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‘To be white is to be racist, period,’ a high school teacher told his class

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ColdPizza

Banned
While worded harshly, this teacher doesn't seem to be perpetuating self hate by being white. And even still, a statement like this won't harm white Americans or ruin their chances in college, or make rich minorities move away to other neighborhoods to escape, or get them arrested just for being white or accused of terrorism because of their culture, etc.

I was kidding.
 

BriGuy

Member
Blanket statements are dumb. It's fine if the teacher wants to confess his/her racist inclinations and try to move on from there - more power to them, but don't project on everyone else.
 

Flo_Evans

Member
I would say all white people are prejudiced. You can't really help your biases on people different than you. Racist to me implies someone that acts on that bias in a discriminatory way, either consciously or unconsciously.

I think if you admit your biases and make your best effort to not let them effect how you interact with others you are not a racist.

I dunno though I'm a white devil.
 

Nepenthe

Member
Lmao, that doesn't disprove what I said in the slightest. White people get it too. And I'm speaking to the comment of the person I quoted. Not directly to the article.

The comment you're responding to is clearly in reference to the idea of institutional racism and not individual racism. Your attempt to steer this onto individual experiences in poor neighborhoods is a textbook part of the problem.
 

Cipherr

Member
All white people have privilege, but there isn't a direct correlation between privilege and racism. Racism requires an extra step, even a very small one.


At least that is how I see it.

Exactly. I hate the idea that all "insert culture here" is "insert thing here". Its such lazy fucking thinking.
 

ThisGuy

Member
The comment you're responding to is clearly in reference to the idea of institutional racism and not individual racism. Your attempt to steer this onto individual experiences in poor neighborhoods is a textbook part of the problem.
I think pretending the shit doesn't exist is part of the problem. Why not speak out on both in the right situation? Why down play what happens?
 
What he should've stated is that we live in a White supremacist society and taught a White supremacist Eurocentric education that affects ALL OF US, regardless of your race and it influences your subconscious and implicit biases.

I think Europeans laugh at the American depiction of American history. It may be white American centric, but it's certainly not factually Eurocentric. It's ironic how little factual information most white Americans know about their ancestral cultures and histories. On the flip side, the ancestral cultures and histories of minority peoples in America are definitively not focused on nearly enough.
 

ishibear

is a goddamn bear
I think pretending the shit doesn't exist is part of the problem. Why not speak out on both in the right situation? Why down play what happens?

It's not pretending it doesn't exist. Everyone knows there are exceptions but that doesn't mean the greater issue should be minimized to cater to the exception. If the greater issue is tackled and addressed, the exception becomes acknowledged as well.
 

Replicant

Member
As a POC I really don't like this.

There are ways to approach institutionalized racism without putting down or being awful to white people. I don't think we should lower ourselves down to the racists' level by acting like one as well.
 

Nepenthe

Member
I think pretending the shit doesn't exist is part of the problem. Why not speak out on both in the right situation? Why down play what happens?

No one is pretending it doesn't exist. You're eliciting this strawman over your own offense at the larger sociological concepts that we should all be aware as Internet-using adults in 2016 actually exist.

And you know why people, especially racial minorities, don't talk about anti-white racism whenever it actually happens all that much? Because straight-up: anti-white racism isn't as big a problem as other forms of racism. It rarely happens, and when it does, it is more likely to be handled properly by the law and community than similar cases that occur to black and brown folks. That's the consequence of being at the top of the pyramid. Sorry.
 

ThisGuy

Member
It's not pretending it doesn't exist. Everyone knows there are exceptions but that doesn't mean the greater issue should be minimized to cater to the exception. If the greater issue is tackled and addressed, the exception becomes acknowledged as well.
I never said minimize it. I legitimately do not understand the statement only whites can be racist. I've heard it before on gaf. And I just do not get it.

Hence me asking why not both in the right situation? As not to take away from one or the other.
 

Replicant

Member
A white person said it.

It doesn't matter. Just stop blaming each other and start acting nicer towards each other.

I've lived in 3 different societies/countries and I've seen racism either committed to me or my friends. The racist are in those occasions were white people and at others time were POC.
 
I never said minimize it. I legitimately do not understand the statement only whites can be racist. I've heard it before on gaf. And I just do not get it.

Hence me asking why not both in the right situation? As not to take away from one or the other.

One's on a micro level the other is at a macro level.
 

LionPride

Banned
As a POC I really don't like this.

There are ways to approach institutionalized racism without putting down or being awful to white people. I don't think we should lower ourselves down to the racists' level by acting like one as well.

...You know someone who was white said this. Right?
 
eh, i can only hope to treat everyone with fairness and if someone thinks im racist for being white there's not much i can do about it
 

Fuchsdh

Member
The problem with this is that I feel whenever we continue to paint racism and prejudice as something everyone is capable of, the less people in a position of privilege feel they need to practice introspection.

