28 Common Racist Attitudes And Behaviors

[MrScorpio]

28 COMMON RACIST ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS THAT INDICATE A DETOUR OR WRONG TURN INTO WHITE GUILT, DENIAL OR DEFENSIVENESS.

Below is a list of 28 common racist attitudes and behaviors that indicate a detour or wrong turn into white guilt, denial or defensiveness. Each is followed by a statement that is a reality check and consequence for harboring such attitudes.

1. I’m Colorblind.

“People are just people; I don’t see color; we’re all just human.” Or “I don’t think of you as Chinese.” Or “We all bleed red when we’re cut.” Or “Character, not color, is what counts with me.”

REALITY CHECK + CONSEQUENCE:

Statements like these assume that people of color are just like you, white; that they have the same dreams, standards, problems, and peeves that you do. “Colorblindness” negates the cultural values, norms, expectations and life experiences of people of color. Even if an individual white person could ignore a person’s color, society does not. By saying we are not different, that you don’t see the color, you are also saying you don’t see your whiteness. This denies the people of colors’ experience of racism and your experience of privilege.

“I’m colorblind” can also be a defense when afraid to discuss racism, especially if one assumes all conversation about race or color is racist. Speaking of another person’s color or culture is not necessarily racist or offensive. As my friend Rudy says,
I don’t mind that you notice that I’m black.” Color consciousness does not equal racism.

The rest: http://www.stcloudstate.edu/affirmativeaction/resources/insights/pdf/28ToolsChange.pdf

[JustAnotherGen]

1. #3 Reverse Racism

Let’s first define racism with this formula:
Racism =racial prejudice + systemic, institutional power.
To say people of color can be racist, denies the power
imbalance inherent in racism. Certainly, people of color can
be and are prejudiced against white people. That was a part
of their societal conditioning. A person of color can act on
prejudices to insult or hurt a white person. But there is a
difference between being hurt and being oppressed. People
of color, as a social group, do not have the societal,
institutional power to oppress white people as a group.
An individual person of color abusing a white person – while clearly wrong, (no person should be insulted, hurt,
etc.) is acting out a personal racial prejudice, not racism.

Again: Let’s first define racism with this formula: Racism =racial prejudice + systemic, institutional power.
To say people of color can be racist, denies the power imbalance inherent in racism.


And over, and over, and over again. Prejudice and Bigotry are not the same as racism - and I want to pull my hair out everytime someone uses the word racism or reverse racism (doesn't exist - it's just racism) to describe someone throwing a racial slur at them in a traffic dispute.

[Nitram]

2. When racism occurs in a socitey...

...in which there is systemic institutional power that supports and perpetuates it, the effects on the targets of that racism are increased exponentially. But I disagree that "racism" only occurs under those conditions. That is a much narrower definition of the term as it has long been used. It is perhaps an anthropological or social science definition. The word and the concept preceded that particular connotation.

[JustAnotherGen]

3. I'm only looking at this from the perspective

Of a minority in America - specifically as a black American. As a black American woman.

My opinion - this definition is dead on for black Americans who descend from slaves.

It is how I have experienced America.

[jaysunb]

6. +1 n/t

[thucythucy]

4. Excellent article

and nicely laid out. I don't think I've ever seen this explained quite so well. It makes me want to read more from this writer.

Thanks!

Edited to add: Perhaps this should be posted in General Discussion, so as to get the widest circulation here possible?

[JustAnotherGen]

5. You should!

[Number23]

7. Too bad you didn't post this in GD where it is SORELY needed

Especially this one:

Racism =racial prejudice + systemic, institutional power.
To say people of color can be racist, denies the power
imbalance inherent in racism. Certainly, people of color can
be and are prejudiced against white people. That was a part
of their societal conditioning. A person of color can act on
prejudices to insult or hurt a white person. But there is a
difference between being hurt and being oppressed. People
of color, as a social group, do not have the societal,
institutional power to oppress white people as a group.
An individual person of color abusing a white person
– while clearly wrong, (no person should be insulted, hurt,
etc.) is acting out a personal racial prejudice, not racism.

Okay, and this one just about me fall over:

10.
The End Run, Escapism.
“Of course, racism is terrible, but what about sexism? Or
classism or heterosexism?” or “Racism is a result of classism
(or any other oppression), so if we just work on that, racism
will end, too.”
REALITY CHECK + CONSEQUENCE:
I agree with Audre Lorde’s statement, “There is no hierarchy of
oppression.” I would not establish a rank order for oppressions.
At the same time, we cannot attempt to evade recognition and
responsibility for any form of oppression. Statements like the
ones above divert attention from racial injustice to focus on some
other form of oppression. They are usually said by white people,
(women, working class people, lesbians, gay men or others) who
experience both white privilege and oppression in some form.
Whites are more willing and more comfortable decrying our
oppression than scrutinizing our privilege. Oppressions are so
inextricably linked that if whites allow their fear, guilt and denial
to constantly divert them from confronting racism, even while
we work to dismantle other forms, no oppression will ever be
dismantled.

As we see these arguments made EVERY SINGLE DAY especially around here: "I can't believe that xx is treated this way. If this was about RACISM, this would be handled COMPLETELY differently!1"

[seabeyond]

10. you are right. i am working on never saying that again. that simple. i think racism is the height

of oppression, and i think that it is recognized by so many more than the others. but... i do not think that anymore. not what has happened to du in the last couple years. further, even with that, i was wrong.

you are right.

[Number23]

11. It has not just been "the last few years" on DU, seabeyond.

Have you noticed the number of black posters on this board? You can damn near count us on two hands. And while the stats that show that black folks don't own computers as much as whites may pay a part in our low numbers, my $$$ is on the nearly unrelenting sea of over privileged white cluelessness that has blanketed DU for YEARS. Not just the last few years, since its inception and it hit overdrive after the election of President Obama and the Prop 8 unpleasantness. It's only been in the last 4-5 months that the admins have really started cleaning house and getting rid of some really blatant assholes. But there are still more than a few roaming around. The Zimmerman threads, ANY thread discussing Tim Wise, and the moaning and pining for FDR and The Good Old Days of middle class white joy at the expense of everybody else have proven that beyond all doubt.

If you go to the old AAIG forum on DU2, you will see black posters (many of which were some of the smartest, most interesting people on DU) fuming about the racist attitudes of lots of DUers and how hostile this board is to minorities. And many of them don't post here anymore and haven't for years even though some of them have been DUers since this place got started. One of the reasons I got so disgusted with the "if this was about racism, this would be handled sooo much differently on this board" posts is because they are not true and never have been.

[Blue_Tires]

8. great find

k+r

[ismnotwasm]

9. K&R