I started this blog years ago in the midst of Hurricane Katrina. I was so upset about what was happening and I had to get my anger out somewhere, so I started writing about it. My first post was on September 2, 2005. Almost 13 years of posting--mostly about racial issues. NEVER would I have thought it would have gotten as bad as this. I thought Bush was bad, but compared to who is in the White House now, Bush looks exemplary, and I never thought I would say that.
I'm probably going to ramble but I have so many thoughts about what got us to this place. For one, the racism and white supremacy that America has been built upon has always been there. Some white people want to say, "But oh, it's gotten sooo much better." Bullshit. Maybe for those of you who never have to fucking deal with it. I am SICK of people saying "I don't see color." Do you know how IGNORANT you sound? I am SICK of people saying they are NOT racist, yet they DON'T SPEAK UP when their in-laws say racist shit. If you don't speak up EVERY SINGLE TIME, then you are a coward who is complicit in furthering white supremacy. You are putting your comfort and your relationships with white people ahead of the humanity of people of color by allowing them to put down people of color and not saying anything. You are complicit in maintaining the status quo.
I don't understand people of color who voted for Donald Trump. Is that some kind of internalized racism? I don't understand white people who have people of color in their family who voted for Donald Trump. Donald Trump is a straight up racist. If you voted for Donald Trump, you knew he was a racist, therefore you supported his racism, which makes you a racist. It's as simple as that. If you hated Hillary Clinton, I don't care, but you didn't have to vote for a racist, sexist, misogynistic, lying, xenophobic bigot like Trump. You knew what he was and voted for him anyway. So that makes you responsible for the mess we're in now.
Trump will be forever defined as the one (I will NEVER refer to him as the POTUS) who traumatized infants and children and used them as pawns. He will NEVER live this down. And everyone around him who defends this will also pay the price. Some say that this time he crossed the line. I believe he crossed the line a long time ago with his ridiculous birtherism accusations. Yet the uneducated deplorables of this country felt he represented them (he actually doesn't give a flying fuck about them--he just likes the adulation, but they don't know any better).
Now the racists and bigots have come out from under their rocks and everyday you read about a person of color being harassed by some white loser who is unhinged. It's already happened to me four times. These people blame their lack of success on people of color, they're so threatened by successful people of color, they hate immigrants, they say immigrants are taking their jobs--okay, then if you're not willing to educate yourself, then go work in the fields, clean hotel rooms, but oh no, you're too good for that, huh? These losers make me sick. It's not surprising that most of the white college educated people voted for Clinton.
And for those of you who live in oblivion, happily living your lives, not worried about anything because you think it doesn't affect you, well, I hope that one day someone doesn't take away your rights. You're living in a bubble, so don't say I didn't warn you if that bubble is popped some day. I guess ignorance is bliss.
Showing posts with label racism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label racism. Show all posts
Saturday, June 23, 2018
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
The Rise of Donald Trump: The Natural Result of Decades of Republican Racist Politics
We are living in scary times. Back in 2008, I remember the unbridled joy with which much of America celebrated the election of Barack Obama, our first African-American president. Tom and I went to Seattle and people were literally dancing and drumming in the streets. People were hugging and the people all around us were so thrilled at this historic event.
But it didn't come easy. The whole campaign was marred with racist innuendos. Obama was accused of being Muslim (not that anything was wrong with being Muslim, but the accusation was meant as an insult). He was accused of associating with terrorists. His citizenship was called into question. He was simultaneously accused of being "uppity" and mocked for being a "community organizer". He received death threats while campaigning. Michelle was compared to a gorilla. The whole thing was extremely ugly. Yet not only did Obama prevail and win, he won by a landslide.
While many of us celebrated, there were those who were really angry. For white voters, particular those who weren't cosmopolitan or comfortable with diversity, Obama's election was a shock. "When coupled with the broad decline in incomes and living standards caused by the Great Recession, it seemed to signal the end of a hierarchy that had always placed white Americans at the top, delivering status even when it even when it couldn't give material benefits," writes Jamelle Bouie in Slate.com.
That night I read hateful things on my Facebook news feed. One person said, "I think I'm going to vomit." The next evening at soccer practice, one of my daughter's teammates stated, "We're going to die," presumably because Obama had been elected. She was 10 at the time--I'm sure she was repeating what her parents had said.