While prejudice is certainly present in all races, only with white America does it cause damage to others. That's why it's necessary to stop generalizing and focusing on the real problem.

But this is nonsense. Institutionally, being white in America by pure mathematics conveys advantages. But this line of thinking essentially is saying that racism is only harmful in America or other white-majority countries, which is bullshit, and it's also excusing prejudice by literally anyone else. I've been beaned in the skull with rocks because I'm white. That's racism. Is my situation in any way comparable to the shit people of color have to deal with far more regularly? Hardly. But arguing that "only white people can practice damaging racism" is both myopically Western-centric and morally repugnant, not to mention entirely unhelpful for actually moving this country forward on race.

How can you argue "saying that all people have prejudices excuses people from self-introspection" and then excuse any non-white person from self-introspection?
 

norm9

Member
Student and teacher got their wires crossed. Teacher meant racism in the "new" sense while student defines racism in the way that old people (ie me) generally define it.

Have I benefited from other white peoples racism inadvertently? Yes. Does that make me racist? Fuck no. You can't judge people solely on their race.

People that say they aren't racist are generally the most racist. /s
 
Have I benefited from other white peoples racism inadvertently? Yes. Does that make me racist? Fuck no. You can't judge people solely on their race.
 

Damerman

Member
Since when is racism related to skin color? What a load of shit

if you live in a system that was built to be an advantage to you at every turn and then you add a culture that passes on subconscious racist memes on top of that... it's pretty easy to assume that the people who are advantaged in the mentioned system will have some form of relation to racism.
 
It doesn't matter. Just stop blaming each other and start acting nicer towards each other.

You made a comment about being a POC and how POC shouldn't stoop to this level. When I tell you a White person said it, you then say it doesn't matter, stop blaming each other and start acting nicer towards each other. Okay, but then don't speak on behalf of POC when we didn't say the shit.
 

Nepenthe

Member
But we're not helping the situation by being awful to people who are not even guilty of being racist.

Being born into a race is not the same as being racist. It's really dumb to believe so.

You're right. It would be dumb to assume that people actually believe being racist is biologically tied to the amount of melanin in your skin that you're born with. But that's not the assertion that's ever being made, even in the teacher's quote. The assertion is that the socioeconomic and cultural fabric of this country has almost always been set up to be in service to people who look white and against the people who don't. And the likelihood that any single white person escaped any and all cultural indoctrination and has never had a single thought or inclination in their life that communicates a bias against people of color is, again, near zero. If anything, I would want someone to put this Messiah forth so we can use them as a case study and topple this white supremacy shit that much faster.
 

Replicant

Member
You made a comment about being a POC and how POC shouldn't stoop to this level. When I tell you a White person said it, you then say it doesn't matter, stop blaming each other and start acting nicer towards each other. Okay, but then don't speak on behalf of POC when we didn't say the shit.

Who said I spoke on behalf of POC? I made a suggestion.

You can continue being angry and lash out to people who don't even deserve it. But don't wonder why racial tension is becoming worse later on.

I've been called names by white people and was spoken to using language I don't even use.
I've been told by an aborigine to "go back to my country" just because I was crossing the street.
When I was in Japan, I was told that while I could come into a bar, my friends (who are white) can't.

People are often racist to each other and one race has no hold on the title.

You're right. It would be dumb to assume that people actually believe being racist is biologically tied to the amount of melanin in your skin that you're born with. But that's not the assertion that's ever being made, even in the teacher's quote. The assertion is that the socioeconomic and cultural fabric of this country has almost always been set up to be in service to people who look white and against the people who don't. And the likelihood that any single white person escaped any and all cultural indoctrination and has never had a single thought or inclination in their life that communicates a bias against people of color is, again, near zero. If anything, I would want someone to put this Messiah forth so we can use them as a case study and topple this white supremacy shit that much faster.

You're talking about the US? This is not the reality in other parts of the world. See my examples above. But if you're talking only about the US, then yeah, you have a point. But it's dumb for the teacher to assume this is the reality for all white people.
 
You're right. It would be dumb to assume that people actually believe being racist is biologically tied to the amount of melanin in your skin that you're born with. But that's not the assertion that's ever being made, even in the teacher's quote. The assertion is that the socioeconomic and cultural fabric of this country has almost always been set up to be in service to people who look white and against the people who don't. And the likelihood that any single white person escaped any and all cultural indoctrination and has never had a single thought or inclination in their life that communicates a bias against people of color is, again, near zero. If anything, I would want someone to put this Messiah forth so we can use them as a case study and topple this white supremacy shit that much faster.

