White people need to improve their racial literacy
Updated May 11, 2015 10:39 AM By LONNAE O'NEAL
Since the riots in Baltimore over the death of Freddie Gray, comments on social media and in my inbox have revealed a powerful subtext in this country. We rarely speak it, but if met head-on, we could establish a lingua franca for creative conversations, or just better informed ones, about race.
At least that's what I hope.
It begins, for me, with an open secret. Something black folks often whisper, and I speak now with as much gentleness as I can muster:
It can be exhausting trying to bring white people up to a basic racial literacy.
How do you convince someone the world isn't flat?
(Credit: Getty Images / Andrew Burton)
Many don't even know what they don't know about privilege and history, and often either don't take responsibility for their own education or expect you to educate them.
And I wish there were a racial primer out there somewhere - mandatory reading - with five or 10 basic facts about housing, education, criminal justice and employment. Or maybe a simple overview so that before we enter into meaningful conversations around issues that are front and center before our nation, I don't have to go person to person trying to convince a large population of citizenry that the world isn't flat.
It's part of what feels like a historic privilege some whites sometimes exercise. They treat foundational stories of how they've amassed wealth and power as pre-political, ignoring the violent, deeply discriminatory sides of the balance sheet. They see their experiences as normative, and anything else a deviation.
The "I got mine" mentality
(Credit: Getty Images / Mandel Ngan)
During the riots, someone I deeply respect posted that she understood the peaceful protests but decried the looting as simple "I GOT MINE." (As in televisions, diapers, bottles of water.)
I was this close to responding: Do you know what's also an example of "I GOT MINE"? Gentrification. (As in houses, neighborhoods, cities.) It's "I got my apartment because I can afford the rent and you no longer can, no matter how long you've lived here." Or "I got my house because my parents (grandparents, et al.) helped with the down payment because they bought their first house in, say, Chevy Chase, for a song and sold it for quadruple, while blacks either couldn't get financing or were kept out through restrictive covenants or customs." Gentrification doesn't know, or question, that Georgetown used to be half black, or ponder the fate of its former residents, because it is absolutely "I GOT MINE." And by the way, do you like my granite countertops?
Exhale.
Disadvantage is easy to spot, but privilege feels invisible
(Credit: Getty Images / Andrew Burton)
I'm an extrovert. I genuinely love people and since we share this country, my instinct is always to try to understand. So let me say this: For everybody who recalls the hard work and sacrifice of their parents or grandparents, and all the ways they've had to struggle to make their way in this world, I hear you. I do not doubt the heart and authenticity of those success narratives. I just ask that you also understand those narratives simply do not hold true for huge swaths of your fellow Americans.
From World War II through the 2007 housing crash, real estate was a primary way families built wealth. My colleague Emily Badger points out that for decades, the Federal Housing Administration held separate and unequal mortgage standards for black and white neighborhoods, giving government sanction to the practice of redlining, which undercut black property values and helped create ghettos.
Then Badger, who is white, offers a personal reflection. "I bought a home in January," she says, in Washington's expensive housing market. "And I did it in part with help from family inheritance. I'm incredibly conscious that inheritance comes to me through previous generations who were able to build wealth because they could buy homes, and they were able to obtain good jobs at a time in history where those things weren't available to blacks."
I am moved by the ways she is grappling with her privilege. So I share that when I checked last year, the South Side Chicago house where I spent the first 10 years of my life had appreciated about $500 since 1977. And the difference in our stories feels like a sad thing between us.
Last week, someone emailed: "The underlying issue facing poor black communities is a cultural one not an economic one - the rejection of the norms of the broader society. . . . Stop blaming outsiders for what's happening inside the community."
None of this is an accident
(Credit: Getty Images / Patrick Smith)
James Grossman, executive director of the American Historical Association, is familiar with that sentiment. When talking about race, people centralize their own experiences, he says, and they extrapolate from there. Disadvantage is easy to spot, Grossman says. Privilege feels invisible.
Grossman points out that educationally, "for much of the 20th century, expenditures per child for white students could be as much as eight to 10 times expenditures for black children." That even today, you could have black and white kids begin at the same starting line, and "black kids would still be running into a headwind."
And as he talks, I return to my fantasy about a racial primer and how many problems we could start solving if basic facts were common knowledge. If we look around us, none of what we see is an accident of history. And I swear to God the world isn't flat.
Magda Jean-Louis contributed to this report.
__________________
The Principle of Least Interest: He who cares least about a relationship, controls it.
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
My great grandparents came over in the 1920's, when they could not get most jobs because they were DAGOS. My other great-grandparents were the only survivors of their Hungarian Jewish town (the rest were denied entry into the US thank you very much). And while my father's polish great-grandparents had a better time of it, their Catholic Pollock's ability to find careers vs menial jobs kept them from any massive wealth accrual.
What my 1st generation grandparents and 2nd generation parents earned was most assuredly not based on what my immigrant "white" great grandparents earned for them.