Throughout President Obama's tenure, he has been treated with such disrespect. From a Congressman yelling "You lie!" during his State of the Union address, to the Trump birther accusations, to the Republican obstructionism, Republicans have tried their hardest to delegitimize him. Their latest ploy is their threat to block his Supreme Court nominee. However, the majority of Americans feel this is the wrong thing to do, and that the highest court in the land should not go with only 8 justices for a year.
During all of this, moderate Republicans stayed silent. Those who might have spoken out against this abhorrent behavior did not. Many in fact engaged in this behavior as a wink and a nod to their constitutents. How many Republicans were caught using racist language, or were found to be members of organizations that were known to have connections to white nationalist groups?
However, it was an unspoken rule that being openly racist was unacceptable. However, Trump apparently feels he doesn't have to play by the same rules as everyone else. He seems to not have any shame or embarrassment about saying things that most civilized people wouldn't say. He knows what these mostly white, mostly working class, mostly non-college-educated supporters are angry about and he manipulates these people and their anger by tapping into it and fanning the flames. He doesn't provide answers--he just ratchets up the anger. So now, these people somehow feel emboldened to wear their racism, xenophobia and bigotry proudly for the world to see. It's frightening.
At one rally, a white man sucker-punched a young African-American man. He was subsequently arrested for assault. The violence visited upon protesters has continued to escalate. In Chicago, people decided enough was enough and thousands of protesters showed up at the Trump rally, forcing Trump to cancel it. It was interesting to note, however, that the Trump people had scheduled the rally to take place at the University of Illinois in Chicago, a campus that is 25% Latino, 25% Asian and 10% African-American. Looks like he WANTED there to be violence. Why else would he hold it there? Trump is an attention whore--to him, media coverage is a good thing, regardless if it's good or bad.
So when Trump doesn't win the presidency, what's going to happen to all of these people who support Trump? They've been very open now about their racism, their xenophobia. Are they ever going to learn that they can't live in the 21st century hating everyone that doesn't look like them? It' not going to work.
But it didn't come easy. The whole campaign was marred with racist innuendos. Obama was accused of being Muslim (not that anything was wrong with being Muslim, but the accusation was meant as an insult). He was accused of associating with terrorists. His citizenship was called into question. He was simultaneously accused of being "uppity" and mocked for being a "community organizer". He received death threats while campaigning. Michelle was compared to a gorilla. The whole thing was extremely ugly. Yet not only did Obama prevail and win, he won by a landslide.
While many of us celebrated, there were those who were really angry. For white voters, particular those who weren't cosmopolitan or comfortable with diversity, Obama's election was a shock. "When coupled with the broad decline in incomes and living standards caused by the Great Recession, it seemed to signal the end of a hierarchy that had always placed white Americans at the top, delivering status even when it even when it couldn't give material benefits," writes Jamelle Bouie in Slate.com.
That night I read hateful things on my Facebook news feed. One person said, "I think I'm going to vomit." The next evening at soccer practice, one of my daughter's teammates stated, "We're going to die," presumably because Obama had been elected. She was 10 at the time--I'm sure she was repeating what her parents had said.
Throughout President Obama's tenure, he has been treated with such disrespect. From a Congressman yelling "You lie!" during his State of the Union address, to the Trump birther accusations, to the Republican obstructionism, Republicans have tried their hardest to delegitimize him. Their latest ploy is their threat to block his Supreme Court nominee. However, the majority of Americans feel this is the wrong thing to do, and that the highest court in the land should not go with only 8 justices for a year.
During all of this, moderate Republicans stayed silent. Those who might have spoken out against this abhorrent behavior did not. Many in fact engaged in this behavior as a wink and a nod to their constitutents. How many Republicans were caught using racist language, or were found to be members of organizations that were known to have connections to white nationalist groups?
However, it was an unspoken rule that being openly racist was unacceptable. However, Trump apparently feels he doesn't have to play by the same rules as everyone else. He seems to not have any shame or embarrassment about saying things that most civilized people wouldn't say. He knows what these mostly white, mostly working class, mostly non-college-educated supporters are angry about and he manipulates these people and their anger by tapping into it and fanning the flames. He doesn't provide answers--he just ratchets up the anger. So now, these people somehow feel emboldened to wear their racism, xenophobia and bigotry proudly for the world to see. It's frightening.
