Dear White America

804brown

Well-Known Member
Is the era of white privilege coming to an end??


"But before we go any further, I realize that many of you reading this letter may not be comfortable being addressed in the collective sense - as white America. While we are quite used to referring to black folks and other people of color in terms of their group identity, we insist on referring to ourselves individually, almost as if to suggest that we lacked a racial identity, or that if we possess one, it contains no relevance to our lives. “I’m not white,” some of you may say, “I’m just an American.” Those are easy words to mouth when you’ve always been able to take your Americanness, your citizenship and your belonging for granted. Or better still, some say, “I’m not white, I’m just Bill,” or “Suzie” or “Tom” or “Mary” or whatever one’s name might be.
And yet, though we may prefer to deny it, I know that there is such a thing as white America. I know it because I am white myself, and have lived a life that has been intensely racialized. It’s an experience that I doubt seriously is mine alone. From where I grew up, to the schools I attended, to the jobs I had, to the way I have been treated by authority figures - be they teachers, employers or cops - most everything about my experience has been at least partially (often significantly) related to my racial identity. So even though everyone is different, being white in America has meant some- thing, just as being black, Latino, Asian or an indigenous person has meant something. History happened, and it matters..." An excerpt from Tim Wise's new book "Dear White America".
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
Gee, I put my hand next to my white coffee cup and the difference is remarkable......call me the pick/tan woman from now on.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
How about if in honor of our President Buck as you like to refer to him, we'll just call you Scarlet.
 

island1fox

Well-Known Member
804,

While there are still racists of all stripes around that are idiots there are also a good number of people that continue to live in the past.

Have you checked at top Management at UPS lately ?? I am not not pointing this out as a negative -but as todays reality.

UPS is a microcosm of what has happened over the past forty or so years.

National Operations Manager--Black --Two out of three Region Managers --Black --15 out of 20 District Managers -Black or Minority.

Stop living in the past.

P.S. I am a first generation American who happens to be white. My father and his family for generations were enslaved by the same People that started Slavery in this country -the English Empire. When he did arrive in the U.S. he arrived in the 'NEW YORK" or racist english policies. Been there done that.


P.S. again - Oh my God the President of the United States is Black !!!! Time to Move On.
 

rod

Retired 22 years
Is the era of white privilege coming to an end??

"But before we go any further, I realize that many of you reading this letter may not be comfortable being addressed in the collective sense - as white America. While we are quite used to referring to black folks and other people of color in terms of their group identity, we insist on referring to ourselves individually, almost as if to suggest that we lacked a racial identity, or that if we possess one, it contains no relevance to our lives. “I’m not white,” some of you may say, “I’m just an American.” Those are easy words to mouth when you’ve always been able to take your Americanness, your citizenship and your belonging for granted. Or better still, some say, “I’m not white, I’m just Bill,” or “Suzie” or “Tom” or “Mary” or whatever one’s name might be.
And yet, though we may prefer to deny it, I know that there is such a thing as white America. I know it because I am white myself, and have lived a life that has been intensely racialized. It’s an experience that I doubt seriously is mine alone. From where I grew up, to the schools I attended, to the jobs I had, to the way I have been treated by authority figures - be they teachers, employers or cops - most everything about my experience has been at least partially (often significantly) related to my racial identity. So even though everyone is different, being white in America has meant some- thing, just as being black, Latino, Asian or an indigenous person has meant something. History happened, and it matters..." An excerpt from Tim Wise's new book "Dear White America".


Gee--I thought that came to an end a long time ago. All I know is that our local Indian casino can (and does quite frequently) place a help wanted ad in the paper that says "Indian preference" (Indians get first choice at jobs) but if someone placed an ad that specified "White preference" it would be the friggin end of the world.
 
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