jhameia: eshusplayground: ...

8th July 2012

eshusplayground:

catladyineasysteps:

bemusedlybespectacled:

foggypebble:

holybat:

thinkspeakstress:

knowledgeequalsblackpower:

Oh God!

… They’re just sooo predictable. It makes me sick to my stomach.

Yes, white people, you are this predictable. You all—all as in every single white person ever, all as in all white people. This time, I am actually saying “all.” So maybe your reading comprehension will function the way it’s supposed to—you all need to sit and think about why it is that you always claim to not be racist, but you, and every other racist and/or privilege denying white person make the exact same argumentsevery god damn time. If you really think it’s only coincidence, you need to reevaluate yourself in way that will make you uncomfortable before engaging with another PoC again.

And it’s ridiculous just how EVERY WHITE PERSON EVER comes up with this exact bullshit. No one ever says anything outside what’s shown here. And then they try to say that we are indoctrinated? If they repeat this shit over and over again to me they’re the ones who are indoctrinated.

You angry assholes. In highschools like in California where whites are a minority, they get bullied, sometimes physically, for being white. Anytime there’s a minority in a location, they get it. I get that racism against blacks are way, way more common, but there is such a thing as reverse racism. ALL racism is bad. And I *DO* believe that that person in the picture is not a racist. That doesn’t make that person a halo’d angel and I doubt that person feels like one, but not racist. What even are you guys trying to do?

You’re kidding, right? There is no such thing as reverse racism, because even if you’re mean to white people, you don’t have a system of oppression behind you. Racism =/= being bullied. Racism is getting shot because people automatically assume you are a criminal. Racism is having ONE person of your skin color be shown in any medium, as a side character, never as a main character or a love interest, if they are shown at all. Racism is not being seen as a friend, it’s being seen as your automatic “I’m not a racist” marker, which means you see people as objects, not humans. Racism is having bandaids and “nude” nail polish being the color of white skin. Racism. Is not. Bullying.

The question I have is this: what should white people do then? If having a best friend who’s non-white is because they want to prove they’re not racist, if going over to build an orphanage for kids in say Haiti isn’t enough, not seeing race, and wanting equality. How is this the wrong actions to take?

YOUR PROBLEM: Having a non-white best friend to prove you’re not racist? Is racist. Because it renders your non-white “best friend” into something you’re using as a tool to make yourself look good and not-racist. You’d be a good white best friend to a not-white person by standing up for your friend when racist shit is said around them, by letting them sound off when racist things happen to them without defending the white people involved, by letting them criticize you when you do something stupid racist. Judging by what you’re saying now? Having to defend yourself for being white? I doubt you’re actually not-racist around your not-white best friend.

SOLUTION: Be friends with them for the human being they are; defend their humanity when you see it being questioned. Of course, as long as you’re busy defending your whiteness, you won’t be able to recognize how they’re quietly dehumanized by the whole world.

YOUR PROBLEM: Going over to build an orphanage in Haiti isn’t enough, because it does nothing to address how and why Haiti is in the same position that needs orphanages: the fact that white supremacist policies interfere and intervene into what Haiti does, and in fact takes away Haiti’s ability to self-sovereignty by playing White Saviour. You, by swooping in to build an orphanage in Haiti, are racist by playing directly into this White Saviour business. You are playing into that individualized ideal that One Person Can Make A Difference, not recognizing that there is a whole history behind Haiti’s poverty.

SOLUTION: Educate yourself on the how’s and why’s behind the problems in Haiti. Then educate others. Refrain from being a White Saviour, and vote in people who will actually respect the necessity of Haitians to self-determination.

YOUR PROBLEM: Not seeing race means you flatten the cultural and racial specificities of racialized people. You won’t be able to recognize racism that happens to people if you can’t recognize that because they are racialized, they will be treated differently. You won’t be able to recognize any subtle and unconscious racism on YOUR part if you refuse to see how race factors into your interactions, and if you can’t see it in yourself, you won’t be able to see it in other white folk. How exactly do you plan on fixing racism if you can’t see race, and thus the problems stemming from race?

SOLUTION: Learn the phrase “remember I’m black, forget that I’m black” (substitute as necessary. This is how I learned the phrase). Remember that non-white people will suffer different problems and go through different interactions that you won’t; forget the stereotypes associated with their skin colour and treat them as a human being, each human being different, with different responses to different things.

