#privelge

Many are arguing if a person is mixed, they shouldn’t speak on one race when they are mixed with the other.

Example: Say a person is mixed black/white but identifies as white, does that person have the right to speak on blacks? or vice versa?

Don’t get me wrong I know the answer but I want to hear your views.

This is one of the most important videos you’ll see today. Period.

  It almost escaped my view when it first came out, getting shuffled in with all the haul and vlog videos that make up my subscription list (which is made up of over 500 channels thank you very much). But Asap Thought’s recent video about YouTube’s privilege problem is one that can’t be ignored and instead of side-stepping the elephant in the room -- Is there a privilege problem? But YouTube is just equally accessible to everyone! -- Mitchell Moffit and Gregory Brown challenge viewers to take the privilege quiz. Bravo, gentlemen. Bravo.

  The video is broken down into simple questions: Can you open a magazine, view YouTube, or watch TV and see someone of your racial background represented? Do you have to educate your children about racism as a means of protection? When you learn about the history of science, do you see your gender and race consistently represented?

  It’s no secret that YouTube’s top creators generally fall into the category of cisgender (individuals who identify with the gender/sex they’re assigned at birth), white males with the exception of Jenna Marbles. This lack of diversity has not only become glaringly apparent on the platform but at YouTube’s major conferences as well. After traveling to many of YouTube’s largest events -- Summer in the City, VidCon, Playlist Live, and Buffer Festival -- YouTuber Chescaleigh discovered that the highest percentage of female special guests represented at any of the events was 32 percent. With special guests of color following at 16 percent. This is 2014 … what!?

  While YouTube prides itself on providing equal access to all creators, these numbers frustratingly prove otherwise and plague creators and fans to make a change. And we can, if we work together and keep the conversation going. First off, take the quiz and educate yourself on what privilege means. This is one of the most important things you can do. Second, begin actively seeking out minority creators on YouTube and at conferences, and show them some love. Write to administrators about having these creators on panels and speaking at events like VidCon and Playlist Live. These actions might seem small but, ultimately, will have a big effect. A big, necessary effect.

  So I ask you, are you part of the problem, or will you become the solution?