Our melanin-blessed “sistah” over at Stereohyped compiled a list of this year’s biggest, bestest white racists. Editor Lauren Williams explains:
…These high profile white guys represent a new era in American race relations, which are somehow ever-evolving and completely static at the same time. The veil of political correctness has been lifted to show that racial ignorance, ugly stereotypes, and, in some cases, hate, are alive, well, sometimes subtle, and, scariest of all, thriving.
We won’t blow the whole load, but we will confirm that Bill O’Reilly made the cut. We’re sure he’s very proud.
Matt
This headline should read, “Please check out our other blog and click on the banner ads you see there.”
And why just White racist? I’ve been around for a while and there are plenty of racist in ever race. As Paul Mooney said, “Everyone is a little racist.”
Stef
I agree with Matt-obviously there’s a good amount of white racists, but how about the New Black Panther Party, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton? They get off because they aren’t white?
Bob R
There is a popular consensus in America that you must be white to be a racist. This helps to portray the African-American as the professional victim of all sorts of overt, covert and institutionalized racism. To be sure, racism is alive and well in America and I don’t see it ending anytime soon. But, I’ve been associated with enough black owned and operated businesses and organizations and black professionals as well to know there is plenty of racism in the black community too. I’ve personally known blacks who attacked other blacks for “not being black enough”, and chastising blacks for acting white and trying to be like whitey! Of course whitey is responsible for all manner of black misfortune both real and imagined. I also know that if the tables were turned, if the black man held the power and advantage, the white folks would suffer racial hatred just as bad and maybe even worse. As humans, we are all tribal in nature. Even in integrated organizations we have a tendency to self segregate. Besides, as a gay man, I’ve seen enough vicious, vile and violent homophobic attacks by African-Americans in just the last year to last me a lifetime. I suppose I’ll be branded a racist, and perhaps I am in some ways. I personally try to guard against being racist, but there are times it is very, very hard to do. The best we can hope for is tolerance and mutual co-existence, I doubt we’ll ever see a truly “color blind” society.
andrew
Actually, I used the term “white racist” to highlight the fact that not only white people are racist.
mozzer13
I’d like to know why you can’t mention race among gay white folks without them getting their panties in a bunch. It’s as though we’re all afraid if we acknowledge that racism is still a problem that folks will forget about homophobia. When are people on all sides going to wake up and realize that it is all connected, and you can’t eradicate one without acknowledging and eradicating the other?
Matt
[not the first poster] Mozz–I think it’s because the two issues get so complicated and intertwined. As Bob R said, “Besides, as a gay man, I’ve seen enough vicious, vile and violent homophobic attacks by African-Americans in just the last year to last me a lifetime.” The level of homophobia in the African-American community is high, the vocal lack of support for GLBT issues from African-American religious leaders is widespread (and religious leaders seem to frequently be social/political leaders as well, so their rants can’t be as easily sidelined as rightwingfundynonsense), and we see little reaching out from African-American political leaders, who are more focussed on the issues of their community (not wrongly so). The exceptions, like Obama, simply prove the rule.
So it’s hard, because one doesn’t want to be labeled racist, and one’s conscience feels the injustices, but it’s hard to jump on a bandwagon of support when that support is not mutual. It might be right to do so, but it’s not a no-brainer.
Until everyone simultaneously “wakes up” as you say, and makes the obvious realizations, there will be tension.
The Ghost of Little Black Sambo
Pardon me, Matt, but I thought Obama had been denied the right to identify himself with the African American community because his ancestors hadn’t suffered under racist segregation.
mozzer13
But Matt, you hear all the time about how homophobic African Americans are…you rarely hear it addressed how extensive racism is among gay white folks. A perfect example is the screen name of the asshole who just posted after you. It is like gay white men in particular lived their entire lives as part of a privileged class, and despite being gay, still need to be superior. You’re right though, it is hard to reach out to many activist groups when the support isn’t mutual. One particular group whose work I had admired for years here in Louisville came out against a motion to add sexual orientation to the Jefferson County Public Schools discrimination policy. It was heartbreaking. But still, I think we have to keep reaching out because there is no difference at all in racism and homophobia, and we have to keep calling out gay folks who deny racism is a problem any longer.
Bill Perdue
American history is a cesspool of various bigotries. The oldest – misogyny and homobigotry – came over on the Mayflower. Later, as the English colonists took to plantation crops like tobacco and cotton they needed slaves, but their first attempts were failures because the Irish, Quakers and penal inmates could run away with impunity. They tried Indian (Native American) slaves but we committed suicide or ran away. So they imported Africans who couldn’t run and assimilate because they were different.
