FEATURE
During the “ Understanding Privilege ” session at at the APHL 2022 Annual Conference , attendees engaged in an activity to help identify some of the many sources of privilege in our society . In response to a series of questions about their personal experiences , participants added or removed beads from a string . Are your employer ’ s decision makers of the same race as you ? Have you always been comfortable with others knowing your sexual orientation ? Did you graduate from college debt-free ? Add a bead . Have you ever been followed in a store ? Did you have to work as a teenager to support your family ? Is it difficult to find appropriate hair products ? Remove a bead .
At the end of this “ privilege walk ,” each person had a collection of beads that represented the overall balance of these factors in their life . Each , however , arrived at that endpoint along a path shaped by their unique life circumstances .
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Summer 2023 LAB MATTERS 11