Things we should internalize about racism:
- We can be “nice,” “smart,” “compassionate,” “caring” and racist at the same time. None of these are mutually exclusive.
- It doesn’t matter if we didn’t mean to be racist. Intentions don’t matter. Actions & consequences do.
- Just because we “don’t hate people of color” doesn’t mean we’re not racist. Racism is subtle, sub-conscious, and ingrained into every fiber of our being.
- Racism is about social domination by whites. Isolated incidents are only relevant if they relate to greater social truths.
- Having friendly/romantic relationships with people of color does not make us exempt from being racist.
- We don’t live in a vacuum. Everything we do relates to society as a whole.
- Prejudice and racism are not the same thing. White people do not and cannot directly experience racism against themselves.
- Just because we’re queer, non-christian, whatever we can still be racist.
- People of color have more experience with racism than us in the West and regions dominated by the West. Always.
And most importantly:
- It’s not about how we feel. It is not about us.
(via juthikaforpresident)
