Since the death of George Floyd, I, like so many others, have dived deep into the great work of unlearning and re-educating. That lifelong effort toward true empathy and active support is in many ways synonymous with the work of any artist who must inhabit lives separate from her own. (Speaking of active support — click here for a list of BiPoc Musical Theatre Writers you should know.)
One of the key acts that white people have been instructed to take on is that of “decentralizing whiteness,” or “de-centering privilege.”
In overly simply terms, we live in a society where white is considered the norm (along with male, Christian, able-bodied, heterosexual, etc.). In most contexts, any deviation from this category is considered “different,” and often “less than.” Because of this, we distribute resources and power first and foremost to people who fit the norm.
De-centering those privileged categories means first recognizing no category is better than any other, and subsequently distributing resources in a more equal (or even equitable) manner. In arts and entertainment, that means more equitably share the stage with non-whites, non-Christians, non-males, etc, in all the work that we do from here on out.
However, as a white male writer, decentralizing myself in my own work seems impossible. Even in instances where I am amplifying the voices of under-privileged people, I am still the storyteller. I am still ultimately centering my perspective.
In grappling with this conundrum, I’ve kept returning to one idea – “Default White.”
Continue reading On Decentralizing Privilege in Your Writing
