Drawing Lines: The Myth of The White Radical
It is important that we as a society move past the idea that white supremacy is only for the skin heads and Nazis. White supremacy is the throughline of our society instilled in us from the time we are born and will stay in us until we die. Even though we are able to recognize that we live in a white supremacist society and that we want to no longer perpetuate that, we must understand that we still are all white supremacists. The process of deconstruction, in this case deconstructing white supremacy is one that should not end. We will be deconstructing white supremacy, patriarchy, transmisogny, human supremacy, and ableism until the day we die – It is how we were cultivated. This is crucial and is fundamental to radicalism. We must get to the root of these things by understanding how we ourselves perpetuate them. It is only from this place of introspection where we can begin to interact with each other with more intention, care, and respect. The same is true for anti-blackness. White supremacy would not be able to exist without anti-blackness. This is something that even as black people we must also understand that we have internalized anti-blackness and that deconstructing it is a key part in working towards our liberation.
One of my biggest critiques on leftism or spaces of resistance culture is that most people feel that their work is done. That they are the philosopher kings and their consciousness needs to go no further. This is not only untrue but dangerous. This sort of mentality allows for abuses to go unchecked, for spaces to continuously become dominated, and for oppressive behavior to be normalized in resistance culture. This is especially true for white radicals. Too many white rads wear the badge of ally or co-conspirator using the title and phrase, that is usually given to them by some poor unwise POC, to grant themselves access into organizing spaces designated for communities of color. When they are challenged, they use the same badge to silence the non-white’s who called them out for their behaviors using phrases such as “I am an ally” or “I worked with the Zapatistas”. This technique is often used by whites to dismiss the concerns and refocus the attention on themselves and all of the ways they contributed to that said non-white community. What this does is readjust the conversation and the organizing on whiteness and allows for the white rad to continue to dominate space, that is unless the white rad is checked by those in the space.
When it comes down to it white people will always have the power of the state on their side. They will always have the ability to use their privileges over non-whites. It is then that drawing lines and creating non-white spaces is not seen as exclusionary but as a safety and healing tactic. Some find the exclusion of whites to be dangerous, they follow the Pedagogy of the Oppressed method and believe it is up to us to heal our oppressors. That logic in and of itself is white supremacist, still putting the needs of whites before non-whites and placing the labor on non-whites, particularly blacks, who must not only do this for white people but other non-black POCs who also perpetuate white supremacy and anti-blackness. It is not my role nor my duty to educate my many oppressors, but I end up doing it anyway – on-the-daily. So much focus is often put on those who are being called out, but what is not acknowledge is the amount energy blacks, especially those who are not cis-men must put into existing in a world that has been trained to hate us. So much internal struggle goes into deciding whether or not to speak out about your uncomfortability. Because really that’s all call out culture is, it’s black people refusing to continue to just silently endure others oppressive behavior. It is through us “calling out” that those who really bother to listen and reflect can try to deconstruct and notice their own violent behavior.
There becomes a point when all the calling out and even the “checking in”, makes you begin to realize that you’ve hit the inevitable white wall. When this happens, especially with those you care for, it is not a glorious moment. It is sad and disappointing, and incredibly frustrating. The white wall exists both interpersonally and within this structure. As I write this I know there is no way in hell any publication will publish this. Not even the ones who proclaim to be more left leaning. I have found that as I continue to write about white supremacy and dominance of whites in all things that exist, I have also hit the white wall within media. Even critiques on white radicaliness must still go through the filters of the gatekeepers.
And isn’t that what white radicals are in general? The gatekeeper of radicalness. One must read the many books from the previous white radicals to be taken seriously in these spaces. One must gain the interest of white radicals so that they can hopefully spare you a few dimes so you can work on your resistance projects. Don’t you dare piss off the white rads, because the white rads control the narrative.
In fact they use their status as a white rad to benefit themselves and further support white supremacy. By providing the white voice in radical culture. They take positions from non-white people, and are published over non-white people, and gain notoriety by whitesplaining the struggles of others. Struggles that they cannot possibly understand but only theorize on. Although some of us have used social media like a crowbar to force our voices into the convo, it still doesn’t change the disproportionate amount of white voices that are circulating.
For white radicals resistance is something they can opt into and most importantly out of, nothing more than a new extreme sport they can post on instagram and make convos with their white more “conservative” friends about. They are able to report on matters of black uprisings, and police shootings without the trauma and triggering aspects of knowing that one day that could be them.
White radicals far too often are given passes by non-whites. They are given cookies for regurgitating thoughts that were shared to them from their non-white friends. They are recognized as radical for criticizing their white culture even though they still benefit from it. Often I’ve found myself disappointed by the self proclaimed white rads. People who are so quick to take lead on projects, get in front of cameras, write about other’s resistance, and talk to the cops, but unable to hear non-whites when being called out for their anti-blackness and white supremacist tendencies.
White rads, you’re on notice, and you have been seent.
If you enjoyed this writing and other pieces by Bobby London, please consider being a patron and contributing to a monthly or one time donation here.
I dunno if it makes sense to categorize practice of the Pedagogy of the Oppressed as a practice that centers white needs; after all, isn’t “educating” or “healing” people of oppressive tendencies directly benefiting PoC? And its not like this is necessarily mutually exclusive with the non-labor-intensive practice of call-out.
On a different note, I think that its always good to unpack the dimensions of class when it comes to addressing questions of smashing White Supremacy. As of right now, my favorite historical example of White radicalism is the Young Patriots Organization, a bunch of poor working-class White folks in Chicago, mostly Appalachian transplants, who teamed up with the Black Panther Party to fight cops and landlords and open up free health clinics. They were a far cry from the white middle-class activists who are typically focused on in narratives of the ’60s.
