Lately we have been speaking about and hearing about the concept of privilege a lot. Privilege does not mean that a person has not experienced hardship in their lives; it means that their life is not made harder because of something.
Privilege manifests itself in many ways. If you are able bodied, your life will be easier in that way than someone who is not - for example you won't have to worry if you can find a spot to watch a movie in a movie theatre while someone in a wheelchair might. If you are heterosexual, your sexual orientation will not be something that you experience oppression over. If you are white, your race will not be something that you experience oppression over. If you are male, your sexual orientation will not be something you experience oppression over. If you come from a background of a higher socioeconomic status, you will experience advantages that those who have not don't. These are just a few aspects, there are many other ways privilege or oppression can manifest themselves in our lives.
The concept of privilege is complex. You can experience privilege in some elements of your life, while being a member of an oppressed group. For example as an able bodied black woman, I experience privilege from being able bodied, while I also face challenges because of my gender and race.
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