White male privilege

I unfortunately am seated in the middle seat (that’s not unfortunate – at least I got a seat) between two very immaculately groomed, ritzy examples of prime white males. My presence between them doesn’t stop their conversation bloated with self-importance only white males can swell with. Both are businessmen off to make other (white) business men richer: one is going to Detroit (well, really just outside) to help launch some real estate ‘opportunity’ in Detroit; the other is going to conduct a workshop on fraud. Fraud.

I remain as quiet as I can, staring at the unturned pages of my book – I’m a fast reader – until the one on my left starts reiterating in great detail how he gets his class involved in identifying fraud. I turn and ask him with as much neutrality as I can muster “Do you begin with racism and sexism?” He stumbles a little and states more slowly this time with a little laugh “Fraud, I’m teaching about fraud, how people get around the system…”  “To make money,” I nod and continue, “Right, sexism and racism, do you begin with those?”

The two remained silent for the rest of the flight, thank the goddesses.