“Literacy Privilege”
“Literacy privilege” is the invisible privilege of people who, because of privileged education and/or class background, use the oppressor language easily and well. The people who have access to “correct” use may be unaware of this invisible privilege. Those without access understand it very well, and struggle with their internalized oppression.
There are many people in our own English-speaking Co-Counselling Community who have powerful information and re-evaluations to share but who never write for our newsletter because they lack this invisible privilege. I hope that those of you who are not writing will consider doing so. We can discharge our way out of all forms of oppression, including “literacy privilege.”
Kew, Victoria, Australia
Reprinted from the newsletter of the Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, RC Community
(Present Time 171, April 2013)