The discussion should not be about who has what privilege over whom, but what are we going to do with whatever privilege each of us do have. Shall we fight each other to see who will be higher than the other? Or shall we unite to change the system itself which is causing these problems? As you can probably tell, I tend to the latter, along with this author and W.E.B. DeBois.

Esperanza (played by Rosaura Revueltas) expressed this more eloquently in the movie Salt of the Earth, when she confronted her husband, the strike leader Juan Chacon (playing himself):

I don’t want anyone lower than me — I’m low enough already. I want to rise up, and bring everyone else up with me!

The message of solidarity there was much more dangerous to the status quo than the jargon of “privilege” criticized in this article. That is why this movie, and everyone involved with it, was banned and blacklisted for many years. See James J. Lorence, The Supression of Salt of the Earth (U. New Mexico 1999).

(Please do not respond unless you have watched Salt of the Earth all the way through).