As a white Cuban-American I am a privileged oppressor. My material wealth, the way I speak, even my ability to record these thoughts in the form of written words are all manifestations of the oppressive system in which I function and that my family has helped perpetuate. These are facts. I cannot change the past, but I can work to know it. Looking to history, and the present, it is clear that we all function in a power hierarchy that is founded on oppression. Though not every human is guilty of oppression, any honest look at our human societies will show that the vast majority of us are. Around the world different peoples oppress others; light skinned peoples oppress darker skinned peoples, darker skinned peoples oppress those with lighter skin, wealthy oppress the poor, men oppress women, adults oppress children, peoples from cities and suburbs oppress those from the country.
Although we are born at different levels in this system, we all function within it. These are facts, not excuses. The oppressive actions of others do not negate the oppressiveness of our own lifestyle, and vice versa. Oppression of another, or even of oneself, is inherently unjust and as such should be challenged wherever it is manifest. As Martin Luther King Jr. observed, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” If we truly wish to see justice flourish, we must speak out against all oppressive actions. This not only entails speaking out against racist and sexist policy, but also speaking up to our families and friends when they act in ways that perpetuate this unjust system.
The present state of human society has been molded by the actions of our ancestors and in the same manner can be transformed by us. As Paulo Freire writes in Pedagogy of the Oppressed, “Just as objective social reality exists not by chance, but as the product of human action, so it is not transformed by chance.” The responsibility to transform our societies therefore falls upon us, and our decedents.
It is first and foremost crucial that we begin by looking to how we directly and indirectly oppress others. To achieve this we must look to our rhetoric, our actions, and even our non-actions (since the status quo functions on the oppression of others, not acting against it ensures its continual existence, i.e., ensures the continuance of oppression).
Secondly, we must act. As Paolo notes, “Discovering [oneself] to be an oppressor may cause considerable anguish, but it does not necessarily lead to solidarity with the oppressed. True solidarity with the oppressed means fighting at their side to transform the objective reality.” Though anguish may do much to change our perspective of society, it does nothing to change the objective reality of oppression. A person awakened to their oppressive lifestyle must begin by purging themselves from oppressive actions. Whether this be not buying clothing that is made in sweatshops, not making racist/sexist jokes, or not laughing at those who do one must work to end their involvement in oppressing others. Although this is a life long process, it must be the first action step we take.
From here it is important that we act to end the oppressive actions of our community (by community I mean family, friends, co-workers, the churches and schools we attends, etc.). It is much easier for a person of privilege (which by now I hope it has been made clear that this is all of us) to “step down” and give a “lending hand,” via mission trips or volunteer work, then it is to speak out against the oppressive actions of one’s community. In going to “serve” those outside of our community the worst we can fear is the rejection of our “helping hand.” At home we risk being ostracized by the few people in the world who have ever loved us; this makes protesting Prop 8 in West Hollywood much easier than speaking against the unjust treatment of homosexuals at home.
Malcolm X noted the tendency of oppressors to find an easy way to “salve their conscious” by joining black organizations. He wrote, “By visibly hovering near us, they are ‘proving’ that they are ‘with us.’ But the hard truth is this isn’t helping to solve America’s racist problem. The Negroes aren’t the racists. Where the really sincere white people have got to do their ‘proving’ of themselves is not among the black victims, but out on the battle lines of where America’s racism really is and that’s in their own home communities.” It is our communities that are the source of oppression and it is therefore in our communities that we should work to end oppression. Though this process is admittedly long, the longer it takes to change individuals and systems the harder it is for them to be changed back.
These are the steps that must be taken if we truly hope to purge our society of the injustice of oppression. The above-mentioned actions are not the only necessary steps but I truly believe they are the first three. We must strive to consistently speak out against all oppression, no matter who the oppressor may be. Whether it is a church, a university, a family member, a friend, or even ourselves we must not sit idle by as our societies continue their oppression.
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