Throwing Privilege Into Stark Relief: White Women, Racism and #MeToo
By Kathleen Moore
When I read any story, I tend to put myself somewhere in the narrative, projecting myself onto certain characters. I find the character I end up “trying on” generally has something in common with me. In the tale of the woman who anoints Jesus just before the passion narrative begins, I project myself onto her. Hearing the angry protests of the men in the room, I project the oppression I experience as a woman (particularly a woman in the church) onto hers. I project my #MeToo stories onto hers. And this may be useful as an initial way to engage with scripture, but it is also problematic. Because when I project myself onto this woman, I project my whiteness as well.