It's not weird at all when you consider white people benefit from the accomplishments and achievements of black people without crediting them all the time, as was the case since America's inception
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White ERA, what's up with white people and shying away from their history of racism
- Thread starter wisdom0wl
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It's not weird at all when you consider white people benefit from the accomplishments and achievements of black people without crediting them all the time, as was the case since America's inception
Did they really go against properly teaching the civil war? I always think man it's a damn miracle (most) of my teachers in public schools in Texas didn't mince words when they said it was about slavery.
I have no problem admitting that what my ancestors did were fucked up, the problem is always the awkward silence afterwards like you have to come up with a solution. And I mean, what DO you do? Reparations are something you hear often, and while that would help, I can't help but think that's kind of like just cutting a check to someone then running. It doesn't fix any of the institutionalized racism that's still happening and it would just be used as an excuse when future race issues get brought up by the republicans and 'the elite'. "We gave you money, now you have no more say in anything."
That's not to say that reparations couldn't be a part of a MUCH bigger plan... But even if I personally came up with the perfect solution there is nothing I can do to enact it. The magnitude of it all... Everything from law enforcement, education, the jobs market, etc would all need a massive overhaul. The blow back would also be huge as you know the 35-40% hardcore racists in this country aren't going to just sit there and let it all happen.
That's not to say that reparations couldn't be a part of a MUCH bigger plan... But even if I personally came up with the perfect solution there is nothing I can do to enact it. The magnitude of it all... Everything from law enforcement, education, the jobs market, etc would all need a massive overhaul. The blow back would also be huge as you know the 35-40% hardcore racists in this country aren't going to just sit there and let it all happen.
Last time I was in Thailand I asked "why do you Asian people shy away from atrocities like the Rape of Nanking and Tienanmen Square" and they looked at me like I was crazy.
What's up with that Asian people? Do you deny your oppressive heritage?!
What's up with that Asian people? Do you deny your oppressive heritage?!
Even liberal white folks, I count myself among them, do not accept that their current status in life is partly because of systemic racism. They don't want to confront that. It largely doesn't affect their lives and so they'd rather be ignorant even if they know the right thing to do.
Talk about it with folks, bring it up. Talking about race is something more Americans should do. We shouldn't shy away from why we're different from each other. We should celebrate it.
I talk about it with my family all the time. My sister dates a police officer and I often bring this up with him. His experiences with minorities, how his department handles complaints, what's he's seen on the job.
I'd also say if you have the means, donating to places like the ACLU can help.
Talk about it with folks, bring it up. Talking about race is something more Americans should do. We shouldn't shy away from why we're different from each other. We should celebrate it.
I talk about it with my family all the time. My sister dates a police officer and I often bring this up with him. His experiences with minorities, how his department handles complaints, what's he's seen on the job.
I'd also say if you have the means, donating to places like the ACLU can help.
You know that "Asian" is a massive demographic of billions of people with interconnected racism between different countries, right?
I mean, I assume you know this. But I don't know why it's being compared.
I agree. It's why I gave the Led Zep example. Perfect example for that. However, I took the other posters comments a little differently. As though, white people shouldn't participate in popular black music etc. Maybe I read the posters tone wrong.
Really? I guess it's not comparable to a hyper specific group that can all be lumped together like... uh... white people.
They feel guilty about what they've done, it's that simple
Don't let them feign ignorance, hold their feet to the fire
Ignorance. Fragility. Quickness to act like the real oppressed ones if you suggest that they get to enjoy a privileged position in society. Resentment over our ancestors' sins still being a stain on us today, which can bubble up into some red-hot white rage if they're ever told they're being "racially insensitive", let alone "racist".
To grow as a person. And then call it out where you see, so hopefully those people grow. And so on.
Don't be obtuse. The term 'white people' is being used in an American context here given the poster's place of residence.
Completely different situation for me growing up. My parents were dropping slurs all over the place in front of me. You can't dismiss racism being around that most of your life. It can definitely hurt a child's mind. I thought that was the norm until I got older and pushed myself further away.
Please come out and say it. What is the right thing to do? Everyone has something different to say about what is right. Even people who agree with reparations all want different amounts. The truth is there is no one solution to it and half our country wants to MAGA which is light years away from what you're talking about.
