1/6/21

Wednesday. You know the deal - a white mob full of hate symbols targeted primarily at Black and Jewish people were let into the capitol where they defaced and pillaged property, planted bombs and generally posed a direct threat to, well, America. Despite the lavish amounts of tax dollars going into military and national security, the rampage went unchecked for hours until Nancy Pelosi personally called the governor of VA and their National Guard was finally sent in. New information and footage of the attack is still being released regularly if you need more specifics. 

It is white privilege that the blood of these white terrorists did not run down the steps of the capitol and their white families were not holding funerals. I don't have enough words to express my rage about this, and my demographic is not typically assaulted and murdered by law enforcement at unfair rates, so I am moving on.

It is also white privilege that you, my white readers, the average white American that has not committed a crime, is able to go about your day without coworkers or classmates or random people of color attacking you for being anti American. You will not get your hair and backpack "randomly" searched for explosives, either. Please feel free to leave me a comment on what it's like not to be racially profiled - I'm genuinely curious.

It is also white privilege to try to distance yourself from "those" white people. We need to be supporting people of color, especially Black and indigenous people while they struggle for their right to live and drink clean water etc. and when it is safe to do so, we need to be challenging vitriol as it arises in our daily lives. Seeking validation that you are a "good" white person who didn't loot the capitol is a harmful, white-centering waste of time.

It is also white privilege to see displays of white supremacy as separate, isolated incidents. White media wants you to think that racism is the occasional Black person getting shot every couple months. People of color actually experience a variety of race-related injustices on any given day. White supremacy is pervasive for us, and we need you to stop blaming 2020 and start taking accountability for your role in dismantling it. 

I also want to highlight some sensitivities regarding the word terrorism. I have seen some people, mainly Muslims, express concern that an outcry on "terrorism" or "domestic terrorism" will turn into a frenzy of anti-Muslim, anti-brown hatred as seen following 9/11. I have also heard other people of color, including other Muslims, push back by saying that slavery and the things we have done to our Indigenous peoples is nothing less than white terrorism, and should be called as such. Instead of pitting minorities against each other by picking a side, I encourage you to listen/read what people of color have to say about this and if you choose to use the word like I have while waiting and learning, make sure you specify "white" terrorism.

I could go on, but I need to make dinner. I hope this has helped you process some of the many problems with our nation's predicament and helped broaden your understanding of how you benefit from white privilege.