When you've moved on from forgetting to wear pants to buying assless chaps…
After spending the last few years watching and reading and working on getting my head out of my own ass on issues of racism and privilege, I've started to notice the problematic patterns of behavior by fellow avowed progressive, liberal white people in these imbroglios. Like this pattern that's becoming ever more popular in Race Fail 2009:
Here's the thing. Calling yourself out as a racist? Not some kind of magical talisman against having your actual speech and behavior criticized. It's not a magic wand of protection to wave against having your words or actions called out as racist to say, "I know I'm racist and everyone's racist and its a systemic, institutionalized problem, and I totally acknowledge my racism, so why are you still questioning what I say/my intent/my integrity as a progressive and/or liberal and/or ally ally/saying mean things to me?"
"Everyone's racist, DUH," is not a get-out-of-racist-speech-or-behavior-free card. You can't slap that down on the table and then act aghast that you're still being called on the carpet for the racist things you're actually saying.
Really.
Here's the thing. Calling yourself out as a racist? Not some kind of magical talisman against having your actual speech and behavior criticized. It's not a magic wand of protection to wave against having your words or actions called out as racist to say, "I know I'm racist and everyone's racist and its a systemic, institutionalized problem, and I totally acknowledge my racism, so why are you still questioning what I say/my intent/my integrity as a progressive and/or liberal and/or ally ally/saying mean things to me?"
"Everyone's racist, DUH," is not a get-out-of-racist-speech-or-behavior-free card. You can't slap that down on the table and then act aghast that you're still being called on the carpet for the racist things you're actually saying.
Really.