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Home Depot under fire after SHOCKING staff notice warning about 'White privilege' revealed

Staffers at a Canadian home depot were told that the word ‘White’ creates discomfort

A Canadian branch of Home Depot is under fire after it posted a notice to employees about the benefits of “White privilege”. It included a checklist for people who are “White, male, Christian, cisgender, able-bodied, and heterosexual.” The notice, titled “Leading Practices — Unpacking privilege", was posted in an employee lounge at a Home Depot in Calgary, Alberta.

A spokeswoman from Home Depot’s US headquarters told New York Post that the notice on White privilege was material from its Canadian division, and had not been approved by the company’s diversity and inclusion department. The flyer had a Home Depot logo on it.

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The Canadian staffers who received the learning material were reportedly urged to acknowledge “societal privileges that benefit White people beyond what is commonly experienced by people of color under the same social, political, and economic circumstances." Workers at the Atlanta-based Home Depot branch were encouraged to discuss their “White privilege”. They were also told that “the word ‘White’ creates discomfort — especially when individuals are not used to being defined or described by their race.”

"If you can expect time off from work to celebrate your religious holidays, you have Christian privilege," the flyer says, referring to those who are hoping to celebrate Christmas. Staffers were told that “if you’re confident the police exist to protect you, you have white privilege.” They were asked to check a box to reveal what “privileges” they had, the choices being White, male, class, Christian, cisgender, able-bodied and heterosexual. The US spokeswoman for Home Depot confirmed that the information had not been officially sanctioned as “part of any required companywide training.”

She said in a statement, "While we fully support diversity across our company, this material was not created or approved by our corporate diversity, equity and inclusion department. This was a resource in our Canadian division and not part of any required programming.”

The following were some of the packet's privilege warnings: “If while growing up, college was an expectation of you, not a dream, you have class privilege"; "“If you can use public bathrooms without stares, fear or anxiety, you have cisgender privilege"; “If you don’t have to worry about how to get into a store, you have able-bodied privilege"; and If you don’t have to explain that your spouse is of the same gender, you have heterosexual privilege.” A source confirmed that company does not require the content of the notice to be taught as part of its diversity and inclusion initiative.