer of the confession who could
grant absolution and forgiveness. The one who confessed could then be granted tempor-
ary forgiveness for her or his abuses of power and relief from white/male/heterosexual/
etc. guilt. Because of the perceived benefits of this ritual, there was generally little cri-
tiqueofthefactthatintheend,itprimarilyservedtoreinstantiatethestructuresofdomin-
ation it was supposed to resist. One of the reasons there was little critique of this practice
isthatitbestowedculturalcapitaltothosewhoseemedtobethe“mostoppressed.”Those
whohadlittleprivilegedidnothavetoconfessandwereinthepositiontobethejudgeof
those who did have privilege. Consequently, people aspired to be oppressed. Inevitably,
those with more privilege would develop new heretofore unknown forms of oppression
from which they suffered. “I may be white, but my best friend was a person of color,
which caused me to be oppressed when we played together.” Consequently, the goal be-
camenottoactuallyendoppressionbuttobeasoppressedaspossible.Theseritualsoften
substituted confession for political movement-building. And despite the cultural capital
that was, at least temporarily, bestowed to those who seemed to be the most oppressed,