At one rally, a white man sucker-punched a young African-American man. He was subsequently arrested for assault. The violence visited upon protesters has continued to escalate. In Chicago, people decided enough was enough and thousands of protesters showed up at the Trump rally, forcing Trump to cancel it. It was interesting to note, however, that the Trump people had scheduled the rally to take place at the University of Illinois in Chicago, a campus that is 25% Latino, 25% Asian and 10% African-American. Looks like he WANTED there to be violence. Why else would he hold it there? Trump is an attention whore--to him, media coverage is a good thing, regardless if it's good or bad.
So when Trump doesn't win the presidency, what's going to happen to all of these people who support Trump? They've been very open now about their racism, their xenophobia. Are they ever going to learn that they can't live in the 21st century hating everyone that doesn't look like them? It' not going to work.
Monday, February 17, 2014
My two cents on "White Girlfriend in Barbershop" video
Apparently all of a sudden people have noticed that racism has existed in this world now that a white woman has become a "victim" in a staged scenario where an African-American hairdresser calls her out for being at a barbershop with her black boyfriend. Reactions from the other black patrons range from sticking up for the white woman, to silence, to a diversity trainer trying to facilitate communication and understanding between the white woman and the hairdresser.
I don't have an issue with this video per se, but what I find interesting and somewhat disturbing is that it is THIS particular video that gets people riled up. THIS is the video that goes viral and has white people sharing all over Facebook about racism. And what is so ironic is that I have shared dozens upon dozens of posts on Facebook about racism towards people of color, and with the exception of the few people I can count on every time, I am met with...............silence. And now all of a sudden this rah rah rah about this white woman in a barbershop? And it's inspiring people to speak up about racism when they encounter it?
I can't tell you how many times I have spoken up about racist comments and racist behavior when I've encountered it only to have it cause conflict in my life. That doesn't mean I'm going to stop doing it, but I know that people DON'T speak up because they're afraid. They're afraid of confrontation. And particularly as a person of color, I'm often the ONLY one in a room full of white people trying to explain my perspective, and people want to change the subject. Or there's an awkward silence. No one has a camera on me making a video that's going viral where a million people are going to say, "Good for Meg! She spoke out against racism!" Yet a couple of black women spoke up for a white woman and social media goes crazy!!!!
This blogger captured exactly how I feel, but from a white woman's perspective:
(Taken from Why "White Girlfriend Enters Black Barbershop" Makes Me Uncomfortable)
"This outpouring of support for this video – found in hashtags like #colorblind, or comments like ‘inspiring!’ ‘let’s move forward to combat racism,’ or ‘I got teary-eyed’ — almost all from White folks, makes me feel uncomfortable. It really does.
“Why?!” you might ask. ”Aren’t you dating a Black man?!” others yelp. There is an expectation that I, as a White woman, would revel in this demonstration of Black folks ‘sticking up for me’ (in the majority of cases), or even worse, be pleased with those who failed to intervene, who illustrate just how hard it is out there for us white women.
NO.
It’s really not hard out here in these streets for White women. Actually, it’s pretty damn easy. Yes, as women, we are oppressed in many ways. There are double standards, there are oppressive gender norms, there are republicans attacking our reproductive rights at every turn. But y’know what? Those issues effect all women, and generally have a disproportionately more negative impact on women of color, who often lack the resources and privilege to overcome these barriers. So let’s skip that part.
We navigate this world with White skin, which has afforded us a wealth of privilege from birth. It has allowed us historical privilege which allowed many of our families to accumulate wealth in the form of assets that simply were not avenues available to Black or Brown families. It has afforded us the ability to embody our identity as individuals, to never speak as a monolith for our ‘group’ of white people, and to be considered the ‘default’ conception of ‘American’ in almost every situation. We have benefited immensely from the material, structural, and social privileges that come with white skin.
So why are we SO freakin’ pumped about this video?
It’s almost as if people feel that this video is empowering to White folks. Let’s talk about some of the reasons White people, consciously or not, are excited about this video:
1. Ohmygod, it shows that love is colorblind! That’s such a cute narrative. ”I don’t see color. It doesn’t matter if you’re white, brown, purple, orange, or green.”
2. Look at us White people!!! We are so advanced and generous. You see, we won’t just DATE Black folks, we will take shit for ‘em too! Poor old white girls, we just have to sit there and take it from those ANGRY BLACK WOMEN! We are pretty much saints.
