(The Root) — Much of the nation is still reeling from the not-guilty verdict handed down to George Zimmerman over the weekend. Though Zimmerman is half Latino, many rightly name white privilege as a factor in his acquittal.
Since the verdict was announced, white Twitterers have used their own stories to illustrate the way white privilege works. Using the tag #WhitePrivilege, they shared encounters they had with police officers when they were young — situations similar to Trayvon's that ended much differently because they were not profiled as Trayvon was.
Hearing the privileged recognize and speak on their privilege imparts a bit of hope that maybe they can reach an audience that the rest of us can't.
White people - we are NOT #TrayvonMartin. We are #GeorgeZimmerman. Recognize it. Own up to it. CHANGE IT. #WhitePrivilege
— me. (@aRedMosquito) July 15, 2013
The other day #NYPD said “good evening” to me as I walked to my Harlem apt. No melanin, no profiling. #IamNotTrayvonMartin #WhitePrivilege
— Johnny Golightly (@JohnnyGolightly) July 14, 2013
Tracy Clayton is a writer, humorist and blogger from Louisville, Ky.