My life has been very similar to Michael Gygi’s (“Letter: Not all white people benefit from white privilege” June 14).  I started working at a young age, bought my clothes as a teenager, put myself through college and worked hard throughout my life. I have white privilege. White privilege does not mean that you don’t struggle. It means that struggles faced by others are tremendously more difficult based solely on the color of their skin.

Mr. Gygi and I didn’t have to worry about being denied employment, denied acceptance to college or being stalked by security as we shopped for clothing, solely because of the color of our skin. We don’t worry about our children being called racial slurs or being threatened simply by going about their daily activity. We don’t worry that our children might be killed every time they leave the house due to their skin color.  

Mr. Gygi, yes, you have struggled. But, like me, you also have privilege. And with that privilege comes the responsibility and moral imperative to reflect on our own biases, to listen and learn from our communities of color, to educate ourselves about their experiences, to speak out against racism, to consider donating to charities working for racial justice and to stand up for those in harm’s way.

Charlotte Maloney

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