Member-only story
Know Your Worth
Conflating Worth with Humanity is Inherently Flawed
I’ve heard many iterations of “know your worth” throughout my adult life. We’re told the phrase is meant to empower, to inform me that I dictate the value of my time as I work to survive the death camps of whiteness. This phrase is meant to convey that I’m the master of my fate.
Yet, western society built itself on assigning value to humanity. We do not determine our worth; we’re informed of it. We don’t decide how we are treated; we learn on a case-by-case basis and that treatment changes based on who is nearby. I am simultaneously validated and invalidated by my spouse because in this culture, marriage proves my value while granting him access to and control of my life. Being Black, my worth in this society is low, but I am cis-het as is my spouse, and that protects our relationship in ways that same-sex couples are not.
This social hierarchy is constantly evolving, capturing and marginalizing people in innumerable ways — ways that many people refuse to acknowledge. Wealthy white women are not concerned with Roe vs Wade. They are secure in their whiteness and wealth, two things that will ensure they never need rely on public approval or government sanction. White women who are not wealthy are starting to realize their whiteness may not protect them from the impending violence…
