After watching the video and doing the readings I was able to get more knowledge on what the term privilege means. Privilege can be obtained through race, sexual orientation, class, ability, or other identity. All of us has experience privilege in some kind of way and disadvantage in other ways. Privilege is not something we earn or choose; it is a structure in our society prioritizes some groups over some. For example, men are more likely to get managerial positions in a company over women, that is unearned privilege. While I sit back and explain privilege, I realize that I too have numerous experiences were privilege clouded opportunities. For example, I grew up in Jamaica and moved to the United States to live permanently. It was more of a smoother transition that a normal Jamaican because I am a citizen of the U.S. Most natural borne Jamaicans would have to go through a difficult visa system in Jamaica were twenty percent of people are chosen to travel and if denied one would lose their money in the process.

I have faced oppression in many ways. I have experienced oppression based on my Gender being a woman especially being amongst men. I have also experience oppression which my race from my own race and I saw it in my eyes as oppression because it was done by a black man to satisfy whites. Oppression is one group of people being superior to the next group of people for example White supremacy. Currently the societal structure is oppressive to especially non gender conforming people because they go against traditional structure of there only being two genders women and men. To demolish oppression all people, need to recognize it and work on all levels so every individual can feel empowered and be there authentic selves.

Marilyn Frye uses words such as barrios, forces and limiting of options so people could get a simple idea of what oppression means. She also uses the analogy of a bird cage to showcase an idea that social structures are like the cage and once they get everyone to conform to a certain idea the bird cannot be freed. The “What is privilege” video allowed me to understand that privilege can come in the variety of ways whether you recognize it or not. It can be the communities we live in, the types of schools we attend or opportunities we get and then it can be even more critical like, our race, gender, and ability. The video allowed me to see that everyone experience privilege in some kind of way even if it seems simple to us.