This week reading “Privilege, Power and Difference” By Alan Johnson

in chapter 2, "We’re in Trouble," he talks about privilege and power and how race, gender, and class shape our lives. some people have it easier, while others deal with way more obstacles. it’s not about being a good or bad person it’s about how the system is built. like, a man might not think twice about walking alone at night, but a woman probably would. that’s a privilege. it doesn’t mean he’s a bad person, it just means the world treats them differently. one thing that really stuck with me is how deep privilege goes. it’s not just about safety, it’s about jobs, education, opportunities everything. the system works better for some people and holds others back. Johnson says people with privilege need to recognize it and actually help change things. and it’s not just on marginalized people to fix it. A lot of people get defensive when they hear words like "racism" or "privilege," but ignoring it doesn’t make it go away.

One thing to think about is how privilege can be invisible to those who have it. Allan G. Johnson talks about how people don’t always notice the ways they benefit from the system because it just feels “normal” to them. If you’ve never had to worry about being followed in a store, questioned about your qualifications, or ignored in conversations, it might not occur to you that others experience those things daily. That doesn’t mean privilege makes someone a bad person it just means they’re playing the game in a different setting, often without realizing it. And once you do realize it, the question becomes: What do you do with that awareness? Some people feel guilty, but guilt doesn’t change the system. The real challenge is using that awareness to listen, learn, and take small actions that make a difference, like speaking up when someone is being dismissed or making sure opportunities are more evenly shared.