I think that white priviledge is easier to spot when you're not in your own place where you're used to how things work.
For example, I spent 10 weeks in Mozambique, on the East coast of Africa. The one thing I had known about MZ before going there was that it was one of the poorest countries in the world. Anyway, the passport of my skin was tremendously apparent while I was there. I could be wearing normal regular street clothes and walk into a three star hotel. Why? Because I was white. The streets outside were crammed with dark people who would've loved to come into the air conditioned foyer. The men in uniforms at the door who stood as though part of the decoration for me would've tossed a similarly dressed African out in a second.
The malls in South Africa were the same way. There were white people and well dressed black people. Either you had to have the skin or you had to prove the money.
My skin color walked before me like a herald, announcing that I was set apart. This was both dangerous -- it made me more of a target -- and protective (the police would most definitely have investigated if something bad happened to me. Could the same be said if I had been a citizen of Mozambique? Most likely not.)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2006-07-20 04:39 pm (UTC)For example, I spent 10 weeks in Mozambique, on the East coast of Africa. The one thing I had known about MZ before going there was that it was one of the poorest countries in the world. Anyway, the passport of my skin was tremendously apparent while I was there. I could be wearing normal regular street clothes and walk into a three star hotel. Why? Because I was white. The streets outside were crammed with dark people who would've loved to come into the air conditioned foyer. The men in uniforms at the door who stood as though part of the decoration for me would've tossed a similarly dressed African out in a second.
The malls in South Africa were the same way. There were white people and well dressed black people. Either you had to have the skin or you had to prove the money.
My skin color walked before me like a herald, announcing that I was set apart. This was both dangerous -- it made me more of a target -- and protective (the police would most definitely have investigated if something bad happened to me. Could the same be said if I had been a citizen of Mozambique? Most likely not.)