My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Mending of Our Bodies and Hearts

by Resmaa Menakem

I’m not blaming you for this, or asking you to feel guilty or ashamed about it. But you do need to be aware of what those privileges are and how they function. You need to not take those privileges for granted as your birthright. You were granted those privileges, but you did not earn them. Great harm was done to other human beings to secure those privileges for you, and for others with white skin. The presence of these privileges in your life—and of white-body supremacy in general—is not benign. It’s your responsibility to not merely enjoy those privileges, but to share them with others—and, ultimately, with everyone.