General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Liberal Racism: 25 Things I Learned After I Wrote About ISIS and White Racism at the Daily Kos [View all]guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)Racism is the foundation of the American Empire. It has never gone away. When people state that lynching is a thing of the past, remind them that a black man had a chain wrapped around his neck and was dragged to death for the crime of walking while black in an area designated as white only. No there were no signs saying white only, there do not have to be. Did it happen 100 years ago? No, it happened in 2008 in Paris Texas. Recent enough for you? Lynching without the tree is what it was.
The American Empire needed slavery to grow, so an excuse had to be manufactured as to why it was okay, sanctioned by God, good even, to enslave black Africans. Americans used the same logic to nearly commit genocide against the First Peoples of this land. Again, okay to do this because they were not white.
The fact of white privilege is so obvious it should not need explaining, but denying white privilege is necessary because by denying it makes it easier to put racism, slavery, and lynching in the prehistoric past.
White privilege means that I can walk, drive, shop, go anywhere without people around me asking what I am doing HERE. If I walk in a store the owner will not automatically assume I am there to steal. If I look at a for-sale house the neighbors will not worry that I might bring down the neighborhood if I buy the house.
I do not have to straighten my curly hair to appeal to society's view of desirable looks. It is okay for a white person to have curly hair.
Racism is in the air, it motivates our politicians. Think of Gingrich's comment about the food stamp President.