Ignoring white privilege is enemy number one residing in the hearts of white liberals everywhere.
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We are taught you must blame your father, your sisters, your brothers, the school, the teachers – but never blame yourself. It’s never your fault. But it’s always your fault, because if you wanted to change you’re the one who has got to change.
I recently got into a kerfuffle online regarding a ridiculous quote (above) attributed to Katharine Hepburn. A fine actress, but no social scientist. The causes of human behavior are not so simple. Making these issues the fault of the victim, takes all responsibility away from structural racism, sexism, and economic equality. I certainly expect, (but do not excuse) Katharine Hepburn to speak from the ignorant, blind folly of white privilege, but not educated women of 2014…
Instead of brushing by it as I should have, I stupidly took the bait and responded. This resulted in a long tirade of comments where someone insisted that what happens to you is your fault, and your situation is your fault because of what you have done with what you were given. That “Its not what life gives you, but how you take it that counts” and, “Every single person in every single situation can only interpret things based on their own experience. There is no shame in that. None of us ask to be where we are — good or bad or somewhere in the middle. It’s all about what you do with what you are given. “
SMDH
#ICANT
What? If that is not the biggest piece of privileged, victim blaming, flaming pile of crap I have EVER heard.
Life doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Things do actually influence other things. Sure personal responsibility is important, but to blithely go along thinking nothing else factors into who you become and why, is to be unaware of the harsh realities of life. Why dont weunpack how problematic that kind of reasoning is. “Every single person in every single situation can only interpret things based on their own experience?” That kind of logic is an excuse for every atrocity known to man. That excuses slavery, the holocaust, lynching, homophobia etc. Nazis could only interpret based on their experience, slave owners only interpreted things based on their own experience…were they right? Is there to be no learning? No empathy, no understanding beyond your own limited circle? This is indicative of whiteprivilege, not being willing to acknowledge other spaces beyond ones own. It is ridiculous and exactly why I write, to dismantle this kind of thinking.
I am sure the well meaning, liberal white friends of mine who wrote these things consider themselves the shining examples of equality and fairness. They think because they dont burn crosses in yards or lynch blacks that they are not racist in any way, shape, or form. However victim blaming is an old tactic used by the oppressor. It becomes subversive as we people of color suffering from said oppression, do it to ourselves — Respectability politics
If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem, and ignoring white privilege is enemy number one residing in the hearts of white liberals everywhere.
Yes Virginia, there are other expressions of racism beyond fireboming churches and burning crosses. I have written on this before, but apparently it needs repeating. Racial Micro agressions occur daily, and are also a form of racist violence that must be done away with. My white friends, to dismantle white privilege, you must acknowledge it to end it.
Otherwise, put on your white hood and identify yourself so I can more easily see the Klan member standing before me.
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This article originally appeared on Thekynegro29’s blog
Dear Mr Flood,
I agree with you that circumstances beyond our control play a large part in our lives, and there are different experiences for everyone. When you said, “put on your white hood and identify yourself”, it reminded me of George Bush saying, “You are either with us or against us.” That kind of absolutist thinking is not the solution either.
Isn’t this all about seed and soil? Any good gardener needs you need both to be nurtured for things to thrive. It’s not all one or the other. It’s yourself and your environment. But trying to pretend we are all born into the same ‘soil’ is nonsense. But often it’s those from the least apparent privelige who are the harshest: ‘I made it out so you should too’…forgetting even they had priveliges, such as mental health for example.
You do know, don’t you, that Katharine Hepburn died in 2003?
That’s what I thought.
Since Katherine Hepburn is a woman, and therefore an oppressed minority can she actually use the white privilege card? What about your privilege as a man? Aren’t we all supposed to be rapists, pedophiles and wife beaters? Race doesn’t seem to matter if you are accused of any of these things. As for Liberals, the last true ones marched for civil rights in the 60s. What we have now are just Socialists cloaking themselves in righteousness.
This is called intersectionality. We ALL have different privileges that intersect. Race, ability/disability, gender, gender identity, sexuality, educational background, class, etc. There isn’t one identity you can have that gives you all the power, or negates any oppressions you may also face. They all come together to become one complicated map of privileges.
This is an easy concept, and I assume someone has explained it to you in the past. But now I have, too.
Thanks for the tip, but I would really like to hear what Billy Flood has to say on this.
Great piece. And…that “unicorns” sign is AWESOME.
I’ve never seen a victim card played so eloquently. Well done.