dorcasina, over at et al, talks about white privilege and about the new show "changing races".

the people commenting on her post go off topic, but her post is very useful to read.

here's my thoughts on it, the ones that aren't just vociferous agreement, anyhow.

it's certainly possible that you do your best to play the game fairly. if you are white and reading this blog because you're a friend of mine, i sure hope you fall into that category.

as a white person, whether or not you do your best to play the game fairly has no impact on the fact that the game is rigged in your favor.

i could torture that metaphor some more, but it seems silly to do so. but in order to work on ending racism (and sexism and and and) you have to spend time first acknowledging that the system is rigged in your favor, and second, trying to figure out how to un-rig it.

a quote from dorcasina, talking further on that subject.

Et al.: in which I think about something other than bereavement, for once:

It seems to me that their insistence on 'intentionality,' and the refusal to take responsibility for anything outside of what one acknowledges about his or her intentions and desires, is at the root of white privilege.