They are informed by key insights into how the logics of domination that structure the world also constitute who we are as subjects. These rituals around self-reflexivity in the academy and in activist circles are not without merit. And despite the cultural capital that was, at least temporarily, bestowed to those who seemed to be the most oppressed, these rituals ultimately reinstantiated the white majority subject as the subject capable of self-reflexivity and the colonized/racialized subject as the occasion for self-reflexivity. These rituals often substituted confession for political movement-building. “I may be white, but my best friend was a person of color, which caused me to be oppressed when we played together.” Consequently, the goal became not to actually end oppression but to be as oppressed as possible. Inevitably, those with more privilege would develop new heretofore unknown forms of oppression from which they suffered. Consequently, people aspired to be oppressed. One of the reasons there was little critique of this practice is that it bestowed cultural capital to those who seemed to be the “most oppressed.” Those who had little privilege did not have to confess and were in the position to be the judge of those who did have privilege. Because of the perceived benefits of this ritual, there was generally little critique of the fact that in the end, it primarily served to reinstantiate the structures of domination it was supposed to resist. The sayer of the confession could then be granted temporary forgiveness for her/his abuses of power and relief from white/male/heterosexual/etc guilt. For the instant the confession took place, those who do not have that privilege in daily life would have a temporary position of power as the hearer of the confession who could grant absolution and forgiveness. The benefits of these confessions seemed to be ephemeral.

Rather, the confessions became the political project themselves. It did not appear that these individual confessions actually led to any political projects to dismantle the structures of domination that enabled their privilege.

It was not as if other participants did not know the confessor in question had her/his proclaimed privilege.

These workshops had a bit of a self-help orientation to them: “I am so and so, and I have x privilege.” It was never quite clear what the point of these confessions were. In my experience working with a multitude of anti-racist organizing projects over the years, I frequently found myself participating in various workshops in which participants were asked to reflect on their gender/race/sexuality/class/etc. For a much longer and detailed version, see my essay in the book Geographies of Privilege

Love Plus One by Andrea Smith