Growing up in a predominantly white, suburban town about an hour outside of Philadelphia, my identities were not a topic that I put much thought into. The neighborhood that I grew up in was predominantly wealthy white people, which sheltered me from many realities of the world. Reflecting upon how little race and sexuality arose in conversation growing up, or within my educational systems, it feels as though, I too, have played a role in marginalization of those who are not of the dominant race and sexual orientation. The intersectionality of such has certainly come to light in recent days. 

My privilege has been defined by receiving and benefiting from opportunity. I received these rewards simply by being a white, cisgender male, and did so from my family, peers, and teachers. 

A significant memory of my privilege dates back to the first grade where we were instructed to sculpt our own castles to replicate Renaissance age architecture. After turning in the project and marveling at my classmates' work, I realized that most seemed oddly similar and mimicked higher-level skills than any first grader I knew. All but one, which belonged to a boy named Renard. It was apparent his castle was built by him, a first grader. A conclusion I drew from this experience was that my parents had the privilege to be available to lend their hands, and resources to build my project (seemingly without much of my own hard work put into it). While a seemingly small example, I realize now how the recipe for success was handed to me without effort or request. 

My privilege has afforded me with the opportunity to dream and believe that my aspirations are achievable. My privilege has allowed me to choose my career path. With this, I plan to utilize my privilege to amplify the voices of marginalized individuals that become my clients, and for those who don’t. I understand the responsibility, now more than ever, of my dominant identity and the power I possess because of it. 

In becoming a prospective counselor, I plan on dedicating much of my time towards advocacy as part of my clinical work. I aspire to use my privilege to advocate for those who are marginalized. I would like to advocate for pressing topics such as programs to change the socialization of males, LGBTQIA+ rights, affordable mental health care for the youth, and many more topics. I plan to advocate for these pressing issues by acquiring empirical evidence and contacting national and state legislators in order to disseminate my information into the hands that can make a difference. As a white, cisgender male, I am cognizant that I am of the dominant identity. It is imperative that I use my privilege to advocate for vulnerable sectors of society. 

Authored by: Andrew Milowsky, Intern

#BlackLivesMatter #BLM #privilege #marginalization