See? No white racist would ever K and R this.

But seriously, this:

"Rather, it’s a lifelong process of historical education, vigilant self-interrogation, personal growth, and socio-political agitation. "


We learn as we go....

"We learn as we go" and we grow as we learn.

versus being seen with outright contempt.

Thanks for the thread, sheshe.

as, I suspect, can pretty much all DUers. If you support racial equality and don't treat people differently based upon their race, you are not a racist. And contrary to what the blogger cited in the OP seems to believe, it really doesn't take "a lifetime of self-examination" to figure this out.

in which cultural racism is reproduced and perpetuated. "Racist"/"non-racist" is in fact something of a false dichotomy (non entirely unlike "sex-positive"/"sex-negative&quot .

It's not about any individual being bigoted, particularly - I tend to think DU'ers by and large are not - but more the collective stereotypes and assumptions that are floating out there in the ether (so to speak) and to which none of us is entirely immune no matter how many close friends and/or relatives of color we may have.

And what's so bad about "a lifetime of self-examination"? I tend to think introspection in general - not just on the subject of race by any means - is crucial to any conscientious person.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I do believe this blogger means well. But even if some may indeed require decades or even a lifetime of self-examination, it's not going to be true for everyone. Hell, I was raised in a conservative family and I got the basic truth of the matter fairly quickly. (Though to be honest, being non-racist or even actively anti-racist, as in my case, it doesn't mean that prejudice in general will necessarily totally disappear.)

Some might be surprised to learn that when people of color talk about racism amongst ourselves, white liberals often receive a far harsher skewering than white conservatives or overt racists.

Some(but certainly not all! or even a majority, for that matter.) people in the movement who happen to be PoC do do that, yes.....but then again, I've seen plenty of "white" folks do this as well. And in 99% of cases, it is not warranted. And to be frank, as much as I would've hated to admit this several years ago, the sad truth is, mainstream "white" liberals do get shat on by some of the extremists out there because we're actually the easiest and/or most satisfying targets in many cases. And when it *does* occur, no matter their ethnic background(yes, being "white" is NO excuse) it should be called out, regardless of whatever that person's life experience may have been.

or obtusely misreading substantive historically-informed analysis of white supremacism as “divisive”, “angry”, “irrational”

But the problem is, what, exactly, is "historically-informed"? Because I myself have arrived at an actually historically informed(yes, even if not perfectly......but then again, perhaps nobody is.)analysis and I highly doubt that anyone would call that "angry" or "irrational" unless they were trolling, or projecting.

rather than an overarching system of power under which we all live and which has socialized us all;

This is where it gets complicated. It's safe to say that as deep as the racism problem is, there are indeed those who have NOT been socialized by racism or even prejudice in this society, of all ethnicities, etc.(I sadly could not quite claim the latter, to be honest, but people who have avoided both are indeed out there).

I’d say that a significant minority of white liberals are actually interested in learning about anti-racism once properly exposed to it.

"Significant minority"? How about the vast majority? It may not be this blogger's particular personal definition of what they think "pure" or "true" anti-racism is, but it is true for anti-racism nonetheless.

most white liberals have more in common with white conservatives — social cues, family ties, cognitive biases, cultural backdrops, etc. — than they do with people of color.

Well, to be honest, that's not exactly true. In fact, at least some white liberals actually do have a bit more common with your average Person of Color, than they do with white conservatives(even if some on the fringes of the left may have a hard time with that fact), with all relevant factors considered, yes, even with the realities of racism taken into consideration.

So yeah, I get that this person really does want to make things better. Good for them. But is throwing a few rhetorical and philosophical bones to the fringes really going to work? To be truthful, I don't think so. After all, it was purity politics that largely ensured that we'd lose the 2010 House elections to the Republicans; I see the same thing happening to not just the anti-racist movement, but feminism as well, and as a member of both groups, I honestly find this to be a little distressing at times.

On the other hand, President Obama recognized the need for diverse views, etc., when he ran for re-election in 2012, just as he had in '08. And guess what? It worked! Despite all the machinations of the Repubs and their Teabagger buddies, we won. We beat Romney and company. And to be honest, the same strategies we applied to the 2008 and 2012 elections really should be applied to our activism in general, including feminist & anti-racist work.

We can make a better world. We really can. But sometimes, we do need to moderate our rhetoric a bit, in order to achieve our goals. And believe me, in most cases, it's been totally worth it in the end.

You will not high jack my thread. You seem to do that.

Ah, they mean well. Got it. Brush them off.



We need to moderate our rhetoric? So we need to Sit Down and Shut Up? Really? I don't think so. Not happening.

BTW. I am white and female and no one tells me to sit down and be silent.

I found this link from another blog. Guess what they were white and female too.

eom

So we need to Sit Down and Shut Up?

Not exactly what I said, or implied, TBH. I've observed sometimes some people really do go too far with rhetoric, what with all this talk of "all white people benefit from privilege/racism/etc." and "all men are potential rapists", and stuff like that. But when I say this, just to clarify, I speak in a general sense, not just about this website(and yes, I really do mean that).

BTW. I am white and female and no one tells me to sit down and be silent.

