Privilege and guilt and shame

[mamagotcha]

Comments

[jedusor]

Maybe volunteer to help out with the organizations you're taking advantage of? And/or ask the folks in charge of these programs for a frank opinion? If the area is gentrifying, you're probably not the first middle-class white person stewing in guilt they've dealt with. :P

[mamagotcha]

Heh, good point. And I signed Linc and myself up for volunteering at the community center right when we signed the lease.

[mamagotcha]

Thanks. Judge away!

[elainetyger]

It took 5 years of therapy to get me to be my own defense attorney and let someone else be the prosecutor. As long as you're not lying to get into the programs, it's up to those who set the parameters to change them if they think too much gentrified riffraff is getting in.

[mamagotcha]

I love that phrase (about someone else being the prosecutor). No lies at all, we were invited to two and welcomed into the third. And that's a good point; it's not up to me to do the screening. My part is apply and see what happens. Thanks.

[metaphortunate]

She's totally right!

I hope you love your new neighborhood.

[metaphortunate]

Oh my god, I love that phrase.

[mh75]

It is, perhaps, the case that people are offering you the space because they are building a community, and they want to make that community inclusive. Perhaps they see value added with your participation. I tend to agree with the folks that said that if you qualify you shouldn't feel guilty about participating.