Support NeoGAF

[Übermatik]

Saying all white people are racist is objectively wrong. Anyone that thinks otherwise has a dishonest agenda.

Here's a definition of racism:

racism
ˈreɪsɪz(&#601m/Submit
noun

the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.

This should provide a healthy reminder for some that have got lost in the semantics.
I see discussion on GAF become muddied all too quick because people forget what it is they're actually arguing about.

*EDIT* Whoo-ee, top of the page. Even making what I assume to be a fairly innocent statement (like the one above) in threads like these has me nervous for the response. Speaks volumes.

 

[Sixfortyfive]

Doesn't that just let everyone off the hook, though?

If every white person is racist, and it's impossible not to be racist as a white person, then why shouldn't they just embrace it? Why bother to try and improve if you can't escape it?

"Racist" is often seen as one of the worst things someone can be called in the modern world. If all white people are racist then that defangs it completely. When someone says "that's racist," the white person gets to shrug and say "yeah, what did you expect? It's a given."

Pretty much. It's the kind of argument that makes me think "do you really think you're helping?" when I hear it.

 

[Venfayth]

If you were defending a generic accusation of racism against a person or group of people, or systemic racism, then I'd agree that the "everyone is racist" stance is vacuous or even harmful.

I think that saying something like "every white person is racist" in the way that the teacher has done is even more vacuous and harmful. It does a bad job of articulating any of the nuance that should come along with such a claim.

 

[The Hermit]

This World is getting weirder and weirder

 

[LegendofDragoonLives]

This World is getting weirder and weirder

dumber*

 

[poppabk]

Doesn't that just let everyone off the hook, though?

If every white person is racist, and it's impossible not to be racist as a white person, then why shouldn't they just embrace it? Why bother to try and improve if you can't escape it?

"Racist" is often seen as one of the worst things someone can be called in the modern world. If all white people are racist then that defangs it completely. When someone says "that's racist," the white person gets to shrug and say "yeah, what did you expect? It's a given."

I honestly think we need more complex and nuanced language around racial issues. White supremacy, bigotry, racist, are all really loaded terms - but if we are going to use them for disparate meanings they are rapidly going to become normalized.

 

[Ganzlinger]

Everyone is racist and the teacher is racist against whites.

 

[Croatoan]

When you use blanket statements like this you devalue your message. If all whites are racist, even the ones who do nothing racist, what incentive do they have to change if they feel they are good people?

Like, if this teacher is right, and I am a racist, then fuck it, I will die a racist. Because I already feel like a good person, and I have no reason to change or prostrate myself in front of others to feel "less racist", or to avoid being called a word.

Basically, what I am saying is, if you want these words to retain their weight and meaning then use them sparingly for egregious cases. Otherwise they will reach "You are a mean doo doo head" levels of impact.

 

[Palette Swap]

Saying all white people are racist is objectively wrong. Anyone that thinks otherwise has a dishonest agenda.

Here's a definition of racism:



This should provide a healthy reminder for some that have got lost in the semantics.
I see discussion on GAF become muddied all too quick because people forget what it is they're actually arguing about.

*EDIT* Whoo-ee, top of the page. Even making what I assume to be a fairly innocent statement (like the one above) in threads like these has me nervous for the response. Speaks volumes.

No need to be nervous but you do realize prefacing your post with "Saying all white people are racist is objectively wrong. Anyone that thinks otherwise has a dishonest agenda." is confrontional in itself? So you come across as passive aggressive when you start your post like this and shrink to "don't hurt me, you meanies" by the end of it.

Anyway, like you said, this is a definition, and the reason people talk past each other in these conversations is because they can't even agree on definitions in the first place.
I don't believe this is a very functional definition, as "the belief that all members of each race" is a set of maximalist conditions that are rarely met. I mean, if I say "white people are liars and cheats but some of them are good people, I believe", I'm not technically racist by that definition as I leave room for the "good ones". The other problem of that definition is that it characterizes a belief rather an action of behavior, which implies only intent and belief matter.