Bigotry is a stubborn problem that won’t end until the US undergoes a Third Revolution. In the meantime GLBT folk need allies and we have to continue to reach out to immigrants, women’s organizations and African Americans. We can do that by never succumbing to divide and rule tactics. Anglo GLBT folks who imagine that all or even most African Americans or immigrants are gay bashers are totally wrong.
Like many others, Al Sharpton is not a big fan of Euro-American society but that’s reality based. Racism is rampant. When Sharpton says that he doesn’t’ care who some one sleeps with as long as they have a job when they get up we can all agree with him.
We have to be willing to watch their backs when our allies run into situations like Jena or when bosses tire of immigrants’ demands for higher pay and call the feds to come get them. Nor should we be shy about asking others for support when it’s our turn to be attacked, and if some groups get put on the spot and has to argue and figure it out so much the better.
Matt
Mozzer–good points of course. It’s sad that here in Chicago African-American gays and lesbians hold a separate Pride event, having withdrawn from the “main” parade and weekend years ago after feeling marginalized by the mainstream gay white community. The American GLBT “culture” has a white face, and to the extent advertisers congratulate themselves for reaching out to us (and yay for them, btw, of course), it’s with white faces and mainstream upper middle class contexts (why of course Biff and Thom living in exceptionally tasteful splendor in their ever-so urban loft need a Lexus to drive to their country place for languid weekends with the other squeaky-white material girls) that ignore older, middle and working class, nonwhite and (usually) nonmale GLBTs. But I think that instead of taking the higher road and achieving moral victories, we’re better off choosing our allies more carefully, and demanding mutual support. And when we don’t get mutual support, we should withold ours. It’s cold, perhaps, but sensible–why should I work with even the worthiest inner city education or development or empowerment program that’s unashamedly affiliated with some storefront black church that preaches hellfire and brimstone for me? That’s not racist, it’s common sense. No one expects me to go door-to-door for the boy scouts, so why should I be held to any different standard for anyone else?
All of which is very nice, but not to the point: homophobia is rampant in the African-American community; racism is rampant in the white gay community. It’s stupid, it’s sad, it’s pointless, and it’s counterproductive. There needs to be more education on both sides, obviously, but it’s not going to work unless it’s on both sides.
The Ghost of the Asshole Who Posted After Matt
My Dear Mozzer13,
I’ll have you know that, while Mater and Pater were off jet setting in Europe, my wet nurse was a perfectly nice African American woman whose name escapes me at the moment. Although she was let go for dressing me in clashing reds for a play date, she did stay in my parents employment for 20 years and presently lives quite comfortably on her social security check. I actually almost felt bad about her losing her pension — just one more day and she would have had it.
I do think of her fondly when I and my significant other, Bryce, zip past her Smoketown shotgun on our way to our weekend “love shack,” the quaint 25 room bungalow facing the lazy Ohio River sitting on 250 acres in Oldham County. Sometimes, we even stop and take her with us when the maid, Consuela, has to stay at our main house to polish the silver. Consuela is a delight. Bryce and I love to freak her out by calling the house and pretend to be INS agents. She is such a hoot!! Running around the house, screaming and hollering — sometimes it takes hours to find her hiding place!
But, honey, I’m just not getting the “white gays are racists” thingy at all!! I mean, everytime we entertain, I always am very careful to totally cover the jockey statues out front with yards and yards of fabulous gold lame — transforming them with beauty!! Why doesn’t everybody just do this??
Flash
Mutual ideological agreement is definitely a requirement if we are talking about organizations working together, but that is not what we are discussing at all. This discussion is about rationalizing our unwillingness to address our own racist and homophobic views.
If you read over this thread, you will realize that we are discussing the GLBT community is if it does not include blacks (as well as Latinos, Asians, and every other race/nationality). Are there racist, homophobic, ant-Semitic, sexist black folks? Most definitely. However, my homophobia does not excuse your racism.”We” must individually assess our actions, words, and deeds to insure that we are respecting the humanity of others regardless of whether or not “they” acknowledge (like) us. Should I continue to gay bash you until you are less racist? Should you continue to justify racial profiling until I decide to be less homophobic?
Please re-read the article, as many of you didn’t understand the “sistah’s” post. The post was about a resurgence and acceptance of racist actions among some (not all) Americans, which could include blacks (re-read the one about Dog the bounty hunter). Unfortunately, some of the posters here, including Andrew, have unintentionally validated the “sistah’s” opinion.
Finally, no one is blaming YOU individually for any past injustices. No one is calling YOU a racist. No one is suggesting that YOU are preventing a black person from doing anything. No one is blaming ALL white people. Please re-read the article.