Happy Anniversary NAACP

The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) has been getting a lot of NPR coverage lately with its 100th anniversary this year as the nation's largest civil rights organization. Lots of hot topics regarding race have been explored on NPR, such as one this morning entitled "Are we raising our kids to be racist?" Interesting and difficult topics of conversation, but necessary topics of conversation nonetheless.

It wasn't until college that I realized the privileges that came with being White. From the small to the large, I started to see how society was set up to benefit me in myriad ways and it was astounding. I didn't do anything to invite such opportunities, but they were there and worked to my advantage whether I wanted them to or not.

Like most white liberals, I have struggled with these circumstances and the guilt of taking advantage of them as well as the enjoyment of such an easy life in most regards. But, I truly wish our society was not set up in this way--even if this means that I will lose some of the privileges that come with being White. Because, honestly, if the world was equal then the many benefits of being White in society would be lessened. I am okay with that. I know--easy for me to say because I don't know life without these benefits--but I honestly think I'd be okay with a more equality even if that means less perks for me and my kids.

For example, I had this conversation about affirmative action with a co-worker years ago that still resonates in me. She was saying that she was not okay with affirmative action b/c if some student of color beat her kid out of a place at Harvard (if they had the same SAT scores, GPA, extracurriculars, etc, but the kid of color was simply that: a person of color and perhaps of lower socio-economic income) she'd feel slighted and blame affirmative action. I totally disagreed. If my kids can't get into Harvard (and on full scholarship mind you, b/c there's no way my teacher salary will ever be able to cover tuition!) by his/her own means after being raised by two highly over-educated people in White middle-upper class America, then they don't need to go to Harvard. Period. And if some other student of color gets in, who had the same statistics as my kid, GOOD for them b/c my kids won't have had to prove themselves over and over again academically in contrast to the stereotypes associated with racism.

Anyhoo, the NAACP's anniversary got me thinking of all this again. Maybe I'll become a member...There's still so much work to be done. Post-racial society simply b/c we have a Black president? I don't think so.