The Problem with Blaming Whites

[ericson00]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/25/opinions/new-pc-should-include-white-people-mcwhorter/

It will not be "woke" to pillory people as racists for passingly infelicitous gestures, such as referring to black people as "colored people" (like Good Morning America's Amy Robach did last summer), or photoshopping themselves riding on the back of a black athlete in praise of their accomplishment (Ellen DeGeneres and Usain Bolt), or showing blonde, white Khaleesi embraced by brown-skinned Dothrakis on Game of Thrones.
I know the objections -- "Don't you understand that America was founded on racial hierarchy and even today remains predicated upon structural racism!!?"-- and I do understand.
But we cannot make more than a hyper-educated sliver of white Americans see those facts as justifying a contemptuous view of themselves, or as justifying submitting black people to different standards of morality and expectation. How do I know? Donald Trump is our next president. We need new tactics.

this guy is right. One thing he leaves out is that its not only counterproductive for the reasons he says, but whites are still the country's racial majority; being perceived as trying to pound guilt into people is harder than fighting city hall.

[oberliner]

1. People of color is what she meant to say

When she said "colored people".

It is interesting that "people of color" is a preferred usage, while "colored people" is unacceptable and offensive. Linguistically, they don't seem all that different. Obviously the history has a lot to do with it, and I am not suggesting that latter is not offensive.

Still seems like that was potentially an innocent error and not something malicious.

[Igel]

9. No, it's a useful distinction.

A "colored person" is a black person. That's the usage that's long established, and trying to change it would be offensive and difficult.

"Person of color" immediately prompted "person of pallor", which immediately nailed the difference. There are whites, one group; and then there's everybody else. The term was coined when the commonality wasn't all that widely felt, when there wasn't a large non-white cohesive bloc. (There still isn't, but some think there is.)

Jorge, Ibrahim, Ling Yao, Ashok can each be a person of color but aren't "colored people". Formally they're not that different, but functionally they're worlds apart.


At the same time we've disposed of "races", which means that Jorge and Ibrahim, probably considered "Caucasian" 50 years ago by phys anthropology folk, now aren't Caucasian because the category is asserted to not exist. For those for whom "white" = "Caucasian," like the census, they are, however, white; for those who like "person of color" they are forever non-white. Those caught in the middle are those for whom "white" is a shifting category--just as Irish didn't use to be white but now are, many Latinos and Middle Easterners that weren't "white" 30 years ago are now lumped in with "white" by many. That neuters the strict, unyielding dichotomy that many activists need to create unity.

Still, it's a fairly innocent error, one you can get to several ways ("person of color" --> "colored person" or just "black person" --> "colored person," if you can't lexically access "black" before "colored" pops up and passes muster.) Many of those most prone to wearing "Don't Judge" t-shirts among people I know are, not all that strangely, the harshest judges.

I wonder if the woman was primed by having heard "colored people" recently.

[oberliner]

10. Interesting insights

Thanks for sharing them!

[yallerdawg]

2. Van Jones said...

"Not all Republicans are bigots, but all bigots are Republicans."

Then, they elect a bigot.

That barrel of apples is rotten.

[oberliner]

3. That is a preposterous statement

Did he actually say that?

There are definitely plenty of bigots who are not Republicans.

[ericson00]

4. hahaha I know precisely what you mean

wink wink

[oberliner]

5. I imagine that you agree with me on this

I think we have both encountered our share of bigots who were not Republicans.

[ericson00]

8. I'm with you 1000%; bigotry is not exclusive to Republicans or conservatives

[yallerdawg]

6. You want to argue...

the Republican Party isn't a wonderful home for bigots?

That they didn't just elect bigots from the top down to the lowest office possible?



Or you want to just normalize Corrupt Trump as a perfectly rational choice and we should argue about semantics, rhetoric and hyperbole coming out of a deeply hurt and offended majority of Americans?

[oberliner]

7. I want to argue that there are bigots who aren't Republicans

We know that there are lots of bigots who are Republicans, but to pretend that everyone who is a bigot is also a Republican is a little ridiculous.

[Demsrule86]

12. Yeah...the bigots joined the GOP ...

And all the bigots I knew in Georgia were Republican...and I would argue to join that party,you have to be somewhat bigotted.

[oberliner]

14. There are Democrats who voted for Trump

I would suggest some of them may be bigots.

[Demsrule86]

17. I see no evidence of that.

Keep in mind that Obama won twice. I lived in Georgia and was told the Democratic Party was the Black Party...it is what it is.

[oberliner]

18. You see no evidence of Democrats voting for Trump?

Or you see no evidence of those particular Trump voters being bigots?

[Demsrule86]

20. I live in Ohio...in my area, the Democrats voted for Clinton...

Now there are people registered as Democrats who vote with the GOP every election...we know who they are and never go there...but no I don't see too many Democrats voting for Trump...it was third party voting and more Republicans voting than usual...the guy who worked on my house who make $9.50 and hour who used to make $30.00 and hour, he voted for Trump...the Democrat I know voted for Clinton...some of my daughters friends...Bernie lovers...they voted for Jill Stein.

[Demsrule86]

21. The bigots I know left the party when Obama ran.

[Demsrule86]

11. using the term 'colored people' is racist pure and simple...it is a dog whistile and those

who use it know exactly what it means.

[oberliner]

15. You don't think it could have been an honest mistake?

Has this person engaged in other behavior to suggest otherwise?

[Demsrule86]

16. People mispeak all the time.

However, it is suspicious...and bears watching.

[ismnotwasm]

13. Ah yes. White fragility

No, we certainly are not "understanding" racism. In fact, for whites, it's an actual choice to try or not to try "understanding" racism. Unlike someone who has to, you know, live with it. Daily.

[JimBeard]

19. Why hasn't this organization changed its nam?

http://www.collegesportsscholarships.com/scholarships-united-negro-college-fund.htm