How White Privilege Contributes to Racism in America

Racial Discourse What Black People have known for centuries and what White People need to understand and do to help end racim WHY NO ASPECT OF AMERICA IS "POST RACIAL" WHI TE BLACK PEOPLE PEOPLE ... are seen as normal, qood. (if we come across a bad one" we point out that we don't identify with are seen as fundamentally bad (there are some good ones we like to point to, but when we see a b ad one it's just proof that the rest are, as a rule bad) this individual and that there has to be a reason why they turned out bad.) rnel ghoolor hippie the fault bre of 'good' end bed" are represented everywhere are often tokenized and stereoty ped Women's US Socser Team (20 15) US Sonators (2012) VO 曼 回 Casta for Lard of the Rings' and Hungor Games' Even whan wo mela shit up wO went it to bo while. and ouleng all fe White pacple aut of many Holuwood filme men ham under s mnule lang ... are seen as almost entirely good by white children** are seen as mostly bad by white children** "Almost no White people are mean!" "A lot of Blaak peopla Aro meen! can be whoever they want to be. Heck, it seems they even can be Black have to be careful not to be "too black Serena Willams, Tennis Star Rachel Dolezal, Activist Won 21 Grand Slema led about her identity pla gierized blecl: art rec oved scholarshipa under falao identity heg to ondure requler rA oialataola ard body policing by ma pr media INY Times* Outb to enpys media coverage (and probably a bool; deal) malps bs 4 then her White (bon talantodi coleaques * http://www.compl ex. com/ports/2013/07/biggest-storeotypes-ta-sports * 2009 racial atttudo study conducted by Brgitte Vittrup (Childron's Rosoarch Lab at the Univorsity of Toxas Austin, IX) http://www.newswook.com/oven-bahies-diacriminato-nurturoshock-oxcorpt-79283 *** h#p//publicedtor.blogs.nytimos.com 2015,07/13 douhlo-faut-irartide-onserena-williams-and-body-image/?_r=I .. do not think in terms of We as they have the privilege have to think in terms of We as they live in a society that sees them as a People (not as individ uals). to interact as individuals with society. I'm anergineer and the orly Black person in Im gay. Iam a nLIEse my team I am a Black gay man. I'm an engineet I'm a nurse and I am Blade are in a position of power to choose and don't experience are regularly challenged and reminded of oppression every day oppression Let' s move to a safer reighbothood with better schools. I hope my new reighbor r not going to be afraid of me and call the cope I totally scored this job interview. I wonder ifI didntget a call back becaLse of my name Hey, do y ou want to smoke a joint on the way to the party? Please let the officers just pass me this time am just driving home. DO YOU NEED NUMBERS AND FACTS? 13% 41 million) African Americans live in the US, but HOMELESSNESS: African Americans make up nearly 40% of the US hom eless populalion IN CARCERATI ON: Of the 23 million US prison population 1 million are Black (that's almost 50% UNEMPLOYMENT: When the national unemployment cris is spiked to 9 5% in 2010, it was considered a crisis. Today (2015 the unemployment rate among Black people is still over 10% s6l highar than te avora funampiogmant ca do in the ore oar 2009 White Population Black Population 20% 1 0% 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 and Black high school drop outs are twice as Hkely to remain unemployed as their White counterparts Let s take a doser look at the opportunities of Black and White students If we work with the 1 3% Black population mentioned above this is what the average American highe chool* would look like According to DOE data an average of 5% of White and 15% of Black a tudents drop out of highachool eachyear 47% of Black highe chool dropouts end up unemployed as opposed to only 26% of their White counterparts This means plainly: That in this country a White person has an almost 10 times bigger chance to succeed and become gainfully employed than a Black person. AN EXAMPLE OF TWO REALITIES COLLIDING WHEN BLACK AND WHITE TALK ABOUT RACE Racism exists. It's real. I can't see it. And I don't see color. We've come so far. I'm not racist at all. I didn't do anything. We may have come far, but still, thousands of my people are raped, shot, imprisoned and otherwise systematically disenfranchised You're being overly sensitive and too emotional. Don't play the race card on me. and then - in the wele of tregedios io the Cherketon Kinga of 9 imeent Beck eifizere (ar Gearge Zinmermem's vordiet or the non-indement of Darren Wibonl? unspeakable. unthinkable why this could be me my daughter my son