Week 8: What does equality mean to you?
I am not oppressed. I am able to be observed by others as non-threatening and innocent by virtue of my whiteness. Are there problematic men in positions of power making decisions on my behalf because I’m a female? Yes. So, I’m not totally free of inequalities. But morning, noon, and night, I am white. I am cis gendered. No one is trying to block my access to anything (just maybe pay me less).
I benefit from both earned and unearned privilege. I’m not going to start this by pretending I haven’t worked hard or that I haven’t experience obstacles. Because I have. Because for the majority of us, that’s how the world works. However, I have privileges that was granted to me simply because of how I look. For example, I don’t have eyes following me around stores, thinking I might steal something. I’ve never had the police called on me because I looked like I didn’t belong in a certain neighborhood.
Look at disparities in resources and funding provided to public schools throughout your state. Trust me, the money is not dispersed based on need. Wealthier communities receive more funding. Without going into a deep sociological discussion, it’s helpful to understand just how difficult it is to overcome poverty when you’re born into it. Not everyone has access to bootstraps. Shomari Payne touches on this in his TEDx Talk titled, “The Inheritance of Poverty.”
Beyond the cards we are dealt in our childhoods, we are dealt a new set in our adulthoods. Look at the gender and racial diversity (or lack thereof) of your employer or companies where you want to work. Don’t just look at the overall diversity, but also look at their roles. Why are certain departments female-driven and others male-driven? Why do we continue to see leadership teams made up of white men? Don’t get me started on tokenism.
I could go on, but instead of ranting, I want to address this topic—what equality means to me.
Our rights are all the same. On paper, we should all be treated the same. Biblically, we should love our neighbors as ourselves. But the reality of this, the reality of our equality in action, is, well… unequal. Why does equality feel like an idealistic concept?
I am a United Methodist. I grew up believing “Open Heart, Open Minds, Open Doors,” a brand promise created in 2001 as a sort of call to hospitality to all people. I will always and forever love this promise. However, I can’t share this without also acknowledging that there are people in the church who think there are limits to how “open” we really are. Obviously, I’m not of that party. You, whoever you may be, are welcome to come sit with me.
On Sunday mornings as I listen to the sermons, I’m constantly thinking to myself, “If someone walked in here for the first time or maybe it’s their first time in a church, would they stay? Would they come back?” Hope is what always calls me back. Hope for the present and future. Hope for the hopeless. And my hope for the church is that it turn no one away.
If the best I can do is make sure that anyone I encounter feels seen, heard, and understood, I’ll be happy. If I witness judgment/injustice/discrimination, I hope to do better than my best. At the end of the day, considering how unequal our lives are based on race, gender, sexuality, and social class, it is our job as people of the world to rid ourselves of biased thinking (intentional or otherwise). While there are people in power and people with great wealth who could swoop in Superman-style and save the day, the vast majority of them are more concerned with increasing their own power and wealth without any consideration for those struggling to find their next meal. How can we make them see? How can we make them feel?
I’m still unlearning my own biased behaviors. I became aware of it when I was encouraged to ask myself, “Would I have responded the same if he/she/they were white/straight/Christian/wealthy, etc.?” Until then, I really thought I was “woke.” But I noticed patterns in my thinking that gave me chills. Patterns I didn’t even recognize as problematic until I took a hard look. Now, I’m glad that my blinders don’t fit anymore.
Equality offers anyone and everyone a seat at the table, a meal and an opportunity to both speak and be heard. Equality is our job.