To put it differently, if you take that definition, you'll end up saying that for example there's no racist component to the incarceration rate of black people in the US.

That's where discussions of institutional racism have come up with more operational definitions of race, as a social construct, and racism, as a compound of widely stereotypes, and more or less conscious behaviors that end up hurting members of a race.
In that regard, saying white people in the US are all stakeholders in the systemic racism minorities face isn't that far fetched.

That being said, I don't know that it's helpful on a teacher's part to just make that kind of provocative statement, as it's not going to help anyone listen or try to understand.

 

[UncleSporky]

To put it differently, if you take that definition, you'll end up saying that for example there's no racist component to the incarceration rate of black people in the US.

Eh, not necessarily. It might be more correct to talk about the systemic and prejudicial components to incarceration. And even working with that definition of racism, you could claim that a racist component manifests in individuals in the criminal/judicial system.

 

[Mister Wilhelm]

Saying all white people are racist is objectively wrong. Anyone that thinks otherwise has a dishonest agenda.

Here's a definition of racism:



This should provide a healthy reminder for some that have got lost in the semantics.
I see discussion on GAF become muddied all too quick because people forget what it is they're actually arguing about.

*EDIT* Whoo-ee, top of the page. Even making what I assume to be a fairly innocent statement (like the one above) in threads like these has me nervous for the response. Speaks volumes.

This is what I was just about to post.

There is no possible way to argue that this man had a real point. His statement was undeniably racist.

You are X because you are this race is literally what he said.

 

[Psychoward]

There no point in trying to get you to understand.

Help me understand then. Why is every white American racist to you?

 

[depths20XX]

Teacher should be fired. Kids shouldn't be getting taught this bullshit.

 

[Funyarinpa]

To the people who agree with the teacher's statement: By that logic, due to being incarcerated by the system regardless of their socioeconomic position, all minorities have some racism against white people in them as well since they are perceived as the oppressor.

In which case, pretty much everyone is racist.

Privelege != Racism.

Also before I get a "anti-white racism does not matter" argument, causing less tangible harm than other types of racism does not make anti-white racism any less morally repugnant. My definition of racism is "generalizing a trait to a race or races that depicts them as superior or inferior to other races".

 

[LudicrousSpeed]

Not the way I would have articulated the point, but he's right.

White men in America have been raised in a culture that is both sexist and racist, and those things rub off on basically everyone in the culture. The best thing you can do, if you want to not be racist and sexist, is to be aware of those tendencies and how they manifest, so that when some bit of pernicious racism or sexism does bubble up unconsciously you can recognize it and try to do better going forward.

At this scope, we're not talking about racism in terms of Trump or the Klan being the bar, but just little things like walking on a sidewalk and clenching up a little more when you walk near a black person, or being stopped at a stoplight while a black person is walking past and having the thought of "are my doors locked?" pop into your head.

This isn't a fatalistic thing either, of "well, everyone's racist so it doesn't matter". The point is to be aware of those tendencies so that you can hopefully recognize them in your own behavior and work to correct your ingrained biases.

 

[SamuelSupreme]

Being white in white supremacist society means its impossible not to be racist.

That was his point....I mean he's not wrong.

 

[Acorn]

Being white in white supremacist society means its impossible not to be racist.

We are no longer judging people by their own actions? Using that logic any non white could never be racist.

 

[Sixfortyfive]

At this scope, we're not talking about racism in terms of Trump or the Klan being the bar, but just little things like walking on a sidewalk and clenching up a little more when you walk near a black person, or being stopped at a stoplight while a black person is walking past and having the thought of "are my doors locked?" pop into your head.

That kind of nuance is severely undercut when the starting point of the conversation is basically "you (and your entire race) are the problem." Where exactly is it expected to go from there? It's the sort of thing I expect out of people who are more interested in scoring imaginary debate points than to actually convey an important message to an audience that would benefit from hearing it.

