@StillIRise1963 Note to other white people. If you really examine yourself, you will find that you are to some degree, racist.
It isn't because you are an evil person, it is because the media from which you get your information is racist. Ergo, you have biases that you may not even be aware of.
One thing is for sure. If you ever have to say, "I'm not racist, but..." you ARE racist.
@ralph058@StillIRise1963 I've done this for years. Any time I have a negative reaction about someone different from me I try to take the time to examine why I felt that way to see if it was justified. It usually is not. I find myself having less of these reflex reactions as time passes.
@paninid@renegadejade@ralph058@StillIRise1963 I’m always checking myself. Where I grew up, the “bad side of town” was where folks of other races or different economic situations lived. I grew up in mainly white, middle-class areas and went to schools/churches that were mainly white and middle-class. I’ve been conditioned to feel uncomfortable around others who don’t fit that background. Being aware of this is key, so I can check myself.
@ralph058@StillIRise1963 Yep. I can tell you with complete honesty that racist thoughts pop up in my head from time to time. I don't think that'll ever go away. I'll never say "I'm no racist"; I don't think it's possible for a white person to be not racist at all. BUT, that's not a fucking excuse. You have to actively be anti-racist just the same. Notice the thought, check yourself that it's fucked up and wrong, and do better. If you do this, every time, you can get to the point that it's quite rare. This will also remind you of how it must feel to be a person of color, and you can use that to practice empathy and work to fix the systems that make racism possible. When ever someone says "I'm not racist", I think "Bullshit, and you have work to do.
@Willow@StillIRise1963@ralph058
Yeah, being introduced to the concept of anti-racism in general gave me a lot of clarity. It's about the things you say and do, not the person you are "deep down". It's encouraging to realize that—a relief even—if you want to do better, but upsetting if you want to just be let off the hook because you're "not a bad person".
Nobody cares if you're "really a good person." They care about what you do.
@ralph058@StillIRise1963 This is some weird ass "only white people are racist" type stuff again, isn't it. Which by definition itself is racist towards white people, but that's ok, we've decided.
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