Hi Zoomplanet,

Thank you for this interesting response. I hadn’t ever compared being stopped by a police officer as similar to getting diagnosed with COVID but I can see the relevance in your comparison.

Your example of a white person’s response to seeing a police car reminds me of a friend of mine who is white telling me that in the phone-case scenario they would have tried it on without thought then just explained themselves if anyone asked about it. So, there can be some doubt or hesitation but the risk is so different.

I think people call white privilege a “privilege” for the same reason you state: they are not available to everyone. I don’t think when people use the term, that they mean to say those privileges or rather “rights” should be exclusive to white Americans. They just are in the present. (I am no expert on the origin of that word but that is my understanding of it).

~ Michaella