Do You Know All People Can Be Racist And Use Microaggressions?

Do you think that because you are black or of color that you are immune to being racist? Do you think you are magically incapable of making racial microaggressions? It's time to recognize that comments can hurt anyone if attributed to racial distinctions and that race is not the only thing that contributes to privilege.

Examples of microaggressions against whites

Assuming that all whites are born racist

I actually had a college professor tell the class that all white people were born racist because they are predisposed to prefer the look of the individual who raised them (this is socialization not an instance of someone being born racist!). He believed white people were completely incapable of being fair and impartial. If this is true, that people are incapable of treating other races fairly, why give up any privilege if you know your going to be treated like absolute shit?

Assuming that all white people have the same culture.

Not all white people are American and culture differs greatly from one White area to the next. Just like many Cubans don't like being called Mexican (or yellowish), many white people don't like being called American (or white). You may think you are just letting white people know they share cultural traits which people of color have to learn, and this makes it difficult for you to function in white environments, you are assuming that all white people are the same and all whites just know how to get along with eachother.

Assuming all whites have business culture

Don't say "white people have the advantage of being able to get along immediately in business cultures because business culture is white culture." Sorry to say but not all white folks feel comfortable having to moderate their speech and dress to accommodate office professionalism. Being from abroad myself, I find American work places incredibly uncomfortable. They talk too fast, it's hard to know what they are saying, they think my ideas are goofy, middle and upper-class executives who are black call me privileged every five minutes and they are the freaking BOSS making twice my salary, I have to avoid a list of microaggressions five miles long but they are completely unwilling to consider any microaggressions I may think are unreasonable. It seems like a backward racist place to me.

Assuming white people were never colonized or enslaved.

It is ignorant to assume that white people have never been colonized or enslaved. Yes, yes, we know you don't think white people colonized by Britain have any right to say anything because chances are they stole someone else's land. Do you know about the Roman and Holy Roman Empires (962-1806) which took over the European tribes? Do you know about the Barbery slave trade in the Ottoman Empire out of Algeria (1450-1800) which raided European and UK coastal villages killing men and taking women and children for slavery in Africa? Do you know about the colonization of Ireland by the English? Some say that their slavery was worse because it was intergenerational. That's crap. These people enslaved, raped, killed and even had kids with their slaves. They did not just give their slave children back or treat them as family.

Assuming white people taught people of your color how to be racist, colonizers and slavers (so anything your people do is on them)

Don't tell me white people taught your people how to enslave and that your people had no slavery until whites came along. That's BS. Yes, Christians began proselytizing way back in the 1st century but they were Egyptians! Christianity was not originally white! People have also been taking over each others lands and assimilating the captives into their own cultures FOREVER. Some native tribes SURVIVED off raiding other native groups. White people did not invent slavery but they did try to end it!

Assuming that people of color can't culturally appropriate from White people because they are their oppressors

We keep hearing how white people can culturally appropriate your culture and hurt your feelings but you have to understand that some white people get their feelings hurt when you use their symbols too. I've heard people say they can wear crosses and religious paraphernalia because Christians were colonizers and spread their shit around and now "the oppressed" need to use it to gain privilege and have the same benefits. That's BS. You don't have to insult religious people (even white ones) by wearing their sacred symbols, it's not required and you'll probably do yourself more harm than good. People will hate you for it.

Assuming people of color can't be racist, only white people can

Many people of color are now using the old definition of 'structural racism' as the new definition of 'racism' and the old definition of racism as 'personal prejudice.' They are saying that only white people can be racist because racism requires privilege or else it has no impact so people of color can't be racist because they can't do anything limiting to white people because people of color have no cultural power. While that tends to be true, this does not mean that people of color cannot be exhibit racist prejudice and assume that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race. When people of color change the lingo without telling anyone what they are doing it sounds like they are saying people of color can not make assumptions about white people as a group or attribute characteristics to us as a whole. This is not true.

Assuming white people do not see they have a perspective if they don't use an 'I statement'

People of color (and a lot of other white folks too) often assume that I am ignorant of my perspective or do not understand that I could be wrong. Sometimes they will say "I statement, I statement" as if I have forgotten it when in reality I have just not felt motivated to monitor my speech to that extent. On numerous occasions people have asked me if I think I am always right, as if not saying "I think" before everything is proof that I haven not considered alternative perspectives. People have also asked me why I wouldn't use an I statement if I were truly aware that I may be wrong. Well, quite honestly people state things when they think they are right and it is not a bad thing to think you are right or else you would not be questioning me and badgering me to consider your perspective if you did not think you were right. Just consider that.