By the time this person tries to explain what he means by "racist," it doesn't matter. He's not going to get through because it already sounds ridiculously hypocritical.

 

[Tain]

I mean, to some extent, nearly all white people in America probably have some amount of inherent, latent, racist thought processes to deal with on the regular. That doesn't mean we're all assholes. That just means a society with a history of racism and that is currently full of racist ideas impresses those ideas on people from birth. We all have to deal with it, somehow or other. Some people don't deal with it.

You can have racist thoughts, deal with them as a responsible human being, and do your best not to let them affect how you treat others. Acknowledging that doesn't make you a plantation owner from 1855.

idk why this post seems to be escaping so many people.

 

[Funyarinpa]

Also, "tends to have racist thoughts" and "is racist" aren't the same thing, I feel. It's like the difference between "He does stupid things sometimes." and "He's an idiot."

There's a difference, the latter implies a general way of behavior, which is very different from "latent, subconsciously imprinted racism due to growing up in a racist society" if you ask me. Would you say that a (white) person that tries to hold such imprinted thoughts in check with the best of intentions racist?

 

[Charles Brandon]

All people have racist thoughts that come unbidden from the id, along with urges to rape, attack, kill, steal, scream. That's part of our shared origins. Fortunately, most of us consciously suppress those thoughts and urges because we know better. The more we do it, the less they occur. The more we indulge those thoughts, the more likely they are to manifest in behavior.

Watch your thoughts. They become words. Watch your words. They become deeds. Watch your deeds. They become habits. Watch your habits. They become character. Character is everything.

Having those thoughts, those instincts does not make you a racist. But if you fail to examine and challenge them, you will become one, in time.

 

[Guileless]

And it appears, that every man in his first or natural state is a sinner; for otherwise he would then need no REPENTANCE, no CONVERSION, no turning from sin to God. And it appears, that every man in his original state has a heart of stone; for thus the Scripture calls that old heart, which is taken away, when a NEW HEART and NEW SPIRIT is given. (Eze. 11:19 and 36:26). And it appears, that man’s nature, as in his native state, is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and of its own motion exerts itself in nothing but wicked deeds.

For thus the Scripture characterizes the OLD MAN, which is put off, when men are renewed in the spirit of their minds, and put on the NEW MAN. (Eph. 4:22-24) In a word, it appears, that man’s nature, as in its native state, is a body of sin, which must be destroyed, must die, be buried, and never rise more.

The Great Christian Doctrine Of Original Sin Defended (PART 3)
by Jonathan Edwards

 

[LudicrousSpeed]

That kind of nuance is severely undercut when the starting point of the conversation is basically "you (and your entire race) are the problem." Where exactly is it expected to go from there? It's the sort of thing I expect out of people who are more interested in scoring imaginary debate points than to actually convey an important message to an audience that would benefit from hearing it.

By the time this person tries to explain what he means by "racist," it doesn't matter. He's not going to get through because it already sounds ridiculously hypocritical.

I agree it's easier to get through to people by restructuring your argument, but doing this is still harmful because it normalizes the dangerous idea that people who sometimes engage in racism are not capital-R Racist. Its what drives the stuff where someone can engage in textbook racism and then be outraged that someone calls them a racist.
Or where someone is sure that the thing they did is nor racist because "I'm not a racist! Just ask the people who know me!"

At some point, we're going to have to stop caring that you're going to hurt the feelings of white people. Instead, we've redefined "racist" to actually mean "overtly and unrepentantly racist" and have anything short of that fall under "not racist".

 

[Acorn]

All people have racist thoughts that come unbidden from the id, along with urges to rape, attack, kill, steal, scream. That's part of our shared origins. Fortunately, most of us consciously suppress those thoughts and urges because we know better. The more we do it, the less they occur. The more we indulge those thoughts, the more likely they are to manifest in behavior.

Watch your thoughts. They become words. Watch your words. They become deeds. Watch your deeds. They become habits. Watch your habits. They become character. Character is everything.

