Privilege, as Told by a White Male

Bryan Bynum November 3, 2016

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If I were to describe a typical Santa Clara student in three words, it would be smart, ambitious and privileged.

During my time at Santa Clara, I have met extraordinary minds and people who have changed my perspective. Some of you may agree with the first two adjectives of my description but not the last: privileged. Why does this word, “privileged,” make some people cringe? And for others, why does it resonate with them and allow them to reflect?

With the recent incidents on campus regarding the vandalism of the memorial dedicated to the 43 kidnapped students in Mexico and the anti-Semitic, homophobic and transphobic graffiti in Casa, this letter to the student body is long overdue.

With the recent incidents on campus regarding the vandalism of the memorial dedicated to the 43 kidnapped students in Mexico and the anti-Semitic, homophobic and transphobic graffiti in Casa, this letter to the student body is long overdue.

There have been numerous incidents on and near this campus in which minorities have been targeted and racially profiled. In 2014, a Caucasian male recorded three prospective African-American students off-campus, and when the three students asked him if there was a problem he responded “I don’t know yet.” Multiple police officers ended up confronting the students at Safeway, who responded to a call which described the students as suspicious and threatening.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2015, students posted “black lives don’t matter” on their Yik Yak accounts when African-American students were protesting on campus. The list goes on and on.

Blatant racial profiling and vandalism targeted at minorities makes me ashamed to be a Bronco.

I admit I am also guilty of prejudice. There were times where my actions were offensive and questionable. When I was a first-year on Halloween night, I dressed up as a Native American chief. At the time I was oblivious if I was offending anyone but as I learned through my education here at Santa Clara, those actions do not reflect who I am today.

I have grown as a person by speaking with other people who hold different perspectives and stepping out of my comfort zone. Having an open mind is the first step in creating change.

We must stare deep into the mirror and reflect on how we can grow as people.

It would be hypocritical of us to expel those students who vandalized the memorial and the poster. Expulsion would only cause more resentment and hate. Giving them a chance to learn from their mistakes, as I have learned from mine, is the most appropriate course of action. 2016 is the new 1968. We are in a storm of change and many refuse to adapt to this change. But the refusal of an open dialogue is just a small part of the problem.

We all attend this great institution of higher education, yet it feels like we are failing in the courses of compassion and understanding. Yes, I admit that I am a privileged male from the suburbs. For those of us who are privileged, we should use our knowledge to our advantage to make the world a better place.

We should use our education to help remedy the injustices that minorities face around the world. We can look back at 2016 in twenty or thirty years and say that it was the “Millennials’ Revolution” or we can sit idly on the sidelines and let the previous generation continue to shape the world for us. The burning question is ‘Which side of history do you want to be a part of?’

Bryan Bynum is a junior marketing major.

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