Kentucky Congresswoman Sarah Stoker (D) expressed discomfort this week about the “privilege” associated with being white, stating it makes her feel unwell.
During a meeting of the Kentucky General Assembly’s Interim Joint Committee on Education on Tuesday, she advocated for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in schools.
“Honestly, every day I feel uneasy about my whiteness for various reasons; it allows me to navigate the world in ways that many friends, family members, and community members cannot,” she shared. Stoker also pointed out that, according to her own perspective, she doesn’t hold a top position in societal hierarchies because she’s simply a white woman.
“I’m just a woman, yes, but specifically a white woman,” she remarked, adding that if she were a white man, “I would have even more privilege.”
“I think we’re overlooking a chance for kids to reflect on how their skin color affects their experiences in the world… trying to rush in and suppress those feelings isn’t helpful. We want to avoid making them feel like they shouldn’t engage with their emotions; that’s an opportunity missed for genuine conversation,” she noted.
Stoker argued that DEI efforts aren’t aimed at making white individuals uncomfortable but rather at elevating minorities to equal standing with whites, linking this idea to a broader conversation about fairness, which she feels is often misused to push certain agendas.
Nevertheless, she emphasized the importance of addressing “the historical privilege that white people have always enjoyed in this country.”
“What DEI initiatives are attempting to do is facilitate the inclusion of other students,” Stoker indicated, criticizing the repeal of such policies as a way to merely cover up issues, which she finds concerning.
Her statements were made in response to Republican state Senator Lindsey Titchener’s proposal for a bill that would eliminate DEI programs in public schools.
Former President Donald Trump previously sought to eradicate DEI initiatives from the federal government, signing an executive order to end all federal DEI programs shortly after beginning his second term.