Yes, I do believe that there was and even still is institutional economic racism. And I do feel horrible for that inequity. But I did not cause it and I am not going to be held accountable for something that happened when my families were not even in this country. And I do not think that I should be made to feel bad about my successes based off of my hard work because someone else was kept from successes.
The point is, one does not negate the other.
__________________
“One day, you will be old enough to start reading fairytales again.”
C.S.Lewis
the author could use a primer on the " white guilt " nonsense that the liberals have been blathering about for decades--she is so ignorant she doesn't even know what she doesn't know
__________________
" the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. "--edmund burke
He actually makes some good points about how SOME whites have something blacks don't have - historical family wealth. The problem is, that is not even 5% of ANY demographic in this country - white or other. So, he seems to be blaming higher white ownership on something very few whites actually have - inherited wealth. And certainly, anything THIS generation inherited that has been accumulated since the 80s or later, there were opportunities there for all demographics.
But, this guilt trip over past historical offenses gets old. Right NOW, and for the last several decades, there have been opportunities available to minorities, but whether they are taken advantage of is not in anyone else's control.
__________________
LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
And even IF this was 100% true, what is the solution? Not allowing white families to hand down inheiretances? Not allowing them to pay for their chilldren's education or give monetary gifts to help with a down payment on a car or a house? Will it come to limiting all income so NO ONE is able to earn more than the next person? What about those that practice really good personal savings? Will there then be a cap on what one can save so they cannot use it to propel their children?
The point is, not everyone - even the 1% of today can say that their only reason for being in the 1% is from their ancestors abuse of the black/dago/pollock/irish/underdog folk. And I sure as **** don't see JayZ and Kanye's girls being kept from the good life their father's built.
__________________
“One day, you will be old enough to start reading fairytales again.”
C.S.Lewis
Long on rhetoric--silent on solutions. Plus, some things there is no easy solution for. I've never owned a slave, and neither has anyone alive today (legally, anyway, in this country), so whites today can't be held responsible for that.
__________________
I'm not arguing, I'm just explaining why I'm right.
Well, I could agree with you--but then we'd both be wrong.
I think the black community should first focus on encouraging their young to build strong families, focus on education, quit looking to the past 100 years ago and to look toward the future. Stop using thug rappers as role models. Look at those who are successful such as General Powell, Dr. Carson who is a brilliant brain surgeon, George Washington Carver, Etc...Etc.. Stop paying attention to those who entice racial hatred like Jackson, and Sharpton who feed on this for their own agenda.
-- Edited by Lindley on Tuesday 12th of May 2015 02:50:41 PM
I think the black community should first focus on encouraging their young to build strong families, focus on education, quit looking to the past 100 years ago and to look toward the future. Stop using thug rappers as role models. Look at those who are successful such as General Powell, Dr. Carson who is a brilliant brain surgeon, George Washington Carver, Etc...Etc.. Stop paying attention to those who entice racial hatred like Jackson, and Sharpton who feed on this for their own agenda.
-- Edited by Lindley on Tuesday 12th of May 2015 02:50:41 PM
This is the main reason I think Obama failed MISERABLY...
He was born mixed race, which at that time was worse than being black. his father abandoned him and his mother shortly after he was born. His mother then moved him to another country where he was of a totally different race than anyone he was associated with.
Then his mother abandoned him with his white grandparents, even though he looked 100% black.
And YET, he went to school, made the grades, graduated from college and law school.
His message SHOULD be: "LOOK! Look, what can be done given even the worst of circumstances. I am president and you can be too if you take the initiative to better yourself and stop playing the victim." And yet, despite his accomplishments, he still plays the victim and not only enables, but WANTS others to..
__________________
America guarantees equal opportunity, not equal outcome...
I think the black community should first focus on encouraging their young to build strong families, focus on education, quit looking to the past 100 years ago and to look toward the future. Stop using thug rappers as role models. Look at those who are successful such as General Powell, Dr. Carson who is a brilliant brain surgeon, George Washington Carver, Etc...Etc.. Stop paying attention to those who entice racial hatred like Jackson, and Sharpton who feed on this for their own agenda.
-- Edited by Lindley on Tuesday 12th of May 2015 02:50:41 PM
This is the main reason I think Obama failed MISERABLY...
He was born mixed race, which at that time was worse than being black. his father abandoned him and his mother shortly after he was born. His mother then moved him to another country where he was of a totally different race than anyone he was associated with.
Then his mother abandoned him with his white grandparents, even though he looked 100% black.
And YET, he went to school, made the grades, graduated from college and law school.
His message SHOULD be: "LOOK! Look, what can be done given even the worst of circumstances. I am president and you can be too if you take the initiative to better yourself and stop playing the victim." And yet, despite his accomplishments, he still plays the victim and not only enables, but WANTS others to..
Correct. He could have encouraged the young people to work hard in school, summer jobs, take pride in yourselves and your community. He plays the race card whenever he can. Michelle just recently gave a speech at a college lamenting on how hard it is to be the first black first lady. She didn't find it to hard when she went to france, Hi, Colorado to go sking, the hamptons. etc..etc.. She is a educated woman and could have given a more powerful uplifting, encouraging speech about how she got to where she is then bringing up race.
