Untitled

Indigenous People’s Day Photo Project 2013

“Dear Columbus…”

Photo Credit: Andrew Burlingham

South Puget Sound Community College’s Diversity & Equity Center

Selfies that get hundreds or thousands of notes.

Questions that need answers….

Really though ?

Some examples where Whites do not use words with their dictionary meanings:

All-American / American / British / Canadian, etc – White people.

ghetto (adj) – said of Black culture not approved by Whites.

cool (adj) – said of Black culture approved by Whites.

urban – Black.

inner city – scary Black neighbourhoods.

War on Drugs – War on Black People.

War on Terror – War of Terror.

nation building – nation destroying.

the police are just doing their job – the police are just terrorizing Black people.

let the process work – let the police get away with murder.

wait till the facts are in – wait till the police investigate themselves.

soft on crime – not keeping Blacks in their place.

Black-on-Black crime / just obey the law – police brutality is not a big deal.

no angel / no saint – deserved to be brutalized by police.

savages / terrorists / thugs – non-Whites who stand up to White violence seen as immoral.

thug – 1. The N-word. 2. Blacks as naturally violent. 3. Deserved to die for being Black.

native / savage – someone whose land is being stolen.

settler / pioneer / colonist – someone who is stealing land.

terrorist – 1. A Muslim who kills White people. 2. A non-state actor who uses violence to oppose Western interests.

freedom fighter – a non-state actor who uses violence to further Western interests.

freedom – freedom for White men.

the free world – the American empire.

regime – an anti-American government.

democracy – a pro-American government.

spreading democracy – American imperialism. See democracy.

justice system – injustice system.

progress – that which furthers White or US (business) interests.

truth / myth / history – as determined by White universities and the White press.

racist – 1. Someone who uses the N-word or joins the Klan. 2. A Black person who points out White racism.

whitey – a racist slur about Whites used to put down Blacks by putting it in their mouths to make them seem racist.

Some of my best friends are Black / it was just a joke / I’m not racist, but … – do not call out my racism.

sorry – sorry that you are oversensitive.

playing the race card / Martin Luther King / get over it – shut up, racism does not affect me so I do not care.

hard-working Americans / taxpayers – White people. Blacks are lazy.

gated community / nice neighbourhood / a good place to raise kids – a racist, lily-White neighbourhood.

proper English – White English, especially as a sign of intelligence and education as measured by standardized tests.

No problemo – improper Spanish, not as a sign of lacking intelligence, but of not being (ew) Mexican.

Where are you really from? – You are not really American, Canadian, etc.

You are pretty for a Black girl – White women are the standard of beauty.

You’re not like other Blacks – most of what I know about Black people comes from television and racist Whites.

I don’t see you as Black – Black people make me uncomfortable.