[Content Note: Privilege; bootstraps.]
"Believing in meritocracy is a manifestation of privilege. 'Merit' doesn't exist a priori. It's evaluated by people in power, according to expectations and standards set by people in power. How you gonna evaluate 'merit' when one kid has tutors and ballet, and another is going to school hungry? And how 'equal' are their schools? How much 'merit' does it take to just get through every day as a Black person in a viciously anti-Black world? People with privilege get everything handed to them on a platter from childhood—and get told they 'earned' it through their 'merit.' And when you're only surrounded by other people of privilege, that privilege becomes invisible, so believing in 'merit' happens."—Dr. Jane Chi, on Twitter this morning, addressing the garbage memes about "merit" so beloved by people who oppose affirmative action.
'Merit' doesn't exist a priori. Succinct, brilliant, perfect.
[Shared in this space with Dr. Jane Chi's permission.]
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