Well, okay, and that's good. I am honestly and truly glad to hear that you have had that kind of positive experience.
Although, since you've brought that up, I'll be honest and reveal that I'm afraid I haven't had quite that same general experience. There have indeed been a few times were I've been made unwelcome because someone disagreed with what I said, and in some cases, the fact that I happen to be, "white", and/or a guy did exacerbate the griping thrown in my direction.....this is, again, speaking in a general sense.(and to be truthful, whatever problems I've had on DU in this regard have not nearly as often involved the latter, as they have the former)

Guess what they were white and female too.

Well, TBH, I could kinda tell that they were "white" anyway(in fact, it was kinda obvious, TBH), and never once assumed anything else. No offense meant by that, by the way.

"I'm not a racist" don't cut it. We all have racism imbedded in ourselves to some extent, and we need to constantly check ourselves. Denial is not helpful. At all.

On the other hand, those who have the courage to allow themselves to be transformed by anti-racist consciousness have a shot at escaping the white liberal conundrum; they turn their critical powers upon their own lives, minds, and hearts first; they listen and read and reflect with seering honesty; and thus they begin to recognize — and actively oppose — the breadth and depth of racism’s consistent, dehumanizing, body-shattering impact on the shape of this wounded world.

http://zuky.tumblr.com/post/903970904

Thank you.

I'm just glad to have an occasional polite conversation with other people of different races and cultures, now. I think I am "anti-racist," and am "conscious" of it, but I will always be racist in the eyes of many, and perhaps there is some truth in that.

Takes me back to 1994 and yeah I agree with it.

Again I ask, what is so difficult or objectionable about a little introspection? I don't think every individual need necessarily dive as deep into the subject as this author suggests, but there's nothing at all wrong with the general idea.

Even I, who have lived my whole life in a racially diverse area and had numerous longtime friends from quite a few different racial and ethnic groups - some of whom are like family to me - can never confidently say that I am entirely free of stereotypes and assumptions. I don't think any human being on Earth is that "perfect."

It's really all about opening yourself to new ideas and stopping and listening and learning. When we close our selves up we just shrivel up and die. I want to learn and change for the better until I take my last breath.

There is no such thing as perfect, however we all need a little humanity.

Absolutely, and I don't know why more people don't feel the same way. Like their beliefs and perceptions are "set" and they're afraid of changing anything about the way they think.

But more important is the underlying idea that we all need to take a critical (even self-critical) look at how collective stereotypes and assumptions function on the larger societal level. Simply declaring "I'm not racist!" and refusing to think beyond that, doesn't do any of us any good.

But when I see cliches that insult like"anyone who votes for Democrats and doesn’t have a pointy hood in the closet is “a good guy” , or "Of course not all white liberals are like this", or my fav-"brownness is the repository of murky musical mysticism which whiteness may dip into at will for spiritual support and servile entertainment". I begin to think the author has as many issues as deluded white liberals. And in case intelligent people weren't already put off, this phrase"some white folks manage to claw and bootstrap their way out of their own conditioning" should just about clinch it.
I am all for discussing our internalized racism, sexism, etc.., but let's try to raise the bar. The tone is pretty patronizing.

patronize minorities, but that doesn't mean two wrongs make a right. Overall, though, I wholeheartedly agree with the author's intent, minor quibbles aside.

And I am pretty sure if we had a patronizing article from a white liberal, it would get soundly trounced as racist, as it should be.

or "I am not (bad thing here)". How do I know what I am or am not? I don't understand how airplanes fly or telephones work.

That much is true. And even many people who are genuinely not racist, or even actively anti-racist, may indeed fall victim to basic assumptions, broadbrushing, and even more basic-level prejudice. I will be truthful and admit that I have occasionally made all three of these mistakes during various points in my life. It does happen.

To be honest, though, my focus has always been on reaching the greatest possible audience, without either compromising our principles or engaging in the SJ version of "purity politics". I realize some people may not share my exact vision, and that's mine. But when I look for inspiration, I look to history; the Civil Rights movement, the Wobblies, etc. and individuals like MLK, Jr., Bayard Rustin, Norman Thomas, and many others.

more that no one is "pure" and we all have biases and assumptions we need to examine.

I've been "properly exposed" to racism since kindergarten. I don't have any misconceptions or illusions about what racism is, how it works, etc. My mother was a social worker in child abuse and neglect. My father was a businessman with a deep sense of integrity. My brother and I were raised from infancy to believe in the common humanity of all people of all colors. Racism was a "dead hypothesis" (in the words of William James) in our household. My father's college roommate and dear family friend was Alabama State Attorney General Bill Baxley who fought tenaciously for more than a decade to convict Robert Chambliss for his role in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, AL.

Don't you know that's the next best thing to saying, I'm anti racist!

Certainly convinces me!

our intentions might be perfectly honorable, but we are all products of our conditioning, we can hear about ways in which we might be unconsciously being racist or allowing racism without taking it as an insult. It can become simply an occasion to look at our own attitudes and behavior and adjust them.

