PaX [comrade/them, they/them]Hexbear is racist against white people!
DoiDoi [comrade/them, he/him]White people really do think that racism is just interpersonal dislike of other cultures and not some giant labyrinth of exploitation and colonialism. Every time it comes up shit just blows my mind.
Techronic9876@DoiDoi @PaX @StillIRise1963 this is the issue with the vast majority of well meaning white people
They believe racism is how polite you are to ppl of different races, and most white ppl are generally polite, but they don’t seem to understand how racism is tied together in society and government and politics
The other factor is if a non-white person is rude to them, they start believing “reverse racism” is the bigger problem, and thus begin to actively oppose systemic fixes
Jenny Z., This Puzzle Piece@Techronic9876 @DoiDoi @PaX @StillIRise1963
I suspect we can all agree that the concept of "reverse racism" makes no sense.
I suspect we will not all agree on what I will say next, but I hope folks will hear me out.
Racism is prejudice with its own history rooted in greed.
When we call out racism and white people as unique problems, we make two mistakes:
1. We buy into the faulty concept of race. The concept of race was invented to benefit people of European origins. Every time we use the term as if the concept of race has merit, we lend credibility to the term and extend the opportunity for people to consider the idea that the concept of race has scientific merit.
1/?
@Techronic9876 @DoiDoi @PaX @StillIRise1963
2. We let humanity off the hook for the problem of prejudice. I'm not an expert in any of this, but I do have relevant educational background and life experiences that shape and strengthen my thinking. Prejudice power-charged by greed is alive and well on every continent. Prejudice power-charged by greed is a problem human beings need to solve on every continent.
Human civilizations have been evolving throughout human history. We slowly, slowly train ourselves and future generations to deal effectively with our worst impulses. We need to spotlight greed-powered prejudice for change.
Separating out white racism and white people as a unique problem creates obstacles to civilizing us all. It allows the bogus part of the conversation to fester and draw resources.
I promise I'm not trying to let white people off the hook or deny the horrors of white racism. I am saying that a more holistic approach is needed to evolve.
#we
#wearetheproblem
#wearethesolution
2/2
@jennyzilliac @DoiDoi @PaX @StillIRise1963
It’s true that prejudice exists in all societies in some form, but as Americans our main concern is America
The cause of American white supremacy (where the USA was an explicitly whites supremacist apartheid nation until 1972) is a specific thing, where as prejudice in humanity is nebulous and different in each area
We don’t have to solve the latter before solving the former— they’re not even related things I don’t think
@Techronic9876 @DoiDoi @PaX @StillIRise1963
I agree that white racism has some unique characteristics, and that is certainly unique as a historic event.
I agree that we need to tackle white racism in the US as our main focus because this is the problem we are living. (Speaking to those of us living in the US while recognizing people living in other countries may be reading and commenting.)
The question is one of approach. Of framing.