Is Privilege Situational?

Hello {{ first name | friends}},

A while back I was discussing privilege in the SHHARE community. It was after a thread which shared and discussed a couple of versions of the privilege wheel.

As I've said before, the idea that all Black people lack privilege is reductive and often incorrect. It's perhaps more helpful to think of privilege as an intersection, where some aspects of it can shift.

For example, all people racialised as white have the reduced disadvantage that comes with that skin shade, especially in countries where the majority of folks share their identity or in formerly colonised countries where generations of oppression have solidified some positive attitudes to the identity of whiteness. What they may not have is the privilege of financial resources, health insurance, good schools and so on, depending on where they sit in the social structure of their country.

In contrast, it's entirely possible for people racialised as Black to have the privilege of financial resources, health insurance and good schools but in countries where they are minoritised, their racialisation offers them little protection even when those other things are true. Find yourself in the wrong place and the advantages your money can buy will evaporate when the powers that be take a look at you.

Let me bring it home to my own case. I commented in that discussion that my level of privilege also shifts by location and by area of engagement.

In the UK, my racialisation as Black has brought with it various experiences of racism that I've documented in my book and in this newsletter. I spent much of my time there as the "other" even when the day to day wasn't too bad. That didn't mean I didn't have friends and great experiences. But the education I received in the Caribbean also allowed me to get jobs that improved my knowledge and capacity and to get into a postgraduate study programme.

In the Caribbean, or more specifically in Barbados, I have the privilege of having gone to an excellent school, which can open doors and lead to contacts. I'm well educated*, and I have a roof over my head and food on the table.

However, I'm not part of the richerati (hello, 20-year-old car), and there are still a few places in the country where most of the regular attendees don't share my identity.

I guess this is one of the reasons why I like the wheel as a tool for learning - because it allows you to have a nuanced discussion about the areas where you enjoy privilege and where you don't.

If you haven't already done so, try it for yourself. There’s a wheel of privilege in the article linked about, and there are plenty of other iterations when you search.

Figure out where you enjoy privilege, and where you don’t.

Then ask yourself, how can I use the privilege I have to level the playing field for those with less privilege in that area?

Thanks for reading my perspective. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Sharon

_{*Well educated by conventional standards, with the pieces of paper to match. However, given that our education system is intended to make us part of the machine, I'm also consciously unlearning and broadening my sources of learning.}

Overwhelmed by biased news? Cut through the clutter and get straight facts with your daily 1440 digest. From politics to sports, join millions who start their day informed.

Sign up now!

Note: poll feedback is private - if you’re happy to share your thoughts in public, then please also leave a comment.

I am an anti-racism educator and activist, the author of “I’m Tired of Racism”, and co-host of The Introvert Sisters podcast.

© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2025. All Rights Reserved. This newsletter is published on beehiiv (affiliate link).