Whenever I hear someone saying, "Not ALL white people," or "what about poor white people?" I know I am talking to someone who just doesn't get it, and who isn't looking clearly at the issue.

Just the numbing repetition of the same arguments used over and over, and the apparently very strong need of some to dismiss those pointing out the pervasiveness of racism, screams of an unexamined racism in the speakers.

I was raised by liberals I am white. My daughter is black and my grandson is black. My growth had gone through different stages from a general awareness of something called racism to I can't be a racist because my child is black to I have to accept with no reservations my daughter and grandsons experiences do not include the word but, to me that is the subtle message of racism that as I continue to live my life I don't think but some whites or some blacks when my daughter or grandson express what they know. I don't know if that makes sense.
I take racism very personally I have had to stop being nice or reasonable I can't shut up or sit down. Over the years I have gravitated towards being more comfortable with black folks. I don't have to defend my daughter or grandson. So when Trayvon was murdered, it wasn't some shocking event it was the recognition of what I see when black males bump up against white folks. And my grandson is a young black male he is Trayvon. When it hit me in the heart and gut because while I was saying the right words, I was still reacting to young black males I meet at night differently than young white males. So I had to check myself, still have to check myself.
Last year I was driving to work and saw a young black male on a little motor scooter. He was driving erratically and looked like he was having some kind of trouble. I very clearly said that kid is going to wind up getting himself killed but I kept on. It wasn't until the next day I saw on the news he was killed about a minute or so after I passed him. I called the police and told th what I had witnessed and wound up testifying in court against the driver who had been tailgating him. I met the young mans mother and it turned out he had a seizure disorder. He was a young man who was having a seizure and got run over because no one tried to help him. He was my grandson who could be in deathly trouble someday and no one tries to help him because he's a young black male.
So last weekend I'm driving to work and traffic is stopped because there is a young black male lying in the street tangled up in a bicycle. No one was helping him. I sat for a minute debating on calling 911 and moving on and said fuck it I'm not calling the cops and got out of my truck and went over to see what the problem was. Young fella was drunk and was at a Father's Day BBQ and just couldn't get himself home safely. So he told me he was trying to get to his momma's house a block away. So after some back and forth I convinced him to throw his bike in the back of my truck and I'd drive him to his momma. I had to think about all this and say to myself what would I do if this was a white boy and act the same way for this momma's boy not like the one who was killed the year before because I did nothing for him.
I'm not telling this story to prove I not a racist but to say because I am I had to think clearly and with the self awareness of what my fears are in order to do the right thing. I thought I had come to some self awareness during the Zimmerman trial but I found last year when I passed that kid on the scooter and last week when I had to talk myself into getting out of the truck I have a way to go.

just let me know, and we can work this through...

Cataloging associates by their demographics is one of the whitest things a liberal can do, it ranks up there with carefully documenting all the drinks you drank at a party and all the times you got high. I remember meeting an old girlfriend's family 2 years ago and the father immediately informed me how they had an Indian friend back where they lived before and how he promoted diversity in his company before it was cool. It was very obvious what they were thinking about.

While I agree with the general premise of the OP, I much appreciate the support from white liberals in the struggle for civil rights and related issues. It's a big reason why I provide reciprocal support for women's rights and gay rights anyone else in the wider struggle for equal opportunity and equal protection.

At 18:13 in the video, the burglar played by Cleavon Little says to Archie, "Look what we found here ... a genuine 100-percent dyed-in-the-wool bigot."

Then Mike walks over to the burglars and says, "He (Archie) doesn't understand. He associates the crime and the stealing with the fact that you guys are black and not with the underlying social causes."

To which the character played by Cleavon Little says, "Oh, then you must be a liberal."

Then Mike says to the burglars, "He (Archie) doesn't understand what living in the ghetto can do to a man."

And the burglar played by Demond Wilson says, "Oh, and you do?"

Mike replies, "Well, I'm studying it in my sociology class."

You got it!

other than the notion that most white liberals are incapable of the enlightenment required to not be racists. And the few that get close only do so one day at a time as if in a twelve step program. All of which seems, well, a little prejudicial.

I think this article misses the point in a number of ways.

There is little doubt that a great many people are oblivious to many of the problems and ways that institutionalized racism has been a detriment to POC.

However, being uneducated does not make somebody a racist.

Contrary to what the article states, I will take sitting down and talking with a person who may be unaware of some of these issues over sitting down with somebody hurling racial slurs at me 100 times out of 100 (and I can't think of a member of my family, or any other AA I can remember meeting that would say otherwise).

I'd say the blog is patronizing and (most likely intentionally) insulting, which I would argue doesn't do the cause (at least in regard to where I want to see race issues go) much good in the long run.

In my humble opinion, you are inclusive or you are exclusive. And championing the cause of bettering race relations isn't somewhere I'm interested in being exclusive.

While I certainly am in no position to judge what people of color find most offensive, I think the point that anti-racism is not a default position but rather takes a lifetime of work is an important one. That is really what is at issue in acknowledging white privilege. It isn't about tearing white people down but rather encouraging people to think about ways in which they are influenced by the racist ideas all of us are raised with. Only by acknowledging those influences can we start to undo them.