Privilege Is…
Aneesah Lawrence

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Read by Aneesah Lawrence
And the headline read "U.S. Capitol Riot" 
in the description, there was a word that jumped off of the page and into my mouth when I realized the word had been too painful to swallow, it crawled down my throat anyway playing hopscotch in my stomach until I was finally able to disgorge it from my system there before me was the word protestors 
not thugs, criminals, or even rioters 
but protestors 
someone, please hand me some scrabble letters so I can rearrange protesters into privilege 
You see, privilege is not knowing what it's like to have an adrenaline rush when you hear sirens privilege is your parents telling you to come home before dark because they don't want you out late, not because they want to be able to hear your voice again 
privilege is being able to complement the word parent with an "s" 
I hope this isn't easy to digest 
Privilege is not being treated differently because you have an actual cultural background and yes, I said actual cultural background 
emphasis on the word actual 
hold on let me rewind, slow down, and code switch 
before I become the next "angry black woman" on your social media feed who actually isn't angry but honest 
she's blunt 
real 
genuine 
fed up with the world playing the quiet game because the winner is always the one who stays silent, right 
privilege is getting to sleep at night and not having to worry about the interruption of death by the men in blue 
privilege is having a non-functioning brake light and receiving assistance but for those of us who aren’t so privileged, that non-functioning brake light is a one-way ticket to the grave 
privilege is getting to go outside and play with a toy gun 
because they’re only pretend 
right
Privilege is having the opportunity to walk outside with whatever type of clothing you choose and not being identified as sketchy 
later to be identified as dead 
privilege is telling your mother you're going to the store to buy a snack and that you'll be back but for those of us who aren't so privileged, that is nothing but another broken promise 
Privilege is being put on death row for a crime you actually committed 
and no, I do not support the death penalty 
privilege is not having to include disclaimers 
Privilege is seldom attending funerals because there aren't dead bodies dropping in your community like flies 
privileged is saying “I can’t breathe” and having someone listen 
Privilege is not having to remember a never-ending list of individuals on the list titled "Say Their Names" 
Privilege is disrespecting a nation and being called a protestor 
but for those of us who aren't so privileged 
who protested peacefully against injustice we're thugs 
rioters 
criminals 
disturbances to the peace 
another dead body to join our ancestors in the ground 
You know I could never quite spell the world privilege 
not because I'm ignorant, but because the words are structured into a concept I can't identify with 
Ladies and gentlemen, privilege is getting to take everything I just said and forget it in a matter of minutes 
because none of what I said fits into your reality 
but for those of us who aren't so privileged, we don't have that liberty

About the Poem

Privilege Is…. is written to expose the white privilege that we see in today’s society in comparison to the effect that it has had on Black life. The poem specifically focuses on Black Lives that have been lost due to white privilege and police brutality. Since 2020 we have seen a rise in media broadcasted violence against African Americans. With that the difference between the Black experience and white privilege has shown society both the tragic truth of history repeating itself, and the endless journey to equality. While alluding to the everyday experience that often result in so many African Americans becoming a hashtag, Privilege Is… relates to both the Black and white audience and allows them to understand the circumstances of one another. 

This is a poem to the lives lost, the #SayTheirNames, to the change-makers as a call to action to cultivate a less divided future.

Author Information

Aneesah Lawrence is a freshman honors student at Howard University. She is a double major in Psychology and Criminology, a passionate activist, and a spoken word artist. Her poetry is an amalgamation of the Black experience, Islam, and personal narratives. Aneesah’s poems include Uncovered, Target Practice, and My Black Skin Says. She has performed her works at Howard University (Washington, DC), Sankofa Video Books & Café (Washington, DC), Art all Night 2022 (Washington, DC), and various open mics in her hometown, Jersey City, New Jersey.

Lawrence is the 2022 winner of Muslim Culture Con’s Open Mic held at the Muslim Journal’s “A Time To Be Grateful” annual fundraiser. Her career aspiration is to become a psychologist serving Black urban youth in juvenile correctional facilities and high-risk communities.

Lawrence serves as a first-year representative for Howard University’s Muslim Student Association. She is a member of the university’s Youth Justice Advocates. As an advocate, she is able to enter juvenile corrections facilities in D.C. and mentor Black youth.

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Fanni is Radnóti's wife
Located near the Tang capital city of Chang’an, site of the modern city of Xi’an in Shaanxi province, in central China.
Soldiers of that time commonly wore a white head cloth, similar to what is still worn by some peasants in China today.  The implication is that the conscripts were so young that they didn’t know how to wrap their head cloths, and needed help from elders.
Before China’s unification under the Qin dynasty in 221 B.C. there were several competing smaller kingdoms.  Han and Qin were two of these kingdoms. Han was located east of famous mountain passes that separated that area from the power base of the Qin dynasty, with its capital in Chang’an. The Qin dynasty itself only lasted about 15 years after unification due to its draconian rule, but soldiers under Qin rule retained a reputation as strong fighters.
The area of Guanxi, meaning “west of the passes”, refers to the area around the capital city of Chang’an.
This is an alternative name for a province in western China, now known as Qinghai, which literally means “blue sea”.  Kokonor Lake, located in Qinghai, is the largest saline lake in China.  
Before China’s unification under the Qin dynasty in 221 B.C. there were several competing smaller kingdoms.  Han and Qin were two of these kingdoms. Han was located east of famous mountain passes that separated that area from the power base of the Qin dynasty, with its capital in Chang’an. The Qin dynasty itself only lasted about 15 years after unification due to its draconian rule, but soldiers under Qin rule retained a reputation as strong fighters.
Oulart Hollow was the site of a famous victory of the Irish rebels over British troops, which took place on May 27, 1798. The rebels killed nearly all the British attackers in this battle. (Source: Maxwell, W. H. History of the Irish Rebellion in 1798. H. H. Bohn, London 1854, pp 92-93, at archive.org)
The phrase "United Men" is elaborated upon in the Notes section below.

Ghetto


An Italian word meaning “foundry.” It originally referred to a part of the city of Venice where the Jews of that city were forced to live; the area was called “the ghetto” because there was a foundry nearby. The term eventually came to refer to any part of a city in which a minority group is forced to live as a result of social, legal, or economic pressure. Because of the restrictions placed upon them, ghetto residents are often impoverished.

"You’re five nine, I am do-uble two"


A reference to the year 1959 and the year 2020.

"The Currency"


Meaning US dollars - this is drawing attention to the fact that Cuba is effectively dollarized.

"Sixty years with the dom-ino stuck"


This sentence is a reference to the Cold War notion that countries would turn Communist one after the other - like dominos. Cuba was the first domino, but it got stuck - no one else followed through into communism.

رحلنا


رحلنا, or "rahalna," means "we have left."

Habibi


Habibi means "my love."

Ra7eel


Ra7eel, or "raheel," means "departure."

3awda


3awda, or "awda," means "returning."

أهلاً


أهلاً, or "ahalan," means "welcome."

a5 ya baba


a5 ya baba, pronounced "akh ya baba," means "Oh my father."