‘Post-Racial’ Racism, Explained
This is how we got to a place where Joe’s Crab Shack thinks it’s cool to use an image of a black man’s lynching as part of its decor.
BY: DAMON YOUNG
Posted: March 11 2016 5:17 PM
a 19th-century lynching of a black man.
Wait ... what??? A lynching?
Yes. A lynching.
Wow. What was Joe’s rationale? How could they possibly think that would be a good thing?
Maybe they thought the celebrated public executions of black people would help move more Garlic Jumbo Bairdi Crab Buckets? Does it even matter what their rationale was? What could they possibly say that would make anyone think, “Well, I don’t agree. But I guess I see their point”?
How do you feel about this?
I’m kinda sad that Joe’s Crab Shack has been added to the list of “Places My Black Ass Just Can’t Support Anymore” (PMBAJCSA for short) because the Andre Iguodala is my favorite athlete, and my best friend almost had a black girlfriend in 2004!” And they do this because owning up to it and letting everyone know exactly who they are could be social suicide.
Basically, being a racist in 2016 is like being a Kanye West fan.
So post-racial racism is just regular racism disguised in Banana Republic chinos and Planet Fitness memberships?
Yup. It’s Living Social racism. Mee-goreng-with-shrimp racism. It’s an evolved form of racism that allows people to exist ensconced within racism’s confines while never having to complete a registration form, and it appears in many ways, including (but not limited to) the following:
1. “Racism doesn’t really exist” racism;
2. “You’re the real racist for thinking and talking about racism” racism;
3. “I don’t have a racist bone in my body” racism;
4. “It’s a class thing, not a race thing” racism;
5. “If black people want to get over racism, they need to stop segregating themselves” racism;
6. “I know what’s good for you better than you do” racism;
7. “I hate the NBA” racism;
8. “I’m not a racist; I’m a realist” racism;
9. “Look how cool and witty and ironic I am when I do this remarkably offensive thing” racism;
10. “Can you provide some evidence that the racist thing that happened was actually racist and not just happenstance?” racism;
11. “Let’s talk about diversity and have panels about diversity and invite the media to these panels about diversity but never actually make a real effort to be more diverse” racism;
12. “I know what happened was racist, but my feelings were hurt when you pointed it out, and we need to talk about my feelings instead of the racist thing now” racism; and
13. “I don’t think anyone is paying attention, so let me sneak this really racist thing in real quick, like a cheat day for my no-racism diet” racism.
Sometimes it manifests as a politician attempting to pass a voter-ID law that’ll have an intentional disproportionate effect on black people. Sometimes it’s an otherwise-cool co-worker whitesplaining racial profiling. And sometimes it’s a Donald Trump bumper sticker. On Ben Carson’s forehead. Either way, post-racial racists need outwardly and overtly racist stuff to happen occasionally so that they can dismiss it as an anomaly or point to it as an example of “real” racism. It’s their white whale.
In fact, I can see the lynching photo being a rare example of both—the “real” racism andthe post-racial-hipster racism.The real racism is obvious, but I can totally imagine that picture ending up there because some post-racial racist thought it would be edgy and dark and subversive and satiric.
Hmm. So basically, post-racial racism is just ... racism?
Yeah. I guess so.
http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2016/03/post_racial_racism_explained.html
Damon Young is the editor-in-chief of VerySmartBrothas.com
Followed up by this post on his Very own Verysmartbrothas
DEAR WHITE PEOPLE: DONALD TRUMP IS HAPPENING BECAUSE YOU’RE SCARED OF BLACK PEOPLE, SO DON’T BE!
Damon Young, 3/14/16
Both Donald Trump and Trump supporters seem to be perplexed that a campaign full of unambiguous antagonism towards people who don’t happen to be White has created the type of climate where what happened in Chicago last weekend happens. Which is like someone who happens to be lactose intolerant drinking an Oreo shake and then complaining all night about a stomachache. (Which is exactly what I did on Friday. Because my willpower vacillates from “six-year-old” to “crackhead.”)
