Rapid Shifts in Power: The importance of continuously checking your privilege
A Life-long Journey that Started on a Morning Commute
The resentment that comes from being confined to an overcrowded train prevents the NYC-bound passengers from recognizing that they are a powerful force that can unintentionally inflict physical and psychological harm to those of us traveling in the opposite direction.
As a reverse commuter, we employed tactics that enlisted other outbound travelers to avoid, evade, and overcome the crowd to reach our goal of boarding the next train without being jostled or even toppled over.
As reverse commuters disembarked at the first station across the Hudson River, we carried our energy from one side of the river to another, bulldozing past the scant few individuals attempting to board the train. We failed to recognize that the power dynamics shifted in our favor during that ~5-minute ride; we had transformed from the oppressed to the oppressor.
This experience began my journey to understanding how and when power is dynamic and how intersectionality can impact the power within a given group of people. While I don’t have a clear decision tree to reference when navigating power imbalance shifts, I have learned some valuable tactics.
Feeling the Shift in Power
Our bodies often feel the shift in dynamics before our brain recognizes them if it even recognizes them at all. But this is where the learning starts.
As you go through your days, pay attention to signals that the power shifted. An easy place to start is an in-person or virtual meeting. When folks join the meeting, does the energy change when specific people arrive? Does the pre-meeting banter feel like one that includes everyone, or does it feel like a conversation for a handful of folks who disregard the others present?
Over time, you’ll find yourself quietly observing all sorts of situations and scenarios, not to judge those you’re observing but to hone your skills in assessing where the power sits at a given moment of time.
Understanding Intersectionality
The most helpful description of intersectionality comes from the photographer and social media commentator Cyzor.
A person can have both privileges and oppressions at the same time.
When you look at power dynamics through the lens of intersectionality, you understand how many things play into power and how a small change could change where the power lies.
Checking Your Privilege
As you gain confidence in feeling the shifts and become better versed in understanding the intersectionality in play, it is imperative that you also consider how your actions impact the dynamics of the situation.
While it is hard to see ourselves objectively, if you are truly committed to creating a more equitable world, it is imperative that you ask the same questions that you apply to others to yourself.
The factors that influence how much power we have in a given situation can be challenging to identify. Nevertheless, it is worth reflecting on at a regular cadence to ensure that you maintain enough self-awareness to avoid becoming an oppressor.
Restoring Balance (when possible)
When we recognize imbalance and are in a position to create more equity, we must take action whenever we can. Sometimes, that action is great. Sometimes, it is small. At all times, we must center the needs of the person we intend to support.
With that guiding principle, I recommend that you look to the people within the communities you would like to better support and follow their lead on what that support might look like.
Here is a tiny sample of folks I follow to help increase my knowledge, allowing me to do my part when the opportunity presents itself.
- Alexis Nicole — American forager, cook, and internet personality who posts videos of her foraging finds along with cooking techniques and historical information.
- Blair Imani — Writer, mental health advocate, and historian living at the intersections of Black, Queer, and Muslim identity.
- The Conscious Lee — Lee believes: You cannot change what you don’t know needs to be changed. The starting point is “consciousness.”
- Crutches & Spice (Imani Barbarin) — I have a desire to see people connected to opportunities, communities, goods and services to improve their lives.
- IlumiNative — Our mission is to build power for Native peoples by amplifying contemporary Native voices, stories, and issues to advance justice, equity, and self-determination.
- Keep it Aloha Podcast — hosted by Kamaka Dias talking stories with influential figures in Hawai’i and beyond about their lives and our culture.
- Mercury Stardust — Trans-femme person who highlights the importance of representation of queer people in our lives, media, and communities.
- The White Woman Whisperer (Rebecca) — instead of succumbing to the dehumanizing nature of “professionalism” and screaming into the abyss of Diversity & Inclusion initiatives, I am choosing to believe that we can, and will, break this cycle.
Remember, it is a continuous learning process, and we will make mistakes along the way, but as long as we remain committed to making progress, we can create a better future for ourselves and those around us.
