What We Need To Learn
Via Black Amazon, I found this entry on The Art of Defending Racism. If we are honest with ourselves and honest about wanting to end racism, we will admit the truth that this is what we do and watch our behavior for signs of our doing it.
Michael Richards' non-apology and the sickening defenses of his actions are all covered on this list.
Richards' non-apology - Covered under "Dismissal! Under my definition - it's not racist." Of course, under any real definition of racist, he was racist. However, he magically decides that he's just angry, not racist, and we're all supposed to buy the BS.
Defense #1 "What's the big deal, he just called a couple of hecklers some names?" - Covered under "It's not that serious. It's not a big deal because..."
Defense #2 "Yeah, but blacks call each other 'nigger' too. Look at Chris Rock or Dave Chappelle!" - Covered under "But! POC do XYZ to themselves too."
Defense #3 "Well, what else would you call a black person who acts rudely?" - Covered under "It's not that serious. You're too sensitive." Also under "Dismissal! Under my definition - it's not racist."
Defense #4 "Some blacks don't have a problem with what he said." - Covered under "But! One POC says it's cool."
This is precisely the same sort of crap we witness nearly every time a white person gets called on their racism and privilege. When white feminists get called on our racism and privilege, we also get "Yeah, but sexism!" As if somehow the existence of sexism and its impact on our lives excuses or mitigates our racism. We would never accept that the existence of racism and its impact on the lives of men of color excuses or mitigates their sexism.
Is it uncomfortable to admit our racism? Is it uncomfortable to give up our privileges? Sure. If it weren't, eradicating racism (and sexism) would be easy. So what, though? It's no one's job to make it easy for us to give up that which we never had a right to in the first place. If someone stole something from us, we would never expect to have to make it easy for them to return it to us. Even if someone's grandparents stole it from our grandparents, we would expect it simply to be returned to us. If it were something very meaningful that damaged our lives by its lack and enriched their lives by its possession, we would be very angry at those that refused to restore it to us. We would suspect them of believing they deserved more than we did. We would suspect them of willingness to profit at our expense. We would suspect them of not really giving a damn about us. We would hear their defenses and know how meaningless and self-serving they were.
We'd be right.