my thing? he must be a parents. or brother would he do such a troubled individual. Racism has to stop! Yes, those racists have to be stopped. You don't get the point. Racism is so much more structural than you think and we need you to speak up. Your silence makes you complicit. I don't lnow what you're talking about. I'm not racist. I didn't do anything. And why are you trying to hurt me now? That's not fair! ... and so on. The entire discussion of race in America centers around the protection of White feelings and White people's sense of individual goodne ss. (this sonds a mossage that White foolings are more important than Black lives) Black Trans Women La Ty Under wood fatally shot in Tylor, TX in Janunry 2015, no arrests made Black Cis Women Meslow's Anurica's hiararchy of neode importerea 1.a Kimberlee Rando-King. Sandra Bland, both alleged suicide in county jails (092014 07/2015 Black Men Tywonza Sandors 2015) Froddo Groy (2015), Kallof Browder 20 15, Erte Garner (12014) Oscar Grant 2009), Michael Brown ( 2014). Trayvon Martin (Y 20 12) and too ---------------------- -------------------... many more, Anmymons Juat the rupresinteton of hurt foirga, but yary imporien! A White America must face its fears and denial. RACISM IS VERY MUCH ALIVE Racism is a system that works for one group of people while systematically putting rules, legislati ons, etc. Into place to oppress another group RACI SM IS... ... AND RACISM IS NOT... ..an officer severing the spine of an unarmed, innocent young Black man. ... the Angry Black Person forms of racial prejudice or mistrust ...a 12 yo Black child being shot for playing with a toy gun lin a stato whero it a boal to oporly oamy froemal ... Black people mentioning racism lar arging ie exieferce wheh is hard enaughl ... Black people finding it increasingly difficult to think about White peoples feelings while Black people are dying. ... the fact that White means "normal" and that anything else means "other". "Once you let yourself see it, it's there all the time." IF THEY TRULY WANT RACI SM TO END WHI TE PEOPLE HAVE TO ASK THEMSELVES WHE THER THEY ARE ... ... brave enough to use their best owed privilege to speak against the very system they so greatly benefit from ... able to set their hurt feelings and discomfort aside to unlearn some of the denial. Here are a few steps to get started. See something? Say something! Work among your own people to educate more people. Confront racial injustices when you see them happening. Look at your relationship with language How do you describe people and situations? Stop talking for one minute and just listen Read a book (preferrably written by a person of color) rather than asking question and expecting people to educate you. When you are taking in media, notice how many times you've just finished reading five stories, without seeing a single person of colo. If you have children, even very young children, talk to th em about race andracism Humbly understand that "we have come so far because Black people have foaght the fight Also, while we're at it: stop patting yourself on the back for "having come so far". Yes, progress is great, but as long as we are still debating whether #blacklivesmatter, we haven't come far enough! C eate something movies, blog posts, zines, art, podcasts, articles... Think about Amandla Sternberg's quote "What if we loved black people as much as we loved black culture?" Every day. http://www.salon.com/2015/04/29y 11_things_white people_can do_to_be_real_anti_racist_allies_partner/ Now, let's be clear: None of this will remove all forms of racism, but it will shift the conversation. And maybe start new, important ones. Plea se share! Other reading (L) resonrces are http://amptoons.com/blog/files/mcintosh. html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gina-crosleycorcoran explaining-white-privilege-to-a-broke-white-person_b_5269255 html http://www.thefem inistwire com/2013/09/love-letter-to-white-people http://jaimejenett.blogspot.com/201 3/09/a-love-letter-to-middle-class white.html http://www.timwise.org/ Want to get involved? Showing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ) http://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/ The UNTraining http://untraining.org Catalyst Project http://collectiveliberation org Aware LA hitps://awarela wordpress.com/ Even more res ources can be found here: http://groundworkmadis on com/partnersandallies/ organiz ations-with-a-white-anti-racist-vision/ This infographic was mainly ins pired by John Metta's I, Racist https://thsppl.com/i-racist-53851 2462265 (design by @iamzephoenix) peque abjectified essențial