Having those thoughts, those instincts does not make you a racist. But if you fail to examine and challenge them, you will become one, in time.

I don't have urges to rape or kill anyone ever and I can't recall having a racist thought since I was like 11.

I'm not saying this to act like a saint, I'm genuinely confused that this is supposed to be normal.

 

[Henkka]

We are no longer judging people by their own actions? Using that logic any non white could never be racist.

That is often the exact argument these people make. They'll redefine racism as "Power + Prejudice", so you can only be "racist" if you belong to a majority group in society.

So a black person can't by definition be a racist toward a white person in the US. They can be prejudiced, yeah, but that's merely prejudice based on race, not racism.

Ain't it grand?

 

[Ralemont]

I agree it's easier to get through to people by restructuring your argument, but doing this is still harmful because it normalizes the dangerous idea that people who sometimes engage in racism are not capital-R Racist.

If by engaging in racism you mean occasionally having racist thoughts, then no they are not the same thing. If by engaging in racism you mean occasionally committing racist acts, then I agree.

Occasionally having racist thoughts would encompass the vast majority of every race which renders the point about white people meaningless. It just becomes a point about human nature. If that's the actual point, then so be it.

 

[Venfayth]

I agree it's easier to get through to people by restructuring your argument, but doing this is still harmful because it normalizes the dangerous idea that people who sometimes engage in racism are not capital-R Racist. Its what drives the stuff where someone can engage in textbook racism and then be outraged that someone calls them a racist.
Or where someone is sure that the thing they did is nor racist because "I'm not a racist! Just ask the people who know me!"

At some point, we're going to have to stop caring that you're going to hurt the feelings of white people. Instead, we've redefined "racist" to actually mean "overtly and unrepentantly racist" and have anything short of that fall under "not racist".

I don't think any form of racism that isn't Overt Racism is somehow not racist or not as harmful, I just think that when you blur the lines and don't actively try to differentiate the forms of racism then you're making it harder to have a clear discussion.

Institutional/systemic racism, unconscious prejudices, overt hateful racism, covert intentional racism, apathetic racism, these are all different ideas and words that I could use to describe a myriad of situations in which someone is being racist intentionally or otherwise that - given a reasonable person - could totally change the flow of conversation and the dynamic around how it is understood.

Overt Racism is easy to spot and point out as bad. But other forms of racism are just as, if not more important to talk about, and that's actually why I think it's an impetus to be more specific and not less specific. It's not diluting the argument or diminishing the impact of it, it's being nuanced and informative.

At least from my perspective.

 

[Chmpocalypse]

To the people who agree with the teacher's statement: By that logic, due to being incarcerated by the system regardless of their socioeconomic position, all minorities have some racism against white people in them as well since they are perceived as the oppressor.

In which case, pretty much everyone is racist.

Privelege != Racism.

Also before I get a "anti-white racism does not matter" argument, causing less tangible harm than other types of racism does not make anti-white racism any less morally repugnant. My definition of racism is "generalizing a trait to a race or races that depicts them as superior or inferior to other races".

But white privilege in America does indeed originate in racism.

 

[Funyarinpa]

But white privilege in America does indeed originate in racism.

I don't really understand how that connects to my point, but that changes nothing in contemporary context. It is not the fault of any alive person that such a social structure was established. As such, the origins do not matter for determining if a white person is racist in today's world. There's a discussion to be had regarding whether if indifference towards social justice movements constitutes racism, but that is a wholly different argument altogether and it is not what I am saying.

None of the American society's constituents right now is racist (solely) due to being born of a particular race.

 

[2002whitegt]

I never know where I fall on this subject. I'm Mexican, born in Mexico to Mexican parents, grew up the states, grew up with Mexican heritage, yet look like a white dude with a red beard.

Growing up I never felt that I was white, and it wasn't until high school when I noticed my cousins and friends had different experiences in certain situations that I could see the privilege at play.

