African American

Last edited Sun Jul 17, 2016, 02:40 AM - Edit history (1)

But one place where I think part of the miscommunication comes from.

the author states "White people do not think in terms of "we." White people have the privilege to interact with the social and political structures of our society as individuals. You are “you,” I am “one of them.” Whites are often not directly affected by racial oppression even in their own community, so what does not affect them locally has little chance of affecting them regionally or nationally. They have no need, nor often any real desire, to think in terms of a group...."

And they are right. *BUT* equally IF one wishes to reach white people one has to recognize how WE think. any time you want to influence a target audience you need to proclaim and explain in THEIR terms.

Granting that, as a white person, it's indeed easier to NOT consider oneself part of a group- when writer after writer lumps ALL whites together as racist, even the whites who have done everything they can (almost always including confronting racist friends and family members, often at great emotional cost) what good does it do? If upi ;ump me in with my vilest relatives or acquaintances what is the point?

Protest and confrontation work for raising awareness; some people have to be shaken out of their bubble, but once you have their attention to continue to insult and belittle them is stupid and worse unproductive.

The author is right; I *DON'T* think of myself as part of a group; and anyone, black, white, liberal, conservative who insists on lumping me in as part of one, "all you people" is an idiot.