I would totally be for reparations if that meant minorities and specifically black people would feel accepted and integrated but that wouldn't do it. You'd have to literally delete every single gate keeping racist in society it just seems impossible.
I know black people deal with racism every day. I see it in the way they react to normal things like being critiqued on the job at my work. One of my asst managers are black and tell me things they deal with and it really sucks (in life not at the job).
By and large in America, white identity exists as a function of white supremacy. White supremacy thrives on white people coming together on their skin-deep similarities to oppress and marginalize minorities. There is nothing wrong with identifying with Italian or Swedish or French or English heritage. But people who fall under general whiteness will often benefit from material privilege because they are treated by society differently (read, better).
If you go to Europe you're more likely to see division among certain demographics of "white" people. Not so much in America.
I didn't mean it that way at all. I guess I failed trying to make my point that white people benifited far more greatly being influenced by black music than the other way around.
Yea I definitely read you wrong. My bad. I agree with this post. I guess your co-worker thought otherwise.
"White" music lol The irony is painful.
Aint this the truth. So many don't even realize this what they're doing.
He's obviously talking about the white washing of the origins of much of what we call "white" music today and how easy it is for whites to break into black music compared to black making it big in "white" music. Nowhere did I get that he's saying that white people shouldnt participate in black music.
And no, see this doesnt help anything. You think you're being clever, instead all your doing is feeding back into the fragility mindset. Stop this.
Yea I didn't get that the first read through. I agree with THIS. I did not agree with what I interpreted the first read.
It's intentional, it's a way to dismiss the issue instead of opening up or discussing it.
(edit) edited out needless baiting.
I am white. I think the issue for many is that racism feels like a far-off, distant thing. We know the history of our country and, for some of us, that our ancestors had slaves or somehow supported or participated in racist institutions. We may know our grandparents are racist. We know it exists in this country still today (well, most of us -- those that pay even a modicum of attention to others). But it has never affected us directly. And if we've grown up in predominantly white areas, which much of the northeast is, we may not have witnessed it at all.
So it doesn't seem quite "real" to a lot of white people. We know it exists but we haven't seen it playing out because we're not tuned to it. We take for granted the way the world works for us and don't see the way it harms others. It's only really by spending time with people of color and, more importantly, listening to them that I think we can begin to see the way institutions and power structures and what are, to us, everyday interactions are stacked against people of color.
It's a tough awakening that a white person has to care a lot to even confront. It doesn't surprise me that the folks you spoke to, OP, got defensive, because confronting truths of racism means questioning things that we have always assumed to be one way. A white person might think, well, I studied a lot in high school and so I made my way into a good college. I worked hard in college so I have a good career. My race has nothing to do with it. When they're confronted with the truth that their race means they were likely afforded opportunities people of color did not have or that they otherwise implicity benefited from their privilege, they feel that their accomplishments are suddenly called into question. They hear someone saying that they didn't work hard to get what they have, not that other people have to work ten times harder to get the same thing.
That's just my observation as a white person at least. There are of course a lot of outright garbage racist white people who just hate people of color, but I hope your friends aren't like that OP.
So it doesn't seem quite "real" to a lot of white people. We know it exists but we haven't seen it playing out because we're not tuned to it. We take for granted the way the world works for us and don't see the way it harms others. It's only really by spending time with people of color and, more importantly, listening to them that I think we can begin to see the way institutions and power structures and what are, to us, everyday interactions are stacked against people of color.
It's a tough awakening that a white person has to care a lot to even confront. It doesn't surprise me that the folks you spoke to, OP, got defensive, because confronting truths of racism means questioning things that we have always assumed to be one way. A white person might think, well, I studied a lot in high school and so I made my way into a good college. I worked hard in college so I have a good career. My race has nothing to do with it. When they're confronted with the truth that their race means they were likely afforded opportunities people of color did not have or that they otherwise implicity benefited from their privilege, they feel that their accomplishments are suddenly called into question. They hear someone saying that they didn't work hard to get what they have, not that other people have to work ten times harder to get the same thing.
That's just my observation as a white person at least. There are of course a lot of outright garbage racist white people who just hate people of color, but I hope your friends aren't like that OP.
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Locking Thread. We don't believe the OP in their current state is the best way to start a conversation of this nature.
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