Part of me agrees with the teacher, yet when I look in the mirror, I know he would say the same to me.

 

[Abinash117]

No need to be nervous but you do realize prefacing your post with "Saying all white people are racist is objectively wrong. Anyone that thinks otherwise has a dishonest agenda." is confrontional in itself? So you come across as passive aggressive when you start your post like this and shrink to "don't hurt me, you meanies" by the end of it.

Anyway, like you said, this is a definition, and the reason people talk past each other in these conversations is because they can't even agree on definitions in the first place.
I don't believe this is a very functional definition, as "the belief that all members of each race" is a set of maximalist conditions that are rarely met. I mean, if I say "white people are liars and cheats but some of them are good people, I believe", I'm not technically racist by that definition as I leave room for the "good ones". The other problem of that definition is that it characterizes a belief rather an action of behavior, which implies only intent and belief matter.

To put it differently, if you take that definition, you'll end up saying that for example there's no racist component to the incarceration rate of black people in the US.

That's where discussions of institutional racism have come up with more operational definitions of race, as a social construct, and racism, as a compound of widely stereotypes, and more or less conscious behaviors that end up hurting members of a race.
In that regard, saying white people in the US are all stakeholders in the systemic racism minorities face isn't that far fetched.

That being said, I don't know that it's helpful on a teacher's part to just make that kind of provocative statement, as it's not going to help anyone listen or try to understand.

I think that's a main cause of the issue. One what person thinks of racism might be totally different, but not really the opposite. One can think if one race has the power over the others and intentionally or unintentionally use it than you are racist, one might think you have to have hate in your heart, and another might think saying anything racist unintentionally or not is racist.

But white privilege in America does indeed originate in racism.

That is certainly true to many extents. A ethnic, racial, or social group that has the most influence over the culture of the nation and how it run in many facets is pretty much rigged to benefit them intentionally or unintentionally . Every other minority group or the ones that don't have much power is usually discriminated against or just disadvantage . Anyone that is living under that system is influenced by it no matter what, but the problem is that if a person of that dominate group that is living their life even if they don't have any or very little negative thoughts about a group that is weaker than his or that they really don't think much about the situation because they are concerned about other things; is that person racist? Even if he is aware about the status he/she has and might even try to overcome his/her thoughts( if that person has it) ?

I think some would argue yes that the group of people are racist. But to some, that might be going to far, and just think that just privilege .

 

[Psychoward]

Being white in white supremacist society means its impossible not to be racist.

And for white people who acknowledge the fault in society and strive to change it? Are they racists too?

There's a stark difference between being born in to privilege because of your skin color and being born racist. It's possible to inherit privilege while not being racist.

idk why this post seems to be escaping so many people.

because having slight prejudices isn't exclusive to white people

 

[sikkinixx]

as we move more and more away from being a religious culture in the west I guess something has to make us feel guilty all the time.

 

[AbsolutBro]

Being white in white supremacist society means its impossible not to be racist.

What the fuck am I even reading here?

So by your logic, Oskar Schindler was an anti-semite because he was in anti-semitic WWII Germany.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

To be White is racist? No.

To be White is to benefit constantly from racism? Absofuckinglutel.

To be White and benefit constantly from racism then pretend you don't have that benefit? Yes.

To be White and benefit consistently from racism and arrogantly wave a finger at others and act as if they're at fault for not having it together when you know God damned well there's been a long history of folks doing all they could to keep them from getting it together in the first place? Yes. That's pretty fucking racist.

The first step to dealing with a problem is to concede it even exists. We can't deal with it because there are still too many White people that don't see a problem. Don't want to. That would mean giving up a clear advantage and some don't want to. That's racist.

 

[Breads]

This World is getting weirder and weirder

It really isn't.

People are simply becoming more strident in their ignorance and stupidity.

 

[kame-sennin]

White people don't know what 'racism' means, but they still feel entitled to be mad about it.

