General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: "Let's work to end racial discrimination" is a better approach than "whites are so privileged". [View all]TheKentuckian
(25,026 posts)Blacks that deviate from your point of view, not so critical and seemingly assumed white.
Of course I don't even remotely think the phenomenon described is not in play but I see no upside to poor communication of the concepts and no matter how painfully accurate you deem the phrase to be, if it makes the intended audience put up their shields then it is not only going to lack impact, it will be counterproductive.
If the aim is to preach to the choir then it is fine, if the idea is to open minds and increase empathy and eventually the paradigm then the prospects are much more dubious.
Seems to me that you get more from owning your privilege than I do, you're still getting the gusto, I'm still on the shit end but you get to be a good egg that gets it and can rage against those who lack your "unique perspective" or whatever.
You aren't supporting me or even your own message, it seems likely that your efforts are making the fields less fruitful. The message is resonating like a lead balloon floats in where it is most likely to be received, that means your sales pitch is ineffective not that the people who must be sold must be different. That is not reality.
Somewhat to the side, I also think the people pushing the hardest on the phrasing don't like to focus much on class even though class disproportionately impacts minorities and does so in no small part from centuries of institutional racism and a culture that made some of my ancestors almost less than livestock ingrained into the fabric of this country even before it was founded. A country carved out by ruthless acts of genocide and wanton murder in pursuit of wealth.
Enforcing poverty is the #1 tool to beat everyone else down and the unspoken threat to keep everyone in line and also the single most effective way to shrink the gap between the so called privileged and those of us born into suspicion and second and third class status.
I also have to mention that it is mostly white folks that are invested in the terminology, in fact not one black person in my life has ever used it in real life family, friends, coworkers, in school, on the bus, not anywhere ever.
I assure you, we didn't have a black people's meeting and decide that this term is how we are going to fight racism so you are also guilty of telling black folks how to fight this shit.
I am more under the impression you support black folks that validate what you think than what black people think, hiding behind those you agree with and usually agree with whatever the issue is.
Those you agree with seem heavily weighted with folks who consider themselves "upwardly mobile", who I think are keen on protecting their newly found class privilege that they think they have more than earned and do not fancy being reduced now that they finally get their turn at bat.
I understand the sentiment, I work very hard myself but I think the perspective is off, shortsighted, and for most people of no functional benefit.
I think the existence of the "big club, we aren't in" is a much bigger problem than who has access to that club.
Further, the term comes with an implication that I'm not tolerant of, that not being pulled over for driving with the wrong skin color, or being followed around Macy's, or being red lined into certain neighborhoods, or having some meth mouthed loser scramble to lock the door as I pass, or rational sentencing, or not having to work like a slave to tread water while others seem to play all day, or any of the thousands of little paper cuts on the sole are some kind of boon rather than what should be default.
There seems to be some implication that the answer could be to lower into the darkness some rather than to lift others up into the light. Sometimes gender equity seems the same, it sometimes seems that lowering men's pay 23% is just a good a fix as raising women's 23%.
Bringing whites down a peg or two is not my agenda but rather to be raised a peg or two, they are not the same but the most important thing is that the message is not effective because it causes the people who need to receive it to tune out and go defensive.
I think your marketing department needs a reboot.