Views on this have changed in recent years, according to Pew Research Center surveys. In 2019, 57% said people overlooking racial discrimination was the bigger problem, while 42% pointed to people seeing it where it really didn’t exist. That gap has narrowed from 15 to 8 percentage points.
I seriously don’t understand the folks who don’t get this.
First we had slaves.
Well, some say, US slavery ended with the civil war.
Even IF it were reasonable to say that slavery ended and therefore the ripples it sent forward in time aren’t still being felt, there are two things that are true - One: We didn’t root out those who most staunchly refused to relinquish it and enact power structures to encourage equity going forward.
Well, some say, the confederate states were physically and economically destroyed by the end of the war.
And to that I say, “Andrew Johnson.”
Two: We as a nation enacted laws and social norms that turned black folks into a permanent underclass, and have been dogwhistling about it for a century.
Well, some say, No we didn’t.
Yes, we did. Jim Crow, separate but equal, the origin of most controversial confederate monuments and statues, the very existence of Sundown Towns, and The Negro Motorist’s Green Book, the foundation of the State of Oregon, and events such as the Tulsa race massacre, are all factual details about our country.
These inflection points on our nation’s psyche persisted at least through the passage of the civil rights act, and some feel Sundown Towns exist even today. These laws and social norms influenced legislative policy, police and justice department culture, and generations of Americans - both white and black people.
To deny that there is still an impact today seems willfully ignorant.
The average MAGA does both.
Why not both?
I’m just sick of being labeled racist just because I’m white. When I was younger I didn’t give a shit and would speak to anyone and everyone but now after years of being told I am racist I find myself not speaking to or very carefully choosing my words before speaking to anyone that is not white. So in the end the constant accusations have turned me racist because I am changing my words and actions based on race.
I’m white and have never been accused of being racist. It’s something you’re doing, it’s not the color of your skin.
No, it’s probably the people they’re talking to. I’m White and I’ve never been accused of racism by anyone that knows me, but I’ve been told by plenty of overzealous “SJW”-types that my privileged position in society makes me inherently racist, even if I don’t harbor any overtly racist views. Likewise, I’ve been called a “racist cracker” when I’ve simply refused to give someone change on the street when asked for it. Being racist has become a kind of White stereotype in our culture. I totally understand what the other poster is talking about. Sure, maybe it is something they’re doing, but I could easily see it not being that.
So, in your scenario, person gets called names by a few ignorant people and flips to full on racist?
I think it’s more likely they were already racist and getting their feelings hurt allows them to justify it.
No, that’s not what I’m saying at all. I can’t even figure out how you got that from what I was saying, and I’m not going to wreck my brain about a comment that seems on its face to be in bad faith to begin with.
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speak to anyone and everyone but now after years of being told I am racist
Were you saying racist shit?
I’m guessing you are one of those “I’m not racist, I hate everyone” assholes. Which is a long way of saying "I’m racist, but it doesn’t count because I’m a jerk to my friends (who are all white).
My uncle doesn’t think he’s racist, meanwhile the few days he stayed with me I heard the N word more times than I’ve heard others say it in the past 10 years. He used it not only to describe people but instead of the word black to describe the color of objects. I’m guessing having to rethink what they mean really means they don’t say the n word around black people but are being called out by white people they feel they should be able to get away with it around.
When I was younger I didn’t give a shit and would speak to anyone and everyone but now after years of being told I am racist I find myself not speaking to or very carefully choosing my words before speaking to anyone that is not white. So in the end the constant accusations have turned me racist because I am changing my words and actions based on race.
I’m in my 50s. When I became aware that many PoC might have reason to view my actions differently than intended, I took that as a sign to be mindful of my biases, and to think about the possibility that I could be using words and phrases that I grew up believing to be fine, but which could be hurtful to the people around me.
To my knowledge, I’ve never been labeled a racist.
You do you though.