Of course, the message from Trump and his followers is that President Obama is to blame for this atmosphere. Which is true, I guess, the same way it’s true that the guy who invented rap is responsible for Tyga.
The reality, as Slate’s Jamelle Bouie recently articulated, is that Trump is happening because many of you believe Obama inverted America’s true racial hierarchy:
For millions of white Americans who weren’t attuned to growing diversity and cosmopolitanism, however, Obama was a shock, a figure who appeared out of nowhere to dominate the country’s political life. And with talk of an “emerging Democratic majority,” he presaged a time when their votes—which had elected George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan—would no longer matter. More than simply “change,” Obama’s election felt like an inversion. When coupled with the broad decline in incomes and living standards caused by the Great Recession, it seemed to signal the end of a hierarchy that had always placed white Americans at the top, delivering status even when it couldn’t give material benefits.
In a 2011 paper, Robin DiAngelo—a professor of multicultural education at Westfield State University—described a phenomenon she called “white fragility.” “White Fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves,” she writes. “These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium.”
Ultimately, both Trump’s campaign and what happened in Chicago are the results of Angry While White; the anger coming from the idea that Obama’s ascension made your American Whiteness less valuable. Which, in turn, stems from a fear of Blackness. Of Black people. Of Black spaces. Of Black coffee. Of Lance Stephenson. The Blacker America becomes — and no, it doesn’t seem to matter if this spread of Blackness is real or perceived — the scarier it gets. And this fear is very real.
It’s very likely that at least part of this fear is due, at least subconsciously, to guilt. The idea that, once the hierarchy is completely inverted, we (Black people) will treat you the same way you’ve treated us. And not post-racial racism treatment either, but some first week of Roots type shit. Of course, that wouldn’t happen. Having White slaves seems too time-consuming, and we (Black people) generally aren’t big fans of the bookkeeping necessary to keep Jim Crow logistically viable. (Also, related, Trump is an example of what artificial sunlight can do to White skin. And we just don’t want to chance what would happen if we exposed you to prolonged Southern sun. That would be cruel and unusual.)
Mostly, though, you — and I’m speaking both to Trump supporters and those who’ve allowed the conditions that have created Trump supporters to go unchallenged — just seem to be scared of us. Of a permeating Blackness infecting and swallowing everything in its path. The Smoke Monster fromLost, essentially. And while I know this fear exists, I’m completely in the dark (heh) about how it manifests in your minds. Like, how would a Blacker America look? How does this Blackness Boogeyman appear? Do you fear we’d replace the Pledge of Allegiance with Deck’s verse from Triumph? Appoint Justin Slayer Secretary of State? Rename “Texas” to “That Place That’s Really Mexico So We’re Just Gonna Start Calling It Mexico Again Because Why Not?” Make it a federal crime to place an uninvited fingertip on a Black woman’s hair? Go back to the days where a man delivered milk to your doorstep every week, but have that man be the grits and greens man instead? (Actually, a grits and greens man sounds kinda awesome.) Invite Tyler Perry to the Oscars? (Actually, that scares us too.)
And yes, a Blacker America would have some aesthetic changes. Some of the pictures on the wall would change. And we’d make some room on Mount Rushmore for Harriet Tubman and Stringer Bell. But that’s pretty much it. Cities would still function, banks would stay open, and Downton Abbey would still air.
But if you still want America to be great — and not some Sucralose, artificially nostalgic great, but actual great — you can’t allow this fear to allow you to vote Trump for president. And, if that’s not enough of an incentive, just think of the amazing cookout we’ll throw if this doesn’t happen. Picture the tables and tables full of savory grits and sparkling grits and awkwardly tasty pork. And yes, you can even bring a dish too! Just not the potato salad.
http://verysmartbrothas.com/dear-wh...ause-youre-scared-of-black-people-so-dont-be/
ABSOLUTELY LOVED the concept of :
White Fragility
Robin DiAngelo
Abstract
White people in North America live in a social environment that protects and insulates them from race-based stress. This insulated environment of racial protection builds white expectations for racial comfort while at the same time lowering the ability to tolerate racial stress, leading to what I refer to as White Fragility. White Fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium. This paper explicates the dynamics of White Fragility.
