The Real White Scourge
"First, I must confess that over the last few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Council-er or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can't agree with your methods of direct action;" who paternalistically feels he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by the myth of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait until a "more convenient season."
Shallow understanding from people of goodwill is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection."
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Anytime the Klan, skinheads, the Nazis or the Tea Baggers are mentioned, usually the first thing that goes through white folks minds is, "See I can't be racist, because I'm not like THOSE PEEPUL!"
Too many white folks think that that as long as they aren't donning white sheets, burning crosses, or branding themselves with a swastika, then they can't be racist. Or in fact if they aren't, they're just a little racist. The harmless kind.
The bitch of it is, while the Klan, skinheads, the Nazis, and their ilk are dangerous and we do have to keep an eye on them, at the end of the day, they aren't the white folks who are the biggest threats to POCs. See at least with them, they're upfront about what they're about. There's no goalpost shifting, gaslighting, pearl clutching or white woman tears. We know where they stand and they make it clear from the jump who and what we're dealing with.
No it's the everyday white folks like the ones reading this post who are the biggest threats. The ones who are supervisors who tell their Latino employees what a fine job they're doing at work, but goes home and threatens to beat their daughter if she brings home one of those dirty Mexicans. It's the white woman who is friends with that black woman at the salon but she threatens to disown her son if he marries one of those nappy headed she-beasts.
It's the white people who work in banks and deny POCs loans to start their businesses. It's the ones who turn a blind eye to James Anderson and Troy Davis.
It's the white fauxial justice Tumblrinas as has been illustrated time and time and time and time again. White feminists who demean black women and other women of color, be it the Slutwalk fail or the proud racist rad fems.
It's the gay white men who often prove to be the most racist and regularly throw bitchfits because they can't say the N-Word as illustrated here and here.
It's the white folks who think the rules about human dignity and respect don't apply to them.
witchsistah made the best point about racism (which also translates to any form of bigotry): "White folks need to QUIT thinking that non/anti-racism is like a vaccine. Once you get innoculated, you're immune to that disease for life. It ain't EVEN like that. Non/Anti- racism is more like dealing with a chronic condition like diabetes that you must continually monitor, care for and dose if you don't want to succumb to it. But see, the latter idea would require some actual WORK from them."
See white folks, until you have proven yourselves as someone who can be trusted, this is why we don't fuck with you. This is why we can almost always see through your bullshit. This is why many of us would rather work with non social justice white people because they actually do shit like stand up and do the right thing and aren't trying to score points. At least one white guy understands this. My man Steve Rogers. Captain America himself.
Steve, would you help a brotha out and point to the racist white folks that POCs have to worry about?
