A couple weeks ago, it was disconcerting to hear that school meals were one of the reasons why local administrators were hesitant to shut down schools, as the virus headed our way. With the wide reach of local charities, I was aware of the issue of food security, but good lord we are staring down a pandemic here!
Yesterday afternoon, the governor mentioned that half a million meals had been handed out by the school districts over the past two weeks. Nevada isn’t that large, so this is truly a big number.
At that moment, a definition of privilege crystalized in my mind. It is a difficult concept to convey because it is a layered idea, several steps removed from the primary problem.
Privilege is not about avoiding a problem.
It is not about avoiding the need to worry about that problem.
Rather, privilege is not realizing the problem exists. Privilege is being happily oblivious.
Privilege is never ever having to think about worrying about if there is a next meal.