28 Common Racist Attitudes And Behaviors

[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"