Former President Barack Obama gave a speech on July 13, 2012 in Roanoke, Virgina during his 2012 re-election campaign (I previously wrote about the speech in a post from earlier last year called Unsung Heroes, but today I wanted to talk about something different). He said something during his speech which became a rallying cry for his Republican opponents. He was talking about how rich individuals didn't get rich entirely on their own accord, but rather, these individuals owed some of their fortune to the contributions of their local, state, and federal governments. He said (it's now called the "You didn't build that" speech):
"Look, if you've been successful, you didn't get there on your own. You didn't get there on your own. I'm always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something – there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there.
If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn't get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet.
The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together. There are some things, just like fighting fires, we don't do on our own. I mean, imagine if everybody had their own fire service. That would be a hard way to organize fighting fires."
When you think about it, he was absolutely correct. No one really lives the "American Dream" and pulls themselves up from their bootstraps and becomes successful completely on their own. It really does require hard work, dedication, and commitment. It also requires some amount of luck. While some may argue with me, it surely helps if you happen to be white, and it helps even more if you are a white male.
There's a powerful video on the Internet that has received a lot of attention recently (see here). Several high school kids line up for a short race - the winner gets $100. Everyone is getting ready to run, but then the starter tells everyone that has both parents living with them to step forward two steps. He then tells the runners to take two steps forward if they had access to a private education or a private tutor. He makes several such statements - it is clear who gets the head start and who does not. THAT, is exactly what is meant by a life of privilege (see here, here, and here). There's nothing wrong with having led a privileged life. Trust me, I am thankful for all the advantages I've had throughout my life. But here's my point, don't just assume that you have succeeded in life all on your own, because you haven't. More importantly, don't assume that you are smarter or that you worked harder than those who haven't been quite as successful as you, because you aren't and you haven't. They just didn't have the same advantages that you did. That is what President Obama was talking about.
Several years ago, the American feminist, scholar, and Wellesley professor, Dr. Peggy McIntosh wrote an article called "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack". It is well worth the investment in your time to read it, especially given everything that has been going on in the world the last several days. Dr. McIntosh uses the metaphor of an invisible, seemingly bottom-less knapsack that all white people have that contains special provisions, guidebooks, tools, maps, codebooks, and even extra money that helps them navigate the travails of life. African Americans don't get to carry the "Invisible Knapsack."
As I stated in my last post ("The Other America"), we have a lot of work to do to address the inequities of life in the two America's that exist today. If what they say is true, that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, our first step to making our country a place where everyone has the same chance begins with a recognition and acknowledgment that there are two America's, and we live in the privileged one.
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