 

[mugwhump]

Right message, wrong words.

 

[kame-sennin]

Being white in white supremacist society means its impossible not to be racist.

And for some reason, this freaks white people out.

 

[Etrian Oddity]

To be White is racist? No.

To be White is to benefit constantly from racism? Absofuckinglutel.

To be White and benefit constantly from racism then pretend you don't have that benefit? Yes.

To be White and benefit consistently from racism and arrogantly wave a finger at others and act as if they're at fault for not having it together when you know God damned well there's been a long history of folks doing all they could to keep them from getting it together in the first place? Yes. That's pretty fucking racist.

The first step to dealing with a problem is to concede it even exists. We can't deal with it because there are still too many White people that don't see a problem. Don't want to. That would mean giving up a clear advantage and some don't want to. That's racist.

So every white person is racist because there are white people who are racist.

People are acting like the original quote from the thread is a well-articulated assertion. It's not. It's literally saying that if you are white, you are racist no matter what. Not, "white people who close their eyes to the reality of PoC's struggles are racist," not "white people who acknowledge they are privileged but are too comfortable to go out of their way to help their fellow man is racist."

Literally, "if you are white, you are racist. Period, irredeemable." And that's a fallacious, absolute statement which is toxic and will do nothing to help the status quo and is solely intended to be venomous.

 

[depths20XX]

White people don't know what 'racism' means, but they still feel entitled to be mad about it.

Yeah, it's totally fine to label a whole skin color as racist because they're obviously guilty of the sins of their fathers. It's never possible to gain understanding, you're just automatically "racist". White people are just too dumb to understand the meaning of a word.

 

[kame-sennin]

It gives me a sinking feeling in my chest when people make generalizations about me just because of the color of my skin.

But dont worry about it my feelings dont count because I'm the white devil. Please just continue educating me about how I was born a monster and always will be.

"White people in North America live in a social environment that protects and insulates them from race-based stress. This insulated environment of racial protection builds white expectations for racial comfort while at the same time lowering the ability to tolerate racial stress, leading to what I refer to as White Fragility. White Fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium."

...

As an illustration of the above, let’s look at Donald Trump. Trump is known for speaking in vague generalities and declaring simplistic solutions for complex problems. He avoids policy and fact-based conversations, and gets angry and disgusted at the drop of a hat. Now imagine that when it comes to conversations on race, White people in America act a lot like Donald Trump. We generally lack knowledge, but we always have an opinion. We lack the skill set for nuanced conversations, so we pretend they aren’t necessary. When we can’t avoid, we deflect, or we get upset. We’re thin-skinned.

There are a lot of reasons White people have such a low threshold for discomfort. For one, we tend to lead segregated lives, and we think of ourselves as individuals as opposed to members of a group. We receive constant messages that Whiteness is valuable, and we’re used to feeling a sense of belonging in most spaces. All of this leads to a huge sense of entitlement to being not only comfortable, but correct, at all times.

...

Some disambiguation is necessary with this term. “White supremacy” is a system that prioritizes whiteness regardless of the presence or absence of racial hatred, but a “white supremacist” is a person who embraces overt racial hatred. It’s like a spectrum. By default, all White people are on the spectrum of complicity in upholding a system of White supremacy, but we only give the negative label of “White supremacists” to the really hateful people at the far end. This allows the rest of us to say “we’re not them.”....

....This good/bad binary is designed to prevent conversations. It keeps us focused on racism as an individual problem that “bad” people have, as opposed to a system of social control that implicates us. And it sets in place a hair trigger by which we experience any challenge to our racial worldview as a challenge to very our identities as good, moral people. Our lizard brains cannot handle contradictions to our goodness as people.

...

​

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anna-...d-language-of-white-fragility_b_10909350.html

 

[depths20XX]

Your whole chart has no factual basis and goes off the implication that all white people fear/hate black people. It's fucking nothing.

Where's data? Where's facts?

