My privilege

The events of the last few months have had a strong impact on me. As a white male I have been the beneficiary of a lot of inbuilt societal privileges. The Black Lives Matter movement has reminded me that there is much that must be done to address some long-standing ills. I do try to put myself in others’ shoes, but it still doesn’t give me a complete picture of what it’s truly like to not be white, and not be male. So much of what’s happened this year has served to reinforce to me in the strongest terms that some in our society are subject to systematic, accidental, and malicious racism on a daily basis.

I’m an American who has lived in Europe, and I know that in both continents, and in other places across the world, there are all too often clear disparities between the lives of people of colour and people who are white like me. There are many obvious obstacles, many that are invisible, and many in between that I don’t have to contend with because I was born male and white. I’ve never been harassed by the police, never been subject to racial insults, and never felt my opinions would be questioned because of the body I was born into. It’s vital to acknowledge this. Being born a white man gives me advantages that countless more talented and hardworking people don’t have.

I will work to change the status quo that these circumstances of birth can make such a huge difference to people’s lives. The company I founded 12 years ago has employees of over 30 nationalities. We are not perfect, but we care about diversity and inclusion beyond slogans, while listening to employees who can educate us on how to do that. I know that my prominent position as a white CEO of a tech company with over 100 staff lends me further privilege, one of which is the privilege of being able to contribute to the progress towards the widespread cultural change that I believe is long overdue, and progress towards a world where it is clear to all that Black Lives Matter.

Jason Trost, Smarkets CEO/Founder