3. It confirms the narrative that REVERSE RACISM IS REAL! I mean look, they only set up ‘real life situations that could happen’ on these shows, which demonstrates that if us White people try to do something like get into a relationship with a non-White person, WE JUST FACE SO MUCH OPPRESSION!!!
These are all problematic. If you’re one of the women or men who is just so progressive that you don’t even see color… well, then you may well be failing to acknowledge and honor a major part of a person’s identity and experience navigating this world. Secondly, this video reinforces the perception that there are a ton of Black women out there who are just sitting, stewing, getting angry about all the White women who “take away” their Black men, who are just waiting to spew hatred on the first interracial couple they see. This is a harmful perception, it is reductive, and I don’t think that we should be reinforcing it on TV – nor should we be crafting white women into the martyr of the show.
Lastly, this little social experiment lends false credibility to the idea that reverse racism is real. We won’t get into the multitude of reasons that this just patently isn’t true, but this video is dangerous. And people’s love for it is dangerous too. But why? Aren’t people just excited that Black folks are taking a stand against all this hate on the White woman?
The problem is, whether Black folks rallied to defend this White woman, or sat in uncomfortable silence, isn’t the point. The point is that this video reinforces the narrative that reverse racism is real, and that White folks are unjustly and undeservingly oppressed and discriminated against by Black folks. Maybe this seems like an insignificant example, I mean, it’s just a little barbershop experiment, right? But it lends credibility and strength to the idea that these cases are happening everywhere, and that this is just the beginning. That Black and Brown folks are oppressing us White folks in other ways, like how we’re now discriminated against in the workplace or college admissions processes because of affirmative action.
As a White woman who is in a relationship with a Black man, I remain a privileged person. If I am in a barbershop and a woman – White or Black – begins to give me shit because of my relationship, do you know what I can do? I can get angry and I can yell at her, because I don’t need to worry that if the police come, myself or my friends may be roughed up, searched without cause, or injured simply because of the color of my skin. I don’t have to worry that all of those around me will just see my outrage at her comments just as a product of me being a White woman, not because of my individual anger and hurt at her comments.
White folks embrace and excitement of this video simply makes me uncomfortable. This is my truth. For those who shared it, I wonder why it struck you as so deeply important. I wonder why it took this instance – of a white woman being discriminated against – to care deeply. Maybe it’s because you’re happy that Black folks stuck up for her, and think that it is a tribute to how ‘evolved’ we have all become on race. But then I wonder why I don’t see you regularly posting ‘what would you do’ videos of Black and Brown folks being discriminated against and White folks reactions – whether good or bad.
At the end of the day, I’m simply left with a pit of discomfort in my stomach, and a lot of questions about why a White woman’s discrimination and ‘rescue’ have moved so many. Perhaps us White folks should begin to try to answer those questions, no matter how painful the answers may be."
I don't have an issue with this video per se, but what I find interesting and somewhat disturbing is that it is THIS particular video that gets people riled up. THIS is the video that goes viral and has white people sharing all over Facebook about racism. And what is so ironic is that I have shared dozens upon dozens of posts on Facebook about racism towards people of color, and with the exception of the few people I can count on every time, I am met with...............silence. And now all of a sudden this rah rah rah about this white woman in a barbershop? And it's inspiring people to speak up about racism when they encounter it?
I can't tell you how many times I have spoken up about racist comments and racist behavior when I've encountered it only to have it cause conflict in my life. That doesn't mean I'm going to stop doing it, but I know that people DON'T speak up because they're afraid. They're afraid of confrontation. And particularly as a person of color, I'm often the ONLY one in a room full of white people trying to explain my perspective, and people want to change the subject. Or there's an awkward silence. No one has a camera on me making a video that's going viral where a million people are going to say, "Good for Meg! She spoke out against racism!" Yet a couple of black women spoke up for a white woman and social media goes crazy!!!!
This blogger captured exactly how I feel, but from a white woman's perspective:
(Taken from Why "White Girlfriend Enters Black Barbershop" Makes Me Uncomfortable)
"This outpouring of support for this video – found in hashtags like #colorblind, or comments like ‘inspiring!’ ‘let’s move forward to combat racism,’ or ‘I got teary-eyed’ — almost all from White folks, makes me feel uncomfortable. It really does.
“Why?!” you might ask. ”Aren’t you dating a Black man?!” others yelp. There is an expectation that I, as a White woman, would revel in this demonstration of Black folks ‘sticking up for me’ (in the majority of cases), or even worse, be pleased with those who failed to intervene, who illustrate just how hard it is out there for us white women.