What would you have white people to do fix racism then?

See above: EDUCATE YOURSELF. Stop assuming that you are doing okay, and remember that there is always room for improvement. Learn more about your local POC communities, aid them, DO NOT INTERFERE. Recognize when you are centering yourself, learn how to pull back. Learn how to listen to POC, like, really listen, and learn how to shut your trap before you start pulling stupid shit like this whinging of “ISN’T THIS ENOUGH!” Racism isn’t about you and your feelings. Yeah, you feel like shit? Good; welcome to the world POC live in. Now learn how to deal with it in ways that address the needs of POC, letting POC guide you, instead of kicking and screaming that you somehow know how racism works, even though you are, by your own admission, privileged.

Then teach other white folk the same.

Should they all just go off to a remote island where they can’t hurt anyone ever again with their existence, or would that be racist too for excluding people of colour from being outcasts?

That would be nice but white people have been excluding POC for a long time. That’s not really a process filled with good intentions; that’s a white supremacist thing designed in such a way so white people don’t feel bothered by non-white people’s icky needs and existences and problems caused by white people’s bigotry. So this hypothetical is really just a lot of whining that non-white folk aren’t pandering to your feelings.

Yes, I will acknowledge that white people don’t have to suffer through ‘profiling’ and yes, we do have privilege. But explain to me how any of the actions listed above is an incorrect way to try and actively fix it. All posting this like this does is demean the people who might want to help fix it, and makes them avoid doing so.

When your actions are designed to be self-serving, to make you look better, to assuage your ego, and to protect you from the idea that yes, you could be really racist, and not recognizing it, then yeah, you deserve to be taken down a few notches. Learn humility, learn how to be humble, learn that saying “yes I’m privileged” doesn’t do diddly-squat when accompanied with White Saviour screeds.

So please explain to me, a privileged, racist by default white person how I can fix racism other then wanting equality for all and working to do just that through equal (you know, that pesky word that makes equality) rights for all. Meaning if a non-white person gets 20 years in jail for stealing a biscut, then so should I. And if there are scholarships for simply being born a non-white skin colour, then there should be scholarships for whites without it being deemed racist. Please. I’d genuinely like to know.

YOUR PROBLEM: Assumptions that being treated the same = being treated equally. It is not. There are reasons why minority-only scholarships exist.

SOLUTION: Educate yourself on the historical trends behind white-vs.-non-white access to education, arrest rates et al. Educate yourself on the lies told about affirmative action, and btw you’re wrong that there are no scholarships for white people. They’re just not called scholarships for white people. The more you learn, the more you will (hopefully, so long as you’re not stubbornly holding onto being a fucking bigot) understand why your comparisons are not proportionately relative and really disingenuous, in addition to being absolutely tiresome.

*sigh*

Somebody else take this one.

There, I did it.

Now catladyineasysteps owes me $200 for my time spent educating her!

Fantastic response.

May I do a bit of collecting as well? This has been reblogged a few times on my dash and I’m noticing a bunch of people jumping in about tone and why can’t you be nicer and blah blah blah racist bingo.

Picture having to say the beautiful reply above, in 200 different ways, 200 times a month (at least) and trying to keep your cool the every time. Because if you dare to NOT keep your cool you’ll be called angry, or uppity, or told your words and your experiences don’t matter because you’re exasperated or impatient or downright angry after being repeatedly insulted and used. It isn’t your right to be upset for ~*no reason*~ just because someone was ~*curious*~. THAT’S why barging in here with tone policing sucks ass, and makes you racist. It isn’t because you’re saying, “omg black people suck”, it’s because you’re saying, “Your frustration, your experiences and your desires and rights don’t matter… I want - nay, NEED - to be educated by you in a quiet, friendly, wonderful way and you owe me that for no other reason than that I’m white and you’re black and a magical mouthpiece for your people. Teach me!” and you say it every single time something comes up that you don’t understand. That’s white supremacy in action, and that’s racism. There’s more to it than cross-burning and white hoods. Once upon I time I did it too, I get it, but you aren’t owed any education and neither was I. So shut up and listen, go read, go educate yourself (preferably using literature and essays written by PoC themselves about their own experiences), and then listen some more.
So after this amazing response up there? Quietly nod your head and slink back. Say, “I’m sorry, you’re right” (but only if you mean it, otherwise just shut up), and then start listening more.

Source: pussy-envy