1. Breaking Down the Wall of Privilege
Presentation by:
Natalie Smith, Residence Life Coordinator
Dr. Rheo Morris, Assistant Director
University of Central Arkansas

2. Learning Outcomes: Attendees will learn to recognize their privileges
Attendees will learn how to react when confronted
Learning
Outcomes:

3. How do I see past my privileges in order to help my students?

4. Step 1: Recognize your own privilege(s).
We would give them the list of questions used in this video, and let them do the activity themselves, and then watch the video. We tell them to focus on the people experiences while completing the activity. Once it’s over and they’ve done the activity, discuss it. See how they felt. Ask how this applys to the topic at hand.

5. Step 2:
Pay attention.
Our Privileges are our blind spots. The areas we pay the least attention to and the areas we aren’t as aware of.
I would love to have things posted around the room for this part. Different topics/issues that student who aren’t as privileged may be dealing with (Executive orders, different identities, etc). We could point those things out and talk about the importance of always staying up-to-date on the issues our students face. If we don’t know what is happening in their worlds/society, then we cannot support them. List of things to post around room:
Travel Ban
H1 B reduction
Transgender bathroom
Marriage ban
Stop and Frisk
Hands up don’t shoot
Maternity leave

6. Able-bodied people don’t tend to think about how a building’s entrance may be difficult to traverse on crutches or in a wheelchair
White people don't tend to notice when only white people have spoken in a meeting or when only white people’s ideas in those meetings are considered.
Cisgender people don’t tend to notice when they have made an erroneous assumption about someone’s pronouns.

7. Step 3: Start a conversation.
Talk about the importance of have conversation with peers, staff, students on what is happening with them personally, and what they need but also larger issues. Educating others on topics if they aren’t aware, etc. (including educational components in staff training, continuing training through out the year, in 1:1s, programming, etc).

8. Be the voice that others don’t have.
Start dialogues about privilege and social justice issues on a one on one basis, as well as on a large scale basis.
Don’t be afraid of hard conversations, or calling people out when they misuse their privilege. Make sure it is a productive conversation.
Challenge your team/department to evaluate how they are training the staff on privilege awareness and social justice issues. Teach the staff how to handle/address the issues.
Ask questions.
Don’t assume someone else will always teach you, but if you build a rapport with someone, take the time to ask them questions, or elaborate on a conversation.
Pay attention to what’s happening in the world, and how it’s affecting your staff/students. Start a conversation with them and listen.
Be the voice that others don’t have.
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9. Step 4:
Listen
We can talk about the importance of listening to others when they tell their stories. Not to let the voice of their own experience negate someone else’s. If you get called out about something, listen and learn, don’t become defensive and brush it off.

10. Common Excuses I’m black, I’m less privileged than you are
What are you talking about? I’m a female
I have black friends so I understand
I don’t see color
I grew up poor, my family struggled
Advocate for those who don’t have the privilege.
IT’S NOT A COMPETITION!

11. Check Your Privilege! -What it is not.
It’s not personal- and it’s not an insult
We didn't ask for society to to be unequal and most times we didn’t even notice we have these privileges in the first place.
They are asking us to be compassionate towards the particular struggle that they have had, and to acknowledge that their struggle has been different from yours.
It doesn't mean we have not struggled.
You can have privilege in one aspect of your life, while having struggled or encountered disadvantages in other ways.
It’s not a time to defend ourselves
It’s not the time to derail a conversation about someone else’s challenges by inserting ours.
It’s not a time to demand that someone should educate us.
It’s great that we want to understand but our education isn’t their responsibility- it’s ours

12. What it is.
It’s time to reflect and investigate. Research what we do not know or understand.
It’s a moment to examine our impact.
While our intentions might be good or neutral, our impact was not
It’s ‘tuning in’ instead of opting out

13. Questions? Contributions?

14. The End