The Internet can be a place of magic, wonder, and nonstop laughter. It can also be an arena where people feel free to confess whatever they need to get off their chest, which is what took place Saturday (March 30) when writer and Twitter contributor @FreeYourMindKid posed a question.
The founder of AreYouSorryYet.com asked white people to recount an instance in which they got away with something a black person could not have. Using the hashtag #MyWhitePrivilege, men and women all came forward with all their wrongdoing and privilege and how they lived to tell the tale.
White people – What is the most outrageous thing that you've gotten away with as a white person that you know damn well a black or brown person would have never gotten away with?#MyWhitePrivilege
— 🇯🇲Black🇭🇹 Aziz 🇳🇬aNANsi🇹🇹 (@Freeyourmindkid) March 30, 2019
On at least 3 occasions breaking into homes (keys-related) without anyone calling the cops or even asking what I was doing #MyWhitePrivilege https://t.co/RaWPbVIloq
— Phoebe Merten 🎃🌈🎃 (@phoebemerten) March 31, 2019
I literally talked a police officer out of handcuffs and out of going to jail for drugs. #MyWhitePrivilege
— The Stoned Buddah (@Budmanthegreat) March 31, 2019
Once I was out late with my wife picking up weed. We got pulled over right after picking up.
I knew we were screwed- the whole car stunk to high heaven! Turned out that the officer was one of my friends from college. We caught up for a minute before he left.
— Marcy Bathory (@ChaosismyQueen) March 31, 2019
I locked myself out of my condo, and I had to unlock the window and crawl in. A passing cop saw me struggling to open the window and, with no hesitation, jumped in to help me. He had no reason to believe it was my house. He said I didn’t “look like a thief”. #MyWhitePrivilege
— Stacey Abrams Stan Account #BLM (@Alysaurus_rawr) March 31, 2019
The tweet, which has since gone viral, has shown a range in which white people benefit from their skin color in instances that would ostensibly result in a black or brown person’s imprisonment or death.
One man said while in Oklahoma he and his family took over a hotel lobby, brought their own alcohol, partied until 4 AM and was able to use the hotel kitchen. Another noted that her grandmother had a dinner party at work the day before and had a kitchen knife in her purse. While driving her granddaughter to the airport, TSA allegedly noticed the kitchen knife and shrugged it off allowing her to pass through.
The honest responses proved white privilege isn’t something made up. Depending on who you are the tweets may be infuriating or justifying. You be the judge.