Have you ever felt that you lost a competition because someone cheated? Probably.
Have you ever felt that you won a competition because someone rigged it for you to win without telling you beforehand? Probably not.
This happened to me at a summer leadership camp.
It also happens to be the moment that brought the realities of racism, privilege, and disadvantage to the forefront of my conscience.
It was an activity called 'The Race'.
The rules were simple: The first person to cross the finish line wins.
Anxious to win the race, all forty of us campers started stretching our legs in the middle of a grassy field, not prepared for what would come next.
The campers - Caucasians, African Americans, Asians, Latinos, and Native Americans - standing in a single line was a strong display of the diversity that exists in America, but before the camp director shouted "GO!" and we all took off running, she announced that we had to complete another activity first.
She proceeded to shout a series of statements.
Below are a few examples.
* Take one step forward if the most famous and important historical figures you study in school are the same color as you.
* Take one step backward if your everyday speech is a black dialect.
* Take one step forward if the police stop you, you know your race won't count against you.
* Take one step backward if police sirens are a daily occurrence in your neighborhood.
* Take one step forward if the common stereotypes about your race are positive and harmless.
* Take one step backward if when you worry about racism you are seen as self-interested or self-serving.
I found myself embracing everyone of my privileges and embarrassed by my few disadvantages.
Because I was so excited that I kept advancing to the front of the group based on nothing that I had earned, I was probably one of the last campers to realize the speed and efficiency with which we had been systemically divided into groups of race, class, gender, and religion.
No longer a line of diversity and equality, this was the real starting line - A mess of prejudice and privilege.
"GO!" the camp director shouted.
The campers at the front easily sprinted the short distance to the finish line.
A few of the campers in the middle ran for a few steps but quickly gave up when they realized they didn't have a chance to win.
No one in the back even tried to run to the finish line - There were no expectations for them to try.
Although I personally did not win the race, I still say that I did because like the person who did, I am white, male, heterosexual, catholic, middle class, and well educated.
In other words, I am the epitome of privilege.
I hope that my sharing this experience with you will help you see the reality that some people are born privileged and others are born disadvantaged.
Ever since 'The Race', I have decided that as long as I have these privileges, I can use them constructively.
I can share my privileges with those who are underprivileged to slowly address the mess that prejudice and privilege have created (i.
e.
I do not have to worry about being accused of being self-interested or self-serving when talking about racism).