A Word on Privilege

February 2020

As a person who holds two college degrees, a passport, and resides in the expensive metropolis that is New York City. I would be remiss if I didn’t speak to my own privilege—but what do I mean by that, exactly?

Privilege is defined as “a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group.” As an educated woman who has the ability to travel and live in this amazing city, I certainly feel that I have advantages that aren’t available to everyone.

And yet: I also immigrated to the US from the UK at the age of seven. Throughout my life, my socioeconomic status—as well as my presentation as a dark-skinned Black woman—have been disadvantageous.

In particular, I’ve faced the problem in my professional life of large companies (like Anheuser-Busch) wanting to profit from my intellectual work while not fairly paying me for it. And when it comes to my personal well-being, I’ve experienced firsthand the weight of racism in the medical field, which negates the privilege I hold as someone who has health insurance.

When we talk about well-being, we must talk about privilege. Knowing how you maintain or receive privilege in your own life is a great litmus test for how you can maintain or ascertain agency in your own well-being.

With love,
Sinikiwe Stephanie Dhliwayo