My great grandparents came over in the 1920's, when they could not get most jobs because they were DAGOS. My other great-grandparents were the only survivors of their Hungarian Jewish town (the rest were denied entry into the US thank you very much). And while my father's polish great-grandparents had a better time of it, their Catholic Pollock's ability to find careers vs menial jobs kept them from any massive wealth accrual.
What my 1st generation grandparents and 2nd generation parents earned was most assuredly not based on what my immigrant "white" great grandparents earned for them.
Yes, I do believe that there was and even still is institutional economic racism. And I do feel horrible for that inequity. But I did not cause it and I am not going to be held accountable for something that happened when my families were not even in this country. And I do not think that I should be made to feel bad about my successes based off of my hard work because someone else was kept from successes.
I feel no guilt whatsoever for things I didn't do. I'm not denying that those things were horrendous, but I didn't do them and wouldn't do them if I could, so therefore I feel no guilt.
My grandparents all come to the United States from Russia, between 1900 and 1910, penniless.
One grandfather eventually got a place and raised chickens, and sold eggs from a push cart. Then he invented a machine that made burlap bags, sold bags to farmers to use to get produce to market instead of wooden bushel baskets.
He never got wealthy, but his family (six children) got through the Depression.
Most of his children did fine and raised families with honorable, successful children.
My second grandfather sold carpeting to stores, traveling around the country, got through the Depression, raised two children, and made himself wealthy.
No one ever collected Welfare or charity from the government or anyone else, everyone worked for everything.
Note that Jews were precluded from many professions, but every company was and still is looking for people who can sell their products.
No one rioted, no one walked around shooting or robbing people, no one used illegal drugs, no one (except cousin Mel) was ever arrested.
I think every kid should have adequate food, clothing and shelter. Every kid who is reasonably intelligent should have the opportunity to learn, graduate from high school, then, if they want to go to college, work for it and pay for it like I did.
If there's institutional prejudice against one racial group, they have the same opportunity my parents and grandparents had. GET A JOB. Be willing to do things that others don't want to do. DO IT. Learn to get a better job. The same people who are accused of locking minorities out of opportunities now, were locking Jews out of opportunities in the past.
And Italians. And Irishmen. And Polish / Russian / and Catholics, and name any other group that immigrated en mass between 1880 and 2000.
Individuals in every other group fought "the establishment", got educated, got jobs, created businesses and HIRED people like them who just wanted to WORK and take care of their families.
When I look at communities full of single mothers with multiple "baby-daddies" it seems clear that those people, those MEN, are NOT taking care of their families. Period.
And they're not doing what every other group has done to get ahead, starting successful businesses and hiring people like them who come from similar backgrounds and are willing to WORK to get educated and get ahead and TAKE CARE OF THEIR FAMILIES.
If someone wants to tell me I'm unreasonable, too bad.
__________________
The Principle of Least Interest: He who cares least about a relationship, controls it.
My grandparents all come to the United States from Russia, between 1900 and 1910, penniless.
One grandfather eventually got a place and raised chickens, and sold eggs from a push cart. Then he invented a machine that made burlap bags, sold bags to farmers to use to get produce to market instead of wooden bushel baskets.
He never got wealthy, but his family (six children) got through the Depression.
Most of his children did fine and raised families with honorable, successful children.
My second grandfather sold carpeting to stores, traveling around the country, got through the Depression, raised two children, and made himself wealthy.
No one ever collected Welfare or charity from the government or anyone else, everyone worked for everything.
Note that Jews were precluded from many professions, but every company was and still is looking for people who can sell their products.
No one rioted, no one walked around shooting or robbing people, no one used illegal drugs, no one (except cousin Mel) was ever arrested.
I think every kid should have adequate food, clothing and shelter. Every kid who is reasonably intelligent should have the opportunity to learn, graduate from high school, then, if they want to go to college, work for it and pay for it like I did.
If there's institutional prejudice against one racial group, they have the same opportunity my parents and grandparents had. GET A JOB. Be willing to do things that others don't want to do. DO IT. Learn to get a better job. The same people who are accused of locking minorities out of opportunities now, were locking Jews out of opportunities in the past.
And Italians. And Irishmen. And Polish / Russian / and Catholics, and name any other group that immigrated en mass between 1880 and 2000.
Individuals in every other group fought "the establishment", got educated, got jobs, created businesses and HIRED people like them who just wanted to WORK and take care of their families.
When I look at communities full of single mothers with multiple "baby-daddies" it seems clear that those people, those MEN, are NOT taking care of their families. Period.
And they're not doing what every other group has done to get ahead, starting successful businesses and hiring people like them who come from similar backgrounds and are willing to WORK to get educated and get ahead and TAKE CARE OF THEIR FAMILIES.
If someone wants to tell me I'm unreasonable, too bad.
