To all the 'reverse-racism' conspiracy theorists: Please stop wasting my time
A friend posted this article on Facebook about why appropriating Native culture for Halloween is wrong. The thread was hijacked by a white man going on and on about not understanding and that while racism is terrible, there are two sides to everything (ie. reverse racism is just as bad). My friend and I linked to informative articles attempting to help him better grasp the topic. He dismissed them all and claimed the article I linked to was hate speech. I wanted to punch him. Instead I wrote this response:
Adrian, it's not hate. It's a sarcastic take on what it would take for people of colour to be racist. Most of the steps outlined in the article (with the exception of the broken espresso machines) are things that white people have and continue to do to people of colour. You say that you genuinely want to learn, but a) you don't bother to try and educate yourself and b) when resources are offered to you, you immediately dismiss them. There were 6 minutes between my posting that article and you posting your follow up comment. So let me ask you, how much time did you take to reflect on each of the examples given? To think about what that would feel like? To think of examples where white people have carried out those forms of oppression against people of colour? How you have benefitted from these systems? Did you think about why the author of the piece might be angry? And why she is justified in being so? If you insist on people of colour taking the time to educate you, you can't also insist that we do so in a way that protects your feelings when racism doesn't protect ours. That is your privilege. You can read about racism and dismiss it as hate speech then carry on with your life. Danielle and I don't have that privilege because people who look like us are confronted with real racism - not hurt feelings, but actual systems that make our lives more difficult than yours in tangible ways - every day. You may not think that you are racist, but let me tell you that your actions here assert that you are absolutely participating in maintaining the system. * By asking that we take our time to educate you and then dismissing us when we give you what you've asked* By immediately getting defensive - which is a form of silencing the legitimate concerns of people of colour. * By refusing to do the uncomfortable work of looking at how you benefit from and uphold racismAnd this is why Danielle said that she is done with the conversation. It is exhausting to engage with people who don't really want to have a dialogue. What you want is for us to say things to you that make you feel better. Well, here's a tip, if you're trying to learn about racism and you, as a while male don't feel uncomfortable, you're not doing it right. When I'm engaging with people about class, gender identity, or any of the other forms of privilege that I am on the "winning" side of, I feel uncomfortable. I have to constantly check myself and be critical of my participation in systems that uphold other people's oppression. If combatting oppression felt good for the oppressors, oppression would have been done away with a long time ago. So the next time you claim to want to learn or take up other people's time to engage in dialogue about ugly or difficult topics, ask yourself some of the tough questions I mentioned above first. Otherwise it's a waste of all of our time.