This is how we got to a place where Joe’s Crab Shack thinks it’s cool to use an image of a black man’s lynching as part of its decor.
BY: DAMON YOUNG
Posted: March 11 2016 5:17 PM
a 19th-century lynching of a black man.
Wait ... what??? A lynching?
Yes. A lynching.
Wow. What was Joe’s rationale? How could they possibly think that would be a good thing?
Maybe they thought the celebrated public executions of black people would help move more Garlic Jumbo Bairdi Crab Buckets? Does it even matter what their rationale was? What could they possibly say that would make anyone think, “Well, I don’t agree. But I guess I see their point”?
How do you feel about this?
I’m kinda sad that Joe’s Crab Shack has been added to the list of “Places My Black Ass Just Can’t Support Anymore” (PMBAJCSA for short) because the Andre Iguodala is my favorite athlete, and my best friend almost had a black girlfriend in 2004!” And they do this because owning up to it and letting everyone know exactly who they are could be social suicide.
Basically, being a racist in 2016 is like being a Kanye West fan.
So post-racial racism is just regular racism disguised in Banana Republic chinos and Planet Fitness memberships?
Yup. It’s Living Social racism. Mee-goreng-with-shrimp racism. It’s an evolved form of racism that allows people to exist ensconced within racism’s confines while never having to complete a registration form, and it appears in many ways, including (but not limited to) the following:
1. “Racism doesn’t really exist” racism;
2. “You’re the real racist for thinking and talking about racism” racism;
3. “I don’t have a racist bone in my body” racism;
4. “It’s a class thing, not a race thing” racism;
5. “If black people want to get over racism, they need to stop segregating themselves” racism;
6. “I know what’s good for you better than you do” racism;
7. “I hate the NBA” racism;
8. “I’m not a racist; I’m a realist” racism;
9. “Look how cool and witty and ironic I am when I do this remarkably offensive thing” racism;
10. “Can you provide some evidence that the racist thing that happened was actually racist and not just happenstance?” racism;
11. “Let’s talk about diversity and have panels about diversity and invite the media to these panels about diversity but never actually make a real effort to be more diverse” racism;
12. “I know what happened was racist, but my feelings were hurt when you pointed it out, and we need to talk about my feelings instead of the racist thing now” racism; and
13. “I don’t think anyone is paying attention, so let me sneak this really racist thing in real quick, like a cheat day for my no-racism diet” racism.
Sometimes it manifests as a politician attempting to pass a voter-ID law that’ll have an intentional disproportionate effect on black people. Sometimes it’s an otherwise-cool co-worker whitesplaining racial profiling. And sometimes it’s a Donald Trump bumper sticker. On Ben Carson’s forehead. Either way, post-racial racists need outwardly and overtly racist stuff to happen occasionally so that they can dismiss it as an anomaly or point to it as an example of “real” racism. It’s their white whale.
In fact, I can see the lynching photo being a rare example of both—the “real” racism andthe post-racial-hipster racism.The real racism is obvious, but I can totally imagine that picture ending up there because some post-racial racist thought it would be edgy and dark and subversive and satiric.
Hmm. So basically, post-racial racism is just ... racism?
Yeah. I guess so.
http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2016/03/post_racial_racism_explained.html
Damon Young is the editor-in-chief of VerySmartBrothas.com
Followed up by this post on his Very own Verysmartbrothas
DEAR WHITE PEOPLE: DONALD TRUMP IS HAPPENING BECAUSE YOU’RE SCARED OF BLACK PEOPLE, SO DON’T BE!
Damon Young, 3/14/16
Both Donald Trump and Trump supporters seem to be perplexed that a campaign full of unambiguous antagonism towards people who don’t happen to be White has created the type of climate where what happened in Chicago last weekend happens. Which is like someone who happens to be lactose intolerant drinking an Oreo shake and then complaining all night about a stomachache. (Which is exactly what I did on Friday. Because my willpower vacillates from “six-year-old” to “crackhead.”)
Of course, the message from Trump and his followers is that President Obama is to blame for this atmosphere. Which is true, I guess, the same way it’s true that the guy who invented rap is responsible for Tyga.