Assuming that white people can't be as offended as people of color by racism (original definition)

The argument goes that people of color take more offense at racist comments and microaggressions because they have more on their plate than white people. Except when they don't! Sometimes white people are struggling with things you don't see and your racism can be a real bitch to them just as racism can be a real bitch to you. Even those not struggling with anything major likely find your assumptions off putting and will likely have a subconscious tick against you. My advice is don't be racist if you don't want others to be racist to you. Being racist to someone you think has more power than you likely isn't a good thing for you in the long run.

Assuming that people of color cannot silence white people

When you interrupt someone and say 'check your privilege' or state 'micro-aggression, micro-aggression' you are shutting them up. It's ok to bring this up later if you need to but please don't use it as a way to silence people's opinions to compensate for a weak argument. It's an attack on an individuals characteristics instead of their argument. It's like saying you're white therefore your argument is completely invalid because you don't have knowledge of my experiences. If you really think someone has their head in the clouds say it after, but don't silence them.

Assuming that white people taking offense to your racism is a psychological disorder and your offense to racism is not.

Some people of color see a difference between the feelings of white people and the feelings of people of color. White people who take offense are psychologically sick and people of color are not. If someone is assuming offense where none is intended they have a psychological issue. Is it justified? Yes offense on both sides is justified, neither group knows when the other is making racist assumptions but there is a social dialogue which leads them to believe it is a possibility. Does this mean that either group should just sit there and assume the worst of each other and ignore one another all the time, no you'll miss out on life and avoid interactions which could be of benefit to you. This doesn't mean you have to buddy up with the racist next door. Sometimes its really apparent but you may want to get yourself examined if you see racism all the time everywhere or if your constantly taking offense. This goes for both white people and people of color.

Assuming that white guilt causes white offense

I've heard on more than one occasion that white people are offended by people of color because they don't want to recognize their privilege because they are repressing white guilt. While there are people who feel bad that they have ended up through no fault of our own in a more privileged position, I am offended by white shaming and not white guilt. I do not feel guilty that I was born white because I didn't cause that to happen, but I think a lot of people of color want white people to feel shame because of it. Instead of calling it white shame they call it white guilt because it sounds like the white person has the psychological issue. It's unfortunate that races have been treated so poorly that large numbers of people have psychological repercussions but shaming people for their genetics is racism and dismissing people's offense as white guilt is invalidation. I understand that the abused often continue the cycle of abuse, it's understandable that it happens but someone has to point it out if it's ever going to stop. We can't just think its offensive to point that shit out, we need ot say something.

Assuming that white people make up tales of sorrow to diminish their privilege over you

White people have tales of sorrow like anyone else. Some people have disabilities, some are refugees, some are poor as fuck. You don't know their story so stop pretending like you do. Yes, people of color can have sorrows and experience racism based on their skin color. No one is denying that. We are just wondering if you actually believe all people of color are always less privileged than a white person or if you are aware that a white person may have a number of barriers to success which cumulatively have had a greater impact on their life than your color alone? I'm tired sitting there listening to people talk about white privilege when my white neighbour is a refugee with nothing, while my other neighbor, a man of color, with a nice house and job complains about being so increadibly underprivileged all the time.

Assuming that people who say "All Lives Matter" are just ignoring black-white differences

There have been some politicians who've said 'All Lives Matter' in response to the 'Black Lives Matter' campaign and they have looked like total ass-holes as they are generally dismissive of the problems black people have in general, but many people who say this are thinking something different. Right now there is a major police violence problem and they are killing people. They are killing more unarmed black people than white (if you look at the black population as a percentage of the whole). Fact is they are killing way more native people as a percentage, but the black community has overshadowed both of these other issues. Yes, black lives matter, but we have to look at all three issues and slogan just doesn't cut it. Side note, Black Lives Matter people interrupting Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders events to focus on their issues are not making a very good case as to why other groups should not horn in on their Black Lives Matter campaign with All Lives Matter.