My WOC friend and I sit, talking easily about our shared classes. We somehow get around to talking about obnoxious white guys. This leads to my WOC friend stating somewhat ruefully that she’d like to do drama, but all the good female roles go to straight-haired, blue-eyed white girls.

Although I knew what she was saying was true on an intellectual level, my first instinct was to reject it out of hand.  This illogical, narrow minded reaction shames me to write about. As soon as I recognised the stupidity of my emotions I shut them down and acted like a decent human being. I didn’t dismiss her words or try to impress her with my spiffy knowledge of white privilege.

I listened.