White privilege, Inequality, and Disparity

Making an uproar all over the country is Duluth's Un-Fair Campaign. On Friday, I visited my friend, Liz Olson, who works at Churches United in Ministry in Duluth, to talk work and collaborate. We got to talking about the great work happening in Duluth to raise awareness of how this affects people of color. White privilege is something our culture does not talk about, nor do many white people seem to understand that it is still occurring.


White Privilege is something I think about regularly. It is hard not to when working in the homelessness realm and seeing the reality of who is without a home both visually and statistically.

Black and American Indian people remain significantly overrepresented among the homeless. Together, African-American and African born people make up about 4 percent of the adult Minnesota population, while they account for 41 percent of Minnesota's homeless adult population. American Indian disparities are particularly large among homeless youth and in greater Minnesota. About one-fifth of both groups are American Indian compared to 1 percent of the overall Minnesota population.  
                                                                                   *Wilder Research, 2009 Statewide Homeless Survey

At CHUM's drop in center on Friday, this is exactly what I saw. I see this at shelters in Minneapolis. I recently was talking about the power in this county that money buys and how rich, old, white men are the ones that hold "power" in the ability to maintain the glass ceiling for women and minorities. So, how do we get past the white society and the white privilege?

I have much hope that with younger generations that experience much more diversity. I have hope that campaigns like this bring the issue to light, thorough conversation and relationships, and through consented efforts like NAZ, racism and the gaps (achievement, housing, health care, and more) will begin to close. I dream of a day that all young people, regardless of color will be able to have opportunity to thrive. 

Good Dog/Bad Dog

While running with my dog this morning, I encountered a man and his dog. While talking to the owner, he shared how he had met 1 dog while he was training dogs that was a bad dog, but that he has met many bad people. Now it was 7am and I didn't want to get into a big fight with him, but two things I am left with today:

1. Are people really inherently good or bad? or are they a product of societal issues, such as race, education (or lack of), socioeconomic status?

2. How does one disagree and discuss with a stranger? How do we get back to dialoguing without getting heated or taking anything personally?