Again how can white folks tell blacks folks what's racist and what's not?

[rbrnmw]

this is posted in the African American Group

We keep seeing white folk tell black folk White Privilege isn't real or they don't like the term. We see them defend blatant racism if it comes from a liberal like Michael Moore. They claim slavery wasn't the evil institution that it was and poor white folks had it worse. Where does any of this leave room for civil discourse?

[get the red out]

1. I'm white

And I agree with you!

[JustAnotherGen]

2. Strong Suggestion

Update your post with -

*This is Posted in the African American Group*


Do it in bold - there's been too much gunning for those who 'get it' lately - you included.

[JustAnotherGen]

3. My answer

They have moved to 'reverse racism' on the Michael Moore threads - and I'm not the only one who has seen it. Just got confirmation of that.

[rbrnmw]

4. I noticed that too

Smh

[rbrnmw]

5. They did the same thing on WP

They called affirmative action black privilege.

[JustAnotherGen]

6. Can you reach through the screen

And smack me?

My own head smack isn't working anymore!

[rbrnmw]

7. Here ya go

[Jamaal510]

9. Wow...they call AA "black privilege"?

Yeah, forget that there is still a problem with the acceptance rate of black students at universities.

[rbrnmw]

14. Yeah go figure

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

24. Not only that; it is white women who have benefitted the most from AA.

AA isn't just about black folk.

[MADem]

8. What on earth are you complaining about?????? Don't you know MM was COMPLIMENTING Obama???

How do I know? Why, I read it right here on liberal and progressive DU!!!

And no, I'm not making that shit up: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025524737#post14

14. MM was complimenting Obama for being the first black president.

Why some don't get this is blowing my mind.

For those who aren't feeling me, let me throw in a few of these:

[rbrnmw]

10. I saw that comment

I've been shaking my head so much lately my neck is sore

[MADem]

11. Surrounded by all sorts of "progressive" imagery, too.

Mind blowing.

[rbrnmw]

13. What I would like to know what is so progressive about racism?

Just because a white liberal says it doesn't make it less racist. Did you read some of the garbage in the Mike Brown threads? They wanted that boy to have done something wrong to justify his execution.

[MADem]

15. It's troubling.

And it's amazing that some--not all, but some--just won't admit that they have an enormous blind spot when it comes to race/culture differences.

The Brown threads, the Trayvon Martin threads, there were more than a few comments that had me shaking my head in dismay.

It's kind of surprising to run into here on this board, I guess I should not be too shocked anymore with the number of times I've encountered it.

[rbrnmw]

16. All them can't be trolls either

That's the sad thing

[gollygee]

12. Part of white privilege

is a sense of entitlement to define the terms and decide what fits in what category. A sense of entitlement to being in charge.

It makes sense that the tendency is to define things in a way that works best for white people. It doesn't have to be intentional. It's the path of least resistance.

[JI7]

17. if it was only the KKK types who were racist it wouldn't be much

to help fight against.

but it's because of those as you mention where they think they can't be racist because they don't use the N word and don't support discrimination on the books yet when it comes to things like discussing issues as we see they want control.

the michael moore quote about blacks fighting the terrorists was even worse as i mentioned in another thread that it's things like that which get people to think a black guy was actually running towards someone who was shooting at him.

[gollygee]

18. Yeah and I read

that it was really a hit against white people, not black people, from one of those who regularly does this kind of thing. It's like people are able to divorce this stuff from history. They must be aware of the "thug" stereotype that the statement played into, and how young black men suffer due to that stereotype. I don't care if it's stated in a positive way, or if he calls white men wimps at the same time, it's still playing into a stereotype that causes black men to get shot over and over again, and for the people who shoot them to get away with it. It's maddening.

I wrote a post about how we're talking about racism completely wrong, because I think that's part of the problem, but it sank like a stone, twice. http://upload.democraticunderground.com/10025524597

[JI7]

19. to me the way michael moore talks about race makes light of the whole thing

i see it too much over certain types and in the end it's more about them rather than wanting to do anything about the issue.

as if race is about just bashing white men . and in the case of michael moore and others who think they are liberal they think if they attack republican/conservative whites that's all it takes.

it totally misses the institutional issues in all of this. and we are of course seeing it all play out now with those who claim to be liberals and claim they just can't be racist not being able to handle black people who disagree and don't conform to what they think is proper.

[gollygee]

20. We have the worst possible definition of "racism" going

We (I assume white people) have defined it in a way that exempts most of us. We can say, "That's not me - that's something other people do!" and therefore ignore it and unknowingly keep it going.

I don't think it's intentional for most people, but it's convenient, so it's hard to get past. It feels better to think it has nothing to do with you. That's also why they hate the term "white privilege." That's worded in such a way that we can't feel exempt from it. To accept the term is to acknowledge that racism is bigger than the KKK and tellers of racist jokes.

[ismnotwasm]

21. We can't

It doesn't matter what my personal experiences are as a white person interacting with African Americams. If I've been paying attention, we can't is the only possible answer

Here's an interesting article

When All the Angels Are White
I am an angel in this nation.


And I suspect the New York Times or Fox News would remember me as an angel if I am murdered in the middle of the road by a police officer in California, Florida, Missouri or Washington. Of course, I don't worry much about being shot by a police officer. I have the ultimate get-out-jail-free card, the most powerful form of protection: whiteness.