LikeLike
RE: “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” (critique of Freire as a colonizer)
“From a Pedagogy for Liberation to Liberation from Pedagogy”
by
Dana L. Stuchul, Gustavo Esteva, Madhu Suri Prakash
@ http://www.swaraj.org/shikshantar/gustavo2ls3.htm
LikeLike
Reblogged this on bayareaintifada.
LikeLike
This is interesting. I’m not sure I completely understand your position though. Are you objecting to white criticism of white culture/white supremacy in general, or are you just talking about the extent to which white people who criticize white supremacy pat themselves on the back for doing so and neglect to turn the lens on themselves? As a white person, I agree with you there, and there is definitely a lot of that in the liberal communities I’ve been apart of. I’ve been guilty of that kind of thing too, though I’ve never really considered myself a radical.
LikeLike
It’s always immensely validating to read your writing. Have you read “Decolonization is not a metaphor”? It also goes in on Pedagogy of the Oppressed as part of its critique of the left: http://rienfleche.tumblr.com/post/98981091986
LikeLike
Reblogged this on we are not afraid of ruins.
LikeLike
Reblogged this on chairwomanofthebored and commented:
“For white radicals resistance is something they can opt into and most importantly out of, nothing more than a new extreme sport they can post on instagram and make convos with their white more ‘conservative’ friends about. They are able to report on matters of black uprisings, and police shootings without the trauma and triggering aspects of knowing that one day that could be them.
White radicals far too often are given passes by non-whites. They are given cookies for regurgitating thoughts that were shared to them from their non-white friends. They are recognized as radical for criticizing their white culture even though they still benefit from it. Often I’ve found myself disappointed by the self proclaimed white rads. People who are so quick to take lead on projects, get in front of cameras, write about other’s resistance, and talk to the cops, but unable to hear non-whites when being called out for their anti-blackness and white supremacist tendencies.”
How do you feel about POC (such as Latin@s) who find themselves in positions of privilege akin to those of white folx due to various circumstances (e.g., living in an inclusive or diverse community), but who would nevertheless be vulnerable to violence and/or discrimination were those circumstances to vary slightly (e.g., were they to leave that community)?
LikeLike
Great writing. Thank you for laying it all out in detail.
LikeLike
Thank you for sharing this. I hope that when I hit the white wall I won’t get mad, because I know better.
LikeLike
Someday it will be remembered that you weren’t any better and maybe worse than that which you criticize. Sadly you won’t even have the excuse of having been from a less civilized age. And so the circle continues, hate begets hate and nothing is learned and the circle will come back to where it began and we will always find ourselves on the bottom for a season and on the top and then eventually back to the bottom until we stop retaliating for what was done to us and learn to move on together. Banning speech, illusions of superiority, retaliation, assuming everyone of one race is the same, pretension to some higher knowledge, ok for you to claim private space but not ok for others. When was it decided that this diverse world we want to build didn’t include white people as well?
LikeLike
thank you*
LikeLike
Hated this article. Way too aggressive and finger-pointing. So focused on blaming white people, bucketing them all into either the neo-nazi or “wannabe radical” group, that it totally ignores the societal progress that has been made. Where is the anger at your fellow PoC who continue to perpetuate the stereotypes that fuel white supremacy? Whether you acknowledge it or not, whites have made a lot of progress in the last half-century. As much as this concept may sting, maybe you shouldn’t expect or depend on whites to be the champions of your movement – they just don’t have the same skin in the game. Like you said, they can opt our of activism at any time (part of their white privilege of course), so why is all your energy focused on them? With this article you push away those whites who want to help and you totally and completely ignore the possibility that a white radical in its true form does actually exist. Also, you champion the cause of abolishing anti-blackism while at the same time shaming whites for “stealing black culture” on your twitter. The fact that you view whites sharing in your culture as stealing shows how biased you are.
P.S. Did you know racism isn’t just one way? What people never seem to point out is that many PoC don’t treat whites the same as other PoC, but rather, worse. Whites aren’t the only people who are capable of and susceptible to the human weakness that is racism. I think you should consider and try to understand human nature better, give whites more benefit, and accept that whites are making an effort, but the majority of the burden will lie on PoC to change the perceptions which fuel racism.
LikeLike
Deborah, I think that you are missing the point.
LikeLike
Thanks you for writing this! Clearly it is not your responsibility to educate us.
I have a couple of take-aways here that I’m hearing you tell me to do:
1) Shut up sometimes. Don’t take up too much space.
2) Don’t invade PoC spaces. They are necessary for your self-care.
3) Educate other White people about how to not be ass-hats so that you don’t have to.
Here’s to the White Wall one day falling. Thanks for your words.
LikeLike
Basically nothing new to me? Be respectful and recognize your privilege, I’m surprised and not suprised this isn’t common knowlage.
LikeLike
This is clearly written by a bourgeoisie poc. sticking to a binary that fetishizes the black struggle, while undermining the struggle for existence that the brown and other colonial subjects go thru.
LikeLike
Safety zones feels very white liberal in reasoning
LikeLike
Reblogged this on Cody Lestelle.
LikeLike
Heard.
And many thanks for taking the time and articulation to share.
LikeLike
Pingback: THE ANTI-BLUEPRINT |
It’s definitely problematic and honestly just somewhat ignorant of actually existing history to suggest that white radicals have no stake in the struggle
LikeLike
Pingback: Settler Nres and the Racist Creep-MerriCatherine. Genocidal American Apologist= Enabler of Mass Murder. | homelessholocaust