Dear white people,
Hi, how are you doing? Hope you're well. I know I don't blog about race issues very often. But I am a woman of color, and as a woman of color, something has been nagging at me lately. I have a question for you.
Let's talk.
Why do you always get so insulted when someone calls you out on your racist statements? Calling you out on your racist statements or actions is not intended as an insult to you. It's a request to stop committing racist actions or uttering racist statements.
It's not all about you. In our society, it is mostly about you, but sometimes it's about someone else.
So please, don't get our feelings hurt when you get called out. Rather, see it as an opportunity, like if you have some schmutz on your face, and your friend points it out so you can wipe it off.
Love,
Vanessa
Woman of Color
4 comments:
Hey I posted a comment on the person's page on this topic soooo tell me if it was dumb because I so cant express myself well in the written... or well even the verbal form HA.
Oh, you sounded fine. Besides, blog comments are not exactly the place for super-eloquence.
I don't know why, I guess because we are used to feeling like we own the world or something. We're not used to being wrong, to being someone others are suspicious of, to having to be apologetic - we're used to being white and being trusted and being thought highly of and being listened to and respected. No-one is crossing the street because we're on the footpath and I guess when that is your life you think you're pretty damn good and that no-one should question you or your motives.
bluemilk: I think the apologetic thing is a big part of it. Also, wrt the feminist blogosphere, I think women may be culturally conditioned to be apologetic to a degree, and so fall all over their swords with guilt when accused of unintetional racism, which once again makes it all about them and how they're so sorry and how you're a mean woman of color if you press the issue.
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