Racism 101: Are you a Racist?

nelwyn:

This post is almost entirely incorrect.

If you are an “Ally” in this sense (a white young liberal, likely in school and with lots of time on your hands) consider yourself racist for treating anyone with a different skin tone than you differently. Everyone is racist, but some people hide it with phrases intended to confuse words with intent, instead of actively trying to include whomever it is that they are trying to include in whatever it is they are doing. The politically correct language that certain white young liberals use with other white young liberals is not actually used when out in the wide world. People don’t usually refer to themselves as people of colour. That is a label that white people who are uncomfortable with your skin tone use to compensate for their discomfort and dance around your very obviously dark skin. Dress it up in whichever words you like, but black people are still black and brown people are still brown.

Imagine if a very specific segment of, let’s say, Asians (we’ll go ahead and assume they’re also young liberals) began calling all white people by a carefully selected name that they would never use. Let’s say a bunch of Asians came up to you, we’ll say they’re about 6 Koreans, began talking to you and then started calling you Lightly Tinted, or something. To top it off, let’s assume they also proudly tout with beaming smiles that they are allies of foreign Fellows With Lightly Tinted Skin. Isn’t that pompous and ridiculous? Wouldn’t that make you feel uncomfortable? Wouldn’t them treating you differently simply because of your skin tone be racist? Their over-thought attempt at inclusion and non-offence ends up doing the exact opposite of their intent, and is therefor exclusionary and offending. Racist, racist people, every one of them.

Which brings me to the actual points being discussed. Speaking up can be a very bad idea in a lot of situations. Lets say you’re a small woman with a group of six large men all making nasty, bile-filled, inflammatory things about how all Indians should be put to death in the most gruesome ways possible. Would you risk your own personal safety for some theoretical Indian guy who might one day be on the receiving end of this hatred? It’s a very noble thing to say yes to that question, but potential rape and death as a consequence is a price I’d rather not pay. Why wouldn’t they simply turn that hatred on you and kill you dead? They are already in the worst kind of critical mindframe, and trying to stop that boulder will get you squashed.

That isn’t to say you should never speak up either. There are certain situations wherein you have the power to speak up, and you can do so confident that your body and mind will remain intact.. Whether or not that person has white skin. This “never speak up” rule is literally the worst guideline for the white young liberal ally movement I’ve ever seen. Do you actually believe that people who aren’t white hold some kind of higher moral ground or greater authority because they and their family may have experienced racism? Have you heard a song wherein a black man is trolling endlessly on women and white people? Every skin tone has people who are, and will always be, irrevocably stupid. This does not mean that I won’t speak out against them, especially if I have the power to do so, just because their pigmentation has reached a certain saturation threshold. 

This entire post reminds me of the ethical failure that is Women Are From Mars, and The Rules of Dating. There is no one true way to do anything that has to do with people and society, that’s Vatican shit. Every situation is different, and assigning automatic responses to specific inputs is something that very, very racist people do. That’s what the KKK did, that’s what the Nazis did, and that’s what “Allies” are doing today. I don’t think you (as Allies) mean any harm, but don’t tell me or anyone else how to respond because you have some better way, because you hold the key to a non-racist world. I don’t afford any single person that credit, and will continue to make my own decisions regardless of what a very particular segment of white people think that I should be doing.

1-People of Color DO call themselves People of Color

2-I AM A PERSON OF COLOR

3-I AM NOT WHITE

4-This entire comment is disgusting AND…

5-Seriously with the lack of comprehension? 

6-No one EVER said that you should risk your physical well being (good try though)

7-“White young liberal in school with lots of time on your hands” <-Well, you got the “Liberal” part right buuuuuut…

8-YOU don’t get to decide what WE call OURSELVES. Furthermore, you don’t get to PUT DOWN what we call ourselves because YOU don’t approve.

9-To the bold-THAT IS NOT WHAT THAT SAID AND IT WAS VERY CLEARLY SPECIF TO A RACIAL CONVERSATION. Now, clearly reading is not your forte but let me quote my own post here…QUOTE “One Black person says something about the Black race and the other friend disagrees. This turns into a discussion. Say nothing. ” I guess you missed that part, huh?

10-Finally, You are a self centered, racist and immoral jackass. Hey, not unlike the friend you reblogged this from. No wonder you follow each other! 

(Source: racismschool)