Pretty much.
 
You're right. It would be dumb to assume that people actually believe being racist is biologically tied to the amount of melanin in your skin that you're born with. But that's not the assertion that's ever being made, even in the teacher's quote. The assertion is that the socioeconomic and cultural fabric of this country has almost always been set up to be in service to people who look white and against the people who don't. And the likelihood that any single white person escaped any and all cultural indoctrination and has never had a single thought or inclination in their life that communicates a bias against people of color is, again, near zero. If anything, I would want someone to put this Messiah forth so we can use them as a case study and topple this white supremacy shit that much faster.

yeah this is a pretty good summary
 

Nepenthe

Member
You're talking about the US? This is not the reality in other parts of the world. See my examples above. But if you're talking only about the US, then yeah, you have a point. But it's dumb for the teacher to assume this is the reality for all white people.

Of course we're talking about the fucking US. The schoolteacher is from Oklahoma.
 
Who said I spoke on behalf of POC? I made a suggestion.

You can continue being angry and lash out to people who don't even deserve it. But don't wonder why racial tension is becoming worse later on.

I've been called names by white people and was spoken to using language I don't even use.
I've been told by an aborigine to "go back to my country" just because I was crossing the street.
When I was in Japan, I was told that while I could come into a bar, my friends (who are white) can't.

People are often racist to each other and one race has no hold on the title.

I'm not angry nor do I think all White people are racist, my issue is you speaking that POC made this statement. The teacher is speaking about White Supremacy within an American context in an American classroom, why are you bringing up other racism in other countries?
 

UrokeJoe

Member
You made a comment about being a POC and how POC shouldn't stoop to this level. When I tell you a White person said it, you then say it doesn't matter, stop blaming each other and start acting nicer towards each other. Okay, but then don't speak on behalf of POC when we didn't say the shit.

Damn you uptight.
 

Replicant

Member
Of course we're talking about the fucking US. The schoolteacher is from Oklahoma.

Then maybe he should be more specific that he's talking about white people in the US. Even so, what do you have to gain by hating people who are not even racist?

I'm not angry nor do I think all White people are racist, my issue is you speaking that POC made this statement. The teacher is speaking about White Supremacy within an American context in an American classroom, why are you bringing up other racism in other countries?

Errr....
" A man in the video uses white-out on a globe to illustrate how European influence spread across the world"

Racism isn't US-only problem and it's shortsighted to think it is. Institutionalized racism is US (and some other white-lead country) problem and if that's what you're talking about then make it clear.
 
Then maybe he should be more specific that he's talking about white people in the US. Even so, what do you have to gain by hating people who are not even racist?

Damn, so you just gonna misrepresent his very detailed and thorough explanation in his posts to hating people who are not even racist?
 

Nepenthe

Member
Then maybe he should be more specific that he's talking about white people in the US. Even so, what do you have to gain by hating people who are not even racist?

Or maybe offended white people should stop being deliberately obtuse about the context of these conversations when it's as obvious as burning cross in the night that the speaker is describing a hot-button American issue (although, let's not act like Europeans, Canadians, and Australians are some paragons of race relations either).

And again, show me a single white American that has never had a subconscious thought against a person of color, and I'll trade you my pink elephant.
 

Replicant

Member
Damn, so you just gonna misrepresent his very detailed and thorough explanation in his posts to hating people who are not even racist?

Read up.

Or maybe offended white people should stop being deliberately obtuse about the context of these conversations when it's as obvious as burning cross in the night that the speaker is describing a hot-button American issue (although, let's not act like Europeans, Canadians, and Australians are some paragons of race relations either).

And again, show me a single white American that has never had a subconscious thought against a person of color, and I'll trade them for my pink elephant.

Well, I wouldn't know about that but that sounds too highly pessimistic to be true either.
 

TalonJH

Member
I get what he is trying to say(hopefully) but I don't think he's there when it comes to expressing it. To be fair, he would of made people mad even if he knew how to approach the subject. It's dumb but I feel like either way, it would had been better discussion in a collage classroom rather than a high school.

Also, I don't think GAF can take this one. I hate stopping discussion and I usually think race needs to be talked about more but I think it's just going to be a lot of yelling and fighting here.
 

Nepenthe

Member
Well, I wouldn't know about that but that sounds too highly pessimistic to be true either.

Pessimism has nothing to do with reality. Study after study after study after study after study has concluded that cultural indoctrination works. Advertising and media influence works. White supremacy exists, and it exists in nearly every facet of American life. This ain't some fairy tale.

What a ridiculous statement. All I can do is just laugh at you.

It's apparently ridiculous and yet no one here has provided a single contrary example. Funny how that works.

This doesn't go both ways? You crazy.

Where did I say that?
 
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