In a recent phone conversation, I proudly told my dad about my first book contract, which followed three years of hard work. “That’s great!” he said. “What’s it about?”
Sheepishly, I responded, “Well, it’s called Ten Risks Privileged People Should Take.”
“Just so you know,” he said, “I would not buy that book with that title.” He launched into an explanation of why, in his view, privilege doesn’t exist.
As usual, I cut him off. “Well, the book’s not for you. It’s not for people who voted for Trump! It’s for people who actually want to do some good in the world!” We ended the call in a huff.
My family’s failure to respectfully talk politics is hardly unique. Family ties add extra pressure to political conversations because everything the other person says feels so personal, even when it’s not.
Read the rest of my article Family Politics: A liberal daughter discusses White privilege with her conservative dad here at The Christian Century.
Teri McDowell Ott 
One response to “Family Politics”
Oy vey. Guess I’m quite fortunate. I got my liberal bent from my parents, New Deal Democrats. Our daughter took after me and is probably even more liberal than I am. She stands up to people better than I do. Hope your dad comes around.