NO.
It’s really not hard out here in these streets for White women. Actually, it’s pretty damn easy. Yes, as women, we are oppressed in many ways. There are double standards, there are oppressive gender norms, there are republicans attacking our reproductive rights at every turn. But y’know what? Those issues effect all women, and generally have a disproportionately more negative impact on women of color, who often lack the resources and privilege to overcome these barriers. So let’s skip that part.
We navigate this world with White skin, which has afforded us a wealth of privilege from birth. It has allowed us historical privilege which allowed many of our families to accumulate wealth in the form of assets that simply were not avenues available to Black or Brown families. It has afforded us the ability to embody our identity as individuals, to never speak as a monolith for our ‘group’ of white people, and to be considered the ‘default’ conception of ‘American’ in almost every situation. We have benefited immensely from the material, structural, and social privileges that come with white skin.
So why are we SO freakin’ pumped about this video?
It’s almost as if people feel that this video is empowering to White folks. Let’s talk about some of the reasons White people, consciously or not, are excited about this video:
1. Ohmygod, it shows that love is colorblind! That’s such a cute narrative. ”I don’t see color. It doesn’t matter if you’re white, brown, purple, orange, or green.”
2. Look at us White people!!! We are so advanced and generous. You see, we won’t just DATE Black folks, we will take shit for ‘em too! Poor old white girls, we just have to sit there and take it from those ANGRY BLACK WOMEN! We are pretty much saints.
3. It confirms the narrative that REVERSE RACISM IS REAL! I mean look, they only set up ‘real life situations that could happen’ on these shows, which demonstrates that if us White people try to do something like get into a relationship with a non-White person, WE JUST FACE SO MUCH OPPRESSION!!!
These are all problematic. If you’re one of the women or men who is just so progressive that you don’t even see color… well, then you may well be failing to acknowledge and honor a major part of a person’s identity and experience navigating this world. Secondly, this video reinforces the perception that there are a ton of Black women out there who are just sitting, stewing, getting angry about all the White women who “take away” their Black men, who are just waiting to spew hatred on the first interracial couple they see. This is a harmful perception, it is reductive, and I don’t think that we should be reinforcing it on TV – nor should we be crafting white women into the martyr of the show.
Lastly, this little social experiment lends false credibility to the idea that reverse racism is real. We won’t get into the multitude of reasons that this just patently isn’t true, but this video is dangerous. And people’s love for it is dangerous too. But why? Aren’t people just excited that Black folks are taking a stand against all this hate on the White woman?
The problem is, whether Black folks rallied to defend this White woman, or sat in uncomfortable silence, isn’t the point. The point is that this video reinforces the narrative that reverse racism is real, and that White folks are unjustly and undeservingly oppressed and discriminated against by Black folks. Maybe this seems like an insignificant example, I mean, it’s just a little barbershop experiment, right? But it lends credibility and strength to the idea that these cases are happening everywhere, and that this is just the beginning. That Black and Brown folks are oppressing us White folks in other ways, like how we’re now discriminated against in the workplace or college admissions processes because of affirmative action.
As a White woman who is in a relationship with a Black man, I remain a privileged person. If I am in a barbershop and a woman – White or Black – begins to give me shit because of my relationship, do you know what I can do? I can get angry and I can yell at her, because I don’t need to worry that if the police come, myself or my friends may be roughed up, searched without cause, or injured simply because of the color of my skin. I don’t have to worry that all of those around me will just see my outrage at her comments just as a product of me being a White woman, not because of my individual anger and hurt at her comments.
White folks embrace and excitement of this video simply makes me uncomfortable. This is my truth. For those who shared it, I wonder why it struck you as so deeply important. I wonder why it took this instance – of a white woman being discriminated against – to care deeply. Maybe it’s because you’re happy that Black folks stuck up for her, and think that it is a tribute to how ‘evolved’ we have all become on race. But then I wonder why I don’t see you regularly posting ‘what would you do’ videos of Black and Brown folks being discriminated against and White folks reactions – whether good or bad.
At the end of the day, I’m simply left with a pit of discomfort in my stomach, and a lot of questions about why a White woman’s discrimination and ‘rescue’ have moved so many. Perhaps us White folks should begin to try to answer those questions, no matter how painful the answers may be."
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