White privilege is not a thing of the past

Scott Anderson, 47, of Renton says that his race makes his
story "the dominant story."
Photo by Rebecca Gourley.

"I don’t really have a story," says Scott Anderson, a Presbyterian pastor from Renton, and an avid researcher. "It took me a while to figure out why don’t I have a story; and it’s because my story is the dominant story." 

Anderson has had exposure to most of the information in the RACE exhibit, which makes him less like other people going through it, because they may be seeing it for the first time. In particular, he is currently doing research on white privilege in his role as a pastor at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Renton. 

His story is different, he says. He is unsure of his ancestry because his father was adopted, and he talks about white privilege as if it's not a thing of the past, as so many like to believe.

 

"There is this constant drumbeat to claim that things are fair," Anderson said. He explained that because he is white, and because he is male, he can walk into a room and be himself, while people of color cannot. People that recognize themselves as Caucasian have the privilege of being free of judgment, while someone who has a darker complexion doesn't have that luxury. It may not be obvious to the average white person that this type of privilege exists, but Anderson is aware of it.

 

While attending seminary in Atlanta in the '90s, Anderson was recommended to a Presbyterian church in that area, Oakhurst Presbyterian Church. It was a half-white, half-black church, he said. It was integrated in a much different way than other churches around it. He became a member and later did an internship there.

"This congregation was really working intentionally to try to be with one another and share their lives together," said Anderson. "The fact is, is that church [in general] is well known that it’s one of the most segregated places in the world on a Sunday morning. So, that was such an extraordinary church," he continued. He paralleled the segregated tradition of churches throughout the country to this church, where there was no segregation. The contrast was obvious and Anderson works hard at his current church to have integration.

 

Anderson's experience with the RACE exhibit was more of a review of his own research notes. He knew the information, but it was good to see it from a different perspective and to see others interacting with it.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail made a point that still resonates with Anderson, "He says, 'It's never the right time.'" It's never the right time to support a controversial issue or to change the way we think about race, "but there's a conversion that has to happen," says Anderson. "It takes time and it’s a slow process, and it’s a change of mind and heart that happens over a long time."

Race is like a zero sum game, Anderson explained. "We always imagine that there’s a limited pie, so we need to try to grab for our share, or more, of it." The phrase, "survival of the fittest" comes to mind with a zero sum game. White privilege, and the denial of it, draws a connection between survival of the fittest and a zero sum game; when someone wins, someone else equally loses. 

Anderson says that the reason he and his family moved to Renton was because it has the sixth-highest diversity rate in Washington; Tukwila won the top spot. 

"There’s something like 80 languages spoken around [Renton] schools," he stated. "Seeing my kids have the chance to go to school and make friendships with kids that are just very different from them; that look very different, that talk differently. That speaks to me of real promise."

He knows there is hope for the future because of this growing diversity. He pointed out one man's own description of himself in the exhibit. This man described himself as someone who looks like everyone in the year 2500. "We're all going to look the same," Anderson said.

 

 

 

Information in this article, originally published Oct. 24, 2013, was corrected Nov. 13, 2013.

A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Anderson served a pastor of a church (now named) in Atlanta after he attended seminary. He attended the church as a member and later as an intern while attending seminary, but did not serve as its pastor.

Also, the lead incorrectly quoted Anderson. It should read: “It took me a while to figure out why I don’t have a story; and it’s because my story is the dominant story.”