 

[Enzom21]

Your whole chart has no factual basis and goes off the implication that all white people fear/hate black people. It's fucking nothing.

Where's data? Where's facts?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anna-...d-language-of-white-fragility_b_10909350.html

Satisfactory?

 

[kame-sennin]

Everyone is racist and the teacher is racist against whites.

You can't be racist against whites.

 

[depths20XX]

Satisfactory?

No, not really, because the original statement was that "all white people are racist." Maybe we have a different idea of the word racist here.

The article goes on to say this:

"The truth is that “good” White people do and say racist things all the time. They appropriate black hairstyles like cornrows, baby hair, and bantu knots and rebrand them as “boxer braids”, “slicked-down tendrils”, and “mini-buns.” They dress up as stereotyped members of other cultures for Halloween, and argue the Redskins name is tradition. They say things like “I don’t even see color” and “All Lives Matter.”

The truth is that not all white people are fucking morons who do this shit.

 

[Enzom21]

No, not really, because the original statement was that "all white people are racist." Maybe we have a different idea of the word racist here.

The article goes on to say this:

"The truth is that “good” White people do and say racist things all the time. They appropriate black hairstyles like cornrows, baby hair, and bantu knots and rebrand them as “boxer braids”, “slicked-down tendrils”, and “mini-buns.” They dress up as stereotyped members of other cultures for Halloween, and argue the Redskins name is tradition. They say things like “I don’t even see color” and “All Lives Matter.”

The truth is that not all white people are fucking morons who do this shit.

You asked kame-sennin to provide a source and data to backup the chart and that's what kame-sennin did. Why are you not satisfied?
But I doubt you would have been satisfied with anything kame-sennin posted because something mean was said about white people and that is always the worst thing in the world.

 

[kame-sennin]

When you use blanket statements like this you devalue your message. If all whites are racist, even the ones who do nothing racist, what incentive do they have to change if they feel they are good people?

Like, if this teacher is right, and I am a racist, then fuck it, I will die a racist. Because I already feel like a good person, and I have no reason to change or prostrate myself in front of others to feel "less racist", or to avoid being called a word.

It's not about good and bad. All white people (and most black people) are racists, that is to say, anti-black. But subconscious anti-blackness alone doesn't make one a bad person.

When we learn that “racists are bad people”, we automatically put ourselves into the opposite category: non-racists who are well-meaning, good people. Here’s how it organizes our world view:

This good/bad binary is designed to prevent conversations. It keeps us focused on racism as an individual problem that “bad” people have, as opposed to a system of social control that implicates us. And it sets in place a hair trigger by which we experience any challenge to our racial worldview as a challenge to very our identities as good, moral people. Our lizard brains cannot handle contradictions to our goodness as people.

The truth is that “good” White people do and say racist things all the time. They appropriate black hairstyles like cornrows, baby hair, and bantu knots and rebrand them as “boxer braids”, “slicked-down tendrils”, and “mini-buns.” They dress up as stereotyped members of other cultures for Halloween, and argue the Redskins name is tradition. They say things like “I don’t even see color” and “All Lives Matter.”

Because these racist things don’t rise to the level of overt malice, they don’t trigger the good/bad binary. We can fall back on “good intentions” or “well-meaning” and presto: we’ve killed all potential for productive conversations about racism, and we’ve given ourselves permission to keep doing and saying a wide range of racist things without feeling bad about it.

Dr. DiAngelo asserts that “the most effective adaptation of racism over time is the idea that racism is conscious bias held by mean people.” Key word here is “adaptation.” Racism today doesn’t look the way it did in 1865, 1965, or 2000. It stays alive by shape-shifting over time, and the good/bad binary is just part of its insidious current form. The only way forward is to step outside of it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anna-...d-language-of-white-fragility_b_10909350.html

 

[Prodigal Son]

The fact that this thread is anything but condemnation for the dumb person who said those dumb person things is a little sad.

 

[Goatboy]

If a white man and a black woman had a child would the man really love his child?