You’ll probably feel uncomfortable, but that means you’re really listening. Don’t question their stories or dominate the conversation. In addition to “calling in” and “calling out,” be sure to listen to people of colour’s experiences and stories. ![]() But by being committed to talking about white privilege and pointing out racism, we can all hold each other accountable. We all have problematic beliefs and behaviours we need to unlearn and it’s not easy. You’ll learn what works and what doesn’t along the way. Be patient, and be prepared to make mistakes. It depends on the situation, and also how you’re feeling. Ultimately it’s up to you to decide whether to “call in” or “call out”. Maybe a celebrity made a racist comment and you call them out on Twitter, or perhaps a friend is repeatedly being racist and “calling in” didn’t work. ![]() There are times when this is more appropriate than “calling in”. “Calling out” is when you publicly challenge someone’s questionable behaviour or comment. And this may prevent them from making racist comments in the future. But over many conversations, you may get that person to understand and empathise with others. You’re unlikely to change that person’s mind overnight. Did you think about how it may be perceived?” You can then begin to understand why they made that comment and talk about more appropriate language. You could say something like: “Hey, that comment you made earlier isn’t okay and may upset people. Some people make inappropriate comments because they’re ignorant, so a gentle reminder is an effective way to challenge their behaviour. “Calling in” aims to get the person to change their oppressive behaviour by understanding why they made that comment. This is a lot less confrontational than publicly questioning them. Instead of publicly shaming them, you talk to your friend privately about their problematic comment. One way you can challenge your friends’ racist comment is by “calling in”. Do you say something, or remain silent? And if you decide to say something, what do you say? Call in In that moment it can be difficult to know what to do. So now you’ve got a 101 on white privilege, what can you do to challenge it? We’ve all been in a situation where a friend says something inappropriate – maybe racist, sexist, or homophobic. But it’s important to acknowledge this privilege, and learn how to talk to other white people about it. I’m white, and I don’t hate white people. Talking about white privilege isn’t hating on white people. ![]() But it’s important to sit with these thoughts and understand the experiences of Black and people of colour. A lot of white people feel uncomfortable when you mention white privilege. But it does mean that you are not disadvantaged based on the colour of your skin. Yes, but, what if my life’s difficult and I’m also white? Well, being white doesn’t mean that your life is easy and that you’re not disadvantaged in other ways. On the defence: Challenging the “yes, but…” argument Black and people of colour experience higher levels of mental health problemsĪnd these are only some of the ways Black and people of colour are disadvantaged compared to white people. Some people argue that these differences are explained by work ethic, but this is absolutely not true.Black and people of colour are twice as likely to be unemployed compared to white people.Black people are nine times more likely to be stopped and searched by the police than white people.If you’re more of a visual learner, you can check out this comic explaining white privilege. White privilege is the unfair social advantages that white people have, which Black and people of colour don’t have. This means you don’t have to worry about being discriminated against or oppressed because of the colour of your skin. But what’s ‘white privilege’, and how can white people effectively talk about it to challenge racism? What is white privilege? So let’s change itĪs soon as someone mentions the term ‘white privilege’, the conversation can quickly become hostile. Many white people feel uncomfortable talking about racism – but that’s not an excuse to avoid engaging.
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