The reality, as Slate’s Jamelle Bouie recently articulated, is that Trump is happening because many of you believe Obama inverted America’s true racial hierarchy:
For millions of white Americans who weren’t attuned to growing diversity and cosmopolitanism, however, Obama was a shock, a figure who appeared out of nowhere to dominate the country’s political life. And with talk of an “emerging Democratic majority,” he presaged a time when their votes—which had elected George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan—would no longer matter. More than simply “change,” Obama’s election felt like an inversion. When coupled with the broad decline in incomes and living standards caused by the Great Recession, it seemed to signal the end of a hierarchy that had always placed white Americans at the top, delivering status even when it couldn’t give material benefits.
In a 2011 paper, Robin DiAngelo—a professor of multicultural education at Westfield State University—described a phenomenon she called “white fragility.” “White Fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves,” she writes. “These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium.”
Ultimately, both Trump’s campaign and what happened in Chicago are the results of Angry While White; the anger coming from the idea that Obama’s ascension made your American Whiteness less valuable. Which, in turn, stems from a fear of Blackness. Of Black people. Of Black spaces. Of Black coffee. Of Lance Stephenson. The Blacker America becomes — and no, it doesn’t seem to matter if this spread of Blackness is real or perceived — the scarier it gets. And this fear is very real.
It’s very likely that at least part of this fear is due, at least subconsciously, to guilt. The idea that, once the hierarchy is completely inverted, we (Black people) will treat you the same way you’ve treated us. And not post-racial racism treatment either, but some first week of Roots type shit. Of course, that wouldn’t happen. Having White slaves seems too time-consuming, and we (Black people) generally aren’t big fans of the bookkeeping necessary to keep Jim Crow logistically viable. (Also, related, Trump is an example of what artificial sunlight can do to White skin. And we just don’t want to chance what would happen if we exposed you to prolonged Southern sun. That would be cruel and unusual.)
Mostly, though, you — and I’m speaking both to Trump supporters and those who’ve allowed the conditions that have created Trump supporters to go unchallenged — just seem to be scared of us. Of a permeating Blackness infecting and swallowing everything in its path. The Smoke Monster fromLost, essentially. And while I know this fear exists, I’m completely in the dark (heh) about how it manifests in your minds. Like, how would a Blacker America look? How does this Blackness Boogeyman appear? Do you fear we’d replace the Pledge of Allegiance with Deck’s verse from Triumph? Appoint Justin Slayer Secretary of State? Rename “Texas” to “That Place That’s Really Mexico So We’re Just Gonna Start Calling It Mexico Again Because Why Not?” Make it a federal crime to place an uninvited fingertip on a Black woman’s hair? Go back to the days where a man delivered milk to your doorstep every week, but have that man be the grits and greens man instead? (Actually, a grits and greens man sounds kinda awesome.) Invite Tyler Perry to the Oscars? (Actually, that scares us too.)
And yes, a Blacker America would have some aesthetic changes. Some of the pictures on the wall would change. And we’d make some room on Mount Rushmore for Harriet Tubman and Stringer Bell. But that’s pretty much it. Cities would still function, banks would stay open, and Downton Abbey would still air.
But if you still want America to be great — and not some Sucralose, artificially nostalgic great, but actual great — you can’t allow this fear to allow you to vote Trump for president. And, if that’s not enough of an incentive, just think of the amazing cookout we’ll throw if this doesn’t happen. Picture the tables and tables full of savory grits and sparkling grits and awkwardly tasty pork. And yes, you can even bring a dish too! Just not the potato salad.
http://verysmartbrothas.com/dear-wh...ause-youre-scared-of-black-people-so-dont-be/
ABSOLUTELY LOVED the concept of :
White Fragility
Robin DiAngelo
Abstract
White people in North America live in a social environment that protects and insulates them from race-based stress. This insulated environment of racial protection builds white expectations for racial comfort while at the same time lowering the ability to tolerate racial stress, leading to what I refer to as White Fragility. White Fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium. This paper explicates the dynamics of White Fragility.
