First off, 80-90% of white folks are either ignorant of, unwilling to understand, or understand and accept structural and institutional racism. Educational outreach is important to help the ignorant ones, but this thread isn't about them. This includes both outwardly racist folks and the "colorblind" idiots.
But for the 10-20% who actually do realize that racism is endemic to American life and white supremacy is the original sin upon which this country was built on, in my experience many bring some of the behaviors endemic to an unbalanced power structure into their critique and activism. This includes:
1. Patronizing black folks
2. Feeling entitled that their opinions on the "struggle" are the most important
3. Unwilling to listen to black perspectives
You see this a lot among the white liberal types. And while they are certainly less harmful than the Klan member conservative types, they're still not being very productive.
Here's the point of all of this: white people, we can sympathize with black struggle, but we can NEVER empathize. To white people, discrimination based on race is some abstract wrong that needs to be corrected, and we know it's wrong, but it's something far away, it's distant. We will NEVER actually experience what it feels like to be singled out because of the color of the skin. We will NEVER experience the multifaceted oppression of black urban or rural poverty. We will NEVER fully understand the experiences and emotions associated with being black in America. That's privilege.
So let's be respectful and listen.
But for the 10-20% who actually do realize that racism is endemic to American life and white supremacy is the original sin upon which this country was built on, in my experience many bring some of the behaviors endemic to an unbalanced power structure into their critique and activism. This includes:
1. Patronizing black folks
2. Feeling entitled that their opinions on the "struggle" are the most important
3. Unwilling to listen to black perspectives
You see this a lot among the white liberal types. And while they are certainly less harmful than the Klan member conservative types, they're still not being very productive.
Here's the point of all of this: white people, we can sympathize with black struggle, but we can NEVER empathize. To white people, discrimination based on race is some abstract wrong that needs to be corrected, and we know it's wrong, but it's something far away, it's distant. We will NEVER actually experience what it feels like to be singled out because of the color of the skin. We will NEVER experience the multifaceted oppression of black urban or rural poverty. We will NEVER fully understand the experiences and emotions associated with being black in America. That's privilege.
So let's be respectful and listen.
Honestly, seeing the hatred that many blacks have here for homosexuals makes me realize that we (by and large) aren't ready for respect
