Talking About Privilege: Reflections from a Workshop on the Subject

By Lisa Buda

I recently attended a workshop offered by my local public library system for staff interested in better understanding the concept of privilege and what it means within our society. The workshop was called Privilege: Taking Out the Sting, Taking in the Reality and was presented by the National Coalition Building Institute of Rochester, NY (NCBI), whose mission is to “educate and nurture leaders who become powerful cross-cultural allies in eliminating prejudice, oppression and other forms of mistreatment” (2016, Mission section). NCBI focuses on providing a respectful space that encourages dialogue within the group to discuss topics that often take people out of their comfort zones. 

I was first introduced to the notions of white privilege and institutional racism while taking the Reference Sources and Services course offered by the SUNY University at Buffalo Information Science program. In particular, an article by Brook, Ellenwood, and Lazzaro (2015) stood out in my mind as they discussed institutional racism in academic libraries, a traditionally “white” setting. I later encountered the topic again in an Archival Processing and Description course as archivists have begun to question agency, access, and description in their collections. As a white person myself, I never considered what non-white people could be experiencing in a space traditionally dominated by my own culture and how it could impact their experience within that space. Would a young African-American male be hesitant to approach me at a reference desk in a space dominated by classical architecture? Maybe and maybe not, but these courses got me thinking about the possibility and how other peoples’ life experiences are not my own. 

And that’s okay. The workshop discussed these ideas and allowed participants to explore how we see the world but to also be cognizant of other peoples’ perspectives. An example of how this was accomplished was with the showing of a short video they deemed the $100 race. Basically, it brought together a group of kids for a race but with certain advantages given to those who met specific “criteria”. We then paired up and discussed our emotional response, where we placed ourselves within the race, and could the video be related to any other ‘isms” besides racism? This helped to create a dialogue that encouraged active listening so as to listen but also allow each other to be heard. It was encouraging to see people sharing life experiences and perceptions on the topic in an open and respectful manner.

So what does this mean for us in the IS program and as professionals? It means we can put this mindfulness into practice at the reference desk, in describing our collections, thinking about the accessibility and design of our spaces, and even what programming we offer. Be aware of current trends in the field and seek out workshops such as this one to better acclimate yourself to creating positive interactions with your patrons and co-workers. Together, we can work as allies to create safe and welcoming spaces for everyone to enjoy. 

References: 

Brook, F., Ellenwood, D., Lazzaro, A.E. (2015). In pursuit of antiracist social justice: Denaturalizing whiteness in the academic library. Library Trends, 64(2), 246–284. 

National Coalition Building Institute of Rochester, NY. (2016). Retrieved from https://ncbirochester.org/

Peter D. (2017, October 14). Life of Privilege Explained in a $100 Race [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K5fbQ1-zps