Blogging About (sorry, Against) Racism
Okay. It's International Blog Against Racism Week in journal land. Given that I have posted and ranted about this before, I suppose I should say something now.
And I realized yesterday that I really didn't feel like I wanted to participate. I know why.
Because having a week to make this an issue raises my eyebrows the same way Black History Month raises the eyebrows on others. Yes, it's fantastic that something gets said/done/discussed/acknowledged, but it's not like racism (black history) ceases to exist after the week (month) is over.
The majority of people who don't think about racism (black history) on a regular basis are not going to continue to do so when the week (month) is over.
The majority of people who are talking about and participating in Blog Against Racism week (Black History Month) are already "the converted". Will it catch the attention of one or two new people? Certainly. Will it make them participants in The Cause? Probably not. Because it takes a genuine interest in The Cause and all that's come before and all that could come after to be a participant. If they didn't have it before the week (month), they're probably not going to have it after.
So yes, I feel like I'm preaching to the choir. But I'm going to stop right about now.
Because what I really feel like Blogging Against Racism week is for (and here I stop the analogy between it and Black History Month) is for beating up whites some more. It's a week where many fingers can be pointed at the "oppressive, male-dominated majority" and waggled in unison. It's a week in which, really? It's not okay to be white on the blogs. Because if you're white, you are inherently a part of privileged society and that, my friends, means you're inherently a part of the problem. Because of the color of your skin and the (mis)fortune of your birth, you are part of the problem.
I'm sorry. Aren't we supposed to be blogging against racism?
I've said before and I will say it again. Racism is not an issue of white privilege. Whites are not the only people who are racist, not by a long shot. There are blacks who hate white people, there are asians who hate blacks, there are hispanics who hate asians, there are native americans who hate hispanics and whites who hate native americans. Around and around we go.
If we're going to blog against racism, let's blog against all of it, not just one pocket or one type. Let's encourage people of all races to take a look at how they feel about people of all races, because the issue of racism really isn't black and white.
And I realized yesterday that I really didn't feel like I wanted to participate. I know why.
Because having a week to make this an issue raises my eyebrows the same way Black History Month raises the eyebrows on others. Yes, it's fantastic that something gets said/done/discussed/acknowledged, but it's not like racism (black history) ceases to exist after the week (month) is over.
The majority of people who don't think about racism (black history) on a regular basis are not going to continue to do so when the week (month) is over.
The majority of people who are talking about and participating in Blog Against Racism week (Black History Month) are already "the converted". Will it catch the attention of one or two new people? Certainly. Will it make them participants in The Cause? Probably not. Because it takes a genuine interest in The Cause and all that's come before and all that could come after to be a participant. If they didn't have it before the week (month), they're probably not going to have it after.
So yes, I feel like I'm preaching to the choir. But I'm going to stop right about now.
Because what I really feel like Blogging Against Racism week is for (and here I stop the analogy between it and Black History Month) is for beating up whites some more. It's a week where many fingers can be pointed at the "oppressive, male-dominated majority" and waggled in unison. It's a week in which, really? It's not okay to be white on the blogs. Because if you're white, you are inherently a part of privileged society and that, my friends, means you're inherently a part of the problem. Because of the color of your skin and the (mis)fortune of your birth, you are part of the problem.
I'm sorry. Aren't we supposed to be blogging against racism?
I've said before and I will say it again. Racism is not an issue of white privilege. Whites are not the only people who are racist, not by a long shot. There are blacks who hate white people, there are asians who hate blacks, there are hispanics who hate asians, there are native americans who hate hispanics and whites who hate native americans. Around and around we go.
If we're going to blog against racism, let's blog against all of it, not just one pocket or one type. Let's encourage people of all races to take a look at how they feel about people of all races, because the issue of racism really isn't black and white.