Buzzfeed recently posted a video which perfectly describes how certain individuals possess privileges that others don’t. And it’s spot on.

The questions presented to the participants in the privilege exercise came from activists Margo Adair and Sharon Howell. By posing scenarios for participants like, “If you can legally marry the person you love, regardless of where you live, take one step forward” and “If there were more than 50 books in your house growing up, take one step forward,” the short film pinpoints some of the mundane facets of daily life which people take for granted. Simultaneously, the video shows how people who are privileged often struggle with how that looks to people who are not.

As expected, the hierarchy amongst the multi-racial group ended with the two Black participants toward the back of the group while the White participants were concentrated towards the front. Quickly, the participants began to see how privilege varies even amongst peers. It is eye-opening for anyone especially those who deny that privelege exists at all.

Watch the video above.

Photo credit: Youtube/Screenshot

Author

  • Jenn M. Jackson was born and raised in East Oakland, California, a fact which motivates her writing and academic ambitions. She is a scholar, educator, and writer whose writing addresses Black Politics and civil and public life for young Black people with a focus on policing and surveillance. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of Water Cooler Convos, a culture platform for Black millennials. Her writing has been featured in Washington Post, BITCH Magazine, Marie Claire, EBONY, The Root, Daily Dot, The Independent, and many others. Jackson is a doctoral candidate at the University of Chicago studying American Politics with a focus on political participation and engagement, public opinion and social movements. For more about her, tweet her at @JennMJack or visit her website at jennmjackson.com.