“White Privilege II” is a controversial track by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Carlo Allegri/AP.
By John Christen
The role of the privileged white person in the struggle to eradicate the remnants of a racially divided society remains ambiguous to the overwhelming majority. It seems that, more than a genuine desire to silently support movements like “Black Lives Matter,” white people keep their mouths shut to avoid being labeled as ignorant about the issue. The over-analyzation of this debate inspires a song like Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s “White Privilege II,” a self-deprecating, nine-minute sequel to their own “White Privilege,” released in 2005.
Hip-hop aficionados beware; this hook-less, interlude-ridden stream of consciousness is not an aesthetically pleasing Kanye West song. However, it is worth listening to for the sake of realizing how little much of the white population understands about their place in the fight for equality:
“Am I on the outside looking in, Or am I on the inside looking out? Is it my place to give my two cents? Or should I stand on the side and shut my mouth? ‘No justice no peace’ Oh yeah, I’m saying that. They chanting out BLACK LIVES MATTER. But I don’t say it back. Is it O.K. for me to say? I don’t know, so I watch and stand.”
Reflecting upon his own experience marching in the Ferguson protests in 2014, Macklemore explains to his listeners how he questioned whether it was even his place as a straight, white male to contribute to this discussion. Well, is it? Is it acceptable for a white person to express his or her disgust with the incidents of violence against young black males by police? It is, and it is necessary. Pretending that white people have their hands tied, rendering them inactive but concerned, further separates them from black people, a phenomenon “Black Lives Matter” strives to prevent.
Macklemore’s self-flagellation, however, can be mistaken for a negative generalization of the white population. The use of the word “we” creates the illusion that this multimillionaire rapper is equating himself to all white people. That is not his overt intention:
“I’ve heard that silences are action and God knows I’ve been passive. What if I actually read an article, actually had a dialogue, actually looked at myself, actually got involved? If I’m aware of my privilege and do nothing at all, I don’t know.”
The title of the song alone, “White Privilege II,” understandably provokes controversy. The majority of white people who do not enjoy the luxuries of wealth and high class might argue that they do not understand exactly what their privilege is. If someone is poor, he is poor, regardless of the color of his skin. If someone lives in a socioeconomically disadvantaged location, social mobility becomes stifled, regardless of his race. The automatic reaction to being generalized is to defend oneself.
Regardless, white privilege is something that white people need to understand better and be cognizant of. Gina Crosley-Corcoran, a writer from thefeministbreeder.com, explains white privilege agreeably: “Recognizing privilege simply means being aware that some people have to work much harder just to experience the things you take for granted (if they ever can experience them at all).”
White people, by the nature of the United States’ societal structure, are privileged in that they are well-represented politically, culturally, socially and historically. White people can look back through the history of this country and take pride in the fact that people of their skin tone are accredited, often too exclusively, with the foundation and success of this nation. People of color are not afforded this privilege; their history is proud, but sometimes for a different reason. Their history has often been a struggle for recognition and equality in a country where segregation based on race was enforceable by law 52 years ago. So, white people must acknowledge this privilege without guilt, and move forward through the celebration of black achievement without patronization. “Black Lives Matter” is a movement that capitalizes on the need for race to no longer be treated as grounds for separation and alienation, but as something every person can be proud of.
The “Black Lives Matter” movement has been publicized as a violent string of protests in major cities accompanied by a social media hashtag (#blacklivesmatter) that anyone can use to display their sympathy towards those suffering from this issue. The problem with this depiction is that it creates an “us” and a “them” mentality and stereotypes participants as irrational and destructive. Approaching the issue as though it is a problem that “they” need help suffering through only serves to perpetuate the idea that race divides us. Everyone must be held accountable for their actions and privileges. The “Black Lives Matter” movement should not divide us, but unite us in a fight against ignorance and inequality. It does not matter what color your skin is. If you are privileged, be aware of it, then join those without it in our country’s struggle to treat all of its citizens equally. No one needs to be generalized or profiled; people are people. This is a fight against institutionalized inequality and racism, not each other. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s lengthy “White Privilege II” is a thought-provoking song, and it is easily misconstrued as an admission of guilt. It is simply an example of the confusion much of the white population may feel about their place in the fight against inequality.
