This is Greta Thunberg.
You probably know her.
This is Tokata Iron Eyes.
This is Wanjiku “Wawa” Gatheru
These are Melati and Isabel Wijsen
I bet you’ve never heard of them. Even if you have, try to remember how many headlines you’ve seen about them. Remember that time they spoke to the UN? Me neither.
Because it didn’t happen. Even though the Wijsen siblings have done much more for the climate, you didn’t hear about it. Even though Iron Eyes and Wanjiku did what Greta did, even though they also spoke out about climate change, they haven’t gotten much fame at all.
That is white privilege. Greta is rich, she’s white, and she comes from a rich country. Her parents are famous. All these things are privileges. All these things helped her get where she is. These other girls? They weren’t so lucky. They still are doing plenty for the climate, and they’ll probably continue to have great lives. But they won’t reach the level Greta has, not without a lot more work than her.
None of this is Greta’s fault any more than it was theirs. There’s nothing wrong with her using her many privileges to raise awareness and go further. In fact I think it’s a good thing. But that doesn’t mean that privilege isn’t there.
Of course the above girls have a privilege that Greta doesn’t. They’re neurotypical. They have probably never fallen into such a deep depression that they stop eating. They have never felt pain at a simple sound or feeling. They’ve never had to handle being called mentally deficient or simple. Greta has had to handle all of these things.
Everyone has privileges and disadvantages that aren’t really their fault, just something they’re born with. Yes, it’s wrong to play the victim game and wallow in self-pity. But it’s also wrong to ignore these disadvantages. They exist. It’s okay, it’s not your fault that you’re disadvantaged or privileged. It’s just luck.
But don’t pretend it doesn’t exist.
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