I have no reason to believe that I will be written off as a disrespectful punk, a "thug," a "troubled kid" looking for fights. I will be seen as just another white boy figuring out the world.

I stole a lot as a kid. That will not matter. I fought a lot. That will not matter. I punched holes in doors, and drank throughout high school. On the football field, I was known as "an enforcer," a term reserved for the white athletes in my division who bullied and wreaked havoc. None of that will ever be counted against me.

I'd like to challenge the national racial logic that contributes to all too deaths, that sanctions and rationalizes the almost daily killing of black youth. I'd like to really question how this nation constructs and ultimately forgives its angels. Why are we angels always white?

http://gawker.com/when-all-the-angels-are-white-1634298232

[heaven05]

22. they can't

but they won't let you tell them that. It's all about the privilege of always being right because..............

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

23. Put simply, they have absolutely no right. It's pure arrogance and offensive.

Many of them defended George Zimmerman and are quick to defend the aggressors of those who kill black children, men and women but are also quick to point out their so-called 2nd Amendment Rights (except for when it comes to black/brown folk).

Many command us to get over it and to stop being so sensitive; it's not as bad and we've come a long way.

But how do they know these things if they are NOT black/brown and have absolutely NO experience as a black/brown (or other person of color) human being?

Slavery wasn't that bad?

- Millions died during the Middle Passage and many more were tortured, raped, killed during and many decades AFTER slavery "ended".

- Black women were raped/killed, had their babies ripped out of their stomachs.

- Black men were castrated, grotesquely tortured and killed, stripped from their families, tortured, endured watching their women and children raped and killed.

- Broken families. Emasculated the black male, and prevented him from being with his family.

- People stripped from their original history, heritage, religion--their name, birthright, cultural traditions. (Most American blacks cannot trace their lineage, to me, one of the biggest crimes against us and possibly one of the reasons for the internalized self-hatred.)

- Whites divided the race, treating lighter-skinned blacks (some of them the result of the very rape of black slaves) much better than dark-skinned blacks--pitting them against one another. This legacy of division remains to this very day and throughout the entire world (see India, Brazil and countries colonized by Europe throughout the world where people of color are divided along skin color lines). While on topic of division, we've all heard about the House vs. Field Negro. I don't need to explain further. To this day, there are white folk who pretend as if they have no clue where these phenomena emanate from.

- Blacks are told that they are less than human and treated as such to this very day. Contributions/inventions by black Americans are deliberately forgotten or hidden. The historical buildings and landmarks that Americans marvel at today is due to the unpaid work of slaves but the real story is seldom told. As I sit here in Washington, D.C. and look out at our nation's Capitol and other historic landmarks.

- Blacks are constantly told that they are less intelligent, less attractive, morally bankrupt--all leading to internalized self-hatred; hatred turned inward and projected outward such that blacks turn against one another in anger.

- Centuries of racial injustice leading to systemic and institutionalized racism/discrimination (Prison Industrial Complex, lack of jobs for black men contributing to the breakdown of the black family; systematic destruction through drugs, guns, gangs--deliberately marketing this shit wrapped in corporatism/hyper-individualism to our community, etc.)

I could go on and on but I won't.

But to command that black people do this or behave like that in order to make white folk feel better about themselves, I'll say what I said about Michael Moore last week: FUCK YOU!!!

I am no longer in that business. To those white people who are with us and sincerely want to join us and do the hard work that is needed to address and finally eradiate racism, I'm there with you. But to those who want to patronize, condescend and offend--pretending that all is well in society and that there never can be racism on the political left or in the Democratic Party, again FUCK YOU!

[M0rpheus]

25. For EVERYTHING in this post...

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

27. Why you're welcome. Loving the president's approval, too! :)

[fxstc]

26. Racism has a definition

and any race or gender can identify and speak about the subject providing they use the definition correctly.

[JustAnotherGen]

28. Can you put it here?

With a link. A reference. Thanks.

[randys1]

29. Huh?

Not sure what you mean but only those who are part of the class with the power can be racists.

ANYONE can be a bigot and display all the exact same attitudes a racist displays but the racist is the one who is part of the group with the power.

Period.

White people in America for the most part either thru fear or guilt cant admit that they live a daily regime of white privilege.

This includes many democrats and even a few actual liberals.

Or we can admit it but so what, we admit it and do nothing to change it.

[JustAnotherGen]

31. It's a troll

[noiretextatique]

30. and what, pray tell, is your definition?

i going to to guess that you have no clue, so please pleasantly surprise me.

[kwassa]

32. One of many sockpuppets.

several versions of the same troll got banned yesterday. I think this is one more manifestation.

[JI7]

33. with Eric Holder's Resignation the comments and reactions show another disconnect

some of the things said are just to disgusting. these are people who don't consider civil rights to really matter at all.

[freshwest]

34. It's only about 'their' rights. It's not about Equality. I've been tuning them out for a while.

I see people who attacked Holder ask for proof of how intense the hatred for this man has been at DU. But you can't do that here. It's a call out.

I sent some examples to some people who were being baited that way in mail when they asked me to help them, but said they should not post it. One example was in a thread and someone I complained to alerted it.

It and all the others who cheered it were allowed to stand. It was really filthy stuff. I was shocked at first but now I just ignore them.

I agree with JAG said on one of her other posts here about the crew, but if we say anything, we just get trolled more. Not a very progressive or liberal place.