Race and Progressives

Usually, my anger with respect to race can more often than not be found directed towards those on the right wing. It's usually them on opposing ends of race discussions. However, more and more, due to my experiences and the sharing of experiences from fellow anti-racists like Godheval, I'm noticing that many on the left are suffering from some different but related symptoms. Progressive whites are often times suffering from "Racism Displacement Syndrome".

RDS, as we shall abbreviate from here on out, is a common tendency amongst White Progressives to work towards progress on matters of inequalities, but choosing to remain oblivious to issues of race in the matters and how Whites experiences with race are crucial to understanding inequalities as well. This is often times a different manifestation of the "color-blind" approach to race, acting as if it doesn't exist as a solution to the problem of the social construct and it's effects in inequalities and privileges.

This is my basic message to White Progressives: wake the fuck up. Seriously. We live in a time of changing paradigms, technology spread out and information available in more ways than ever before, yet White people are found to be just as uneducated as ever on matters of race. White Progressives may know some about race here and there through education in other fields like Political Science or History, but the study of Racism is a topic that is tied into the social reality of the United States that needs to be studied, understood, and acted on as well. White Progressives, for all of their reading, blogging, and internet activism, have no excuse whatsoever to remain ignorant on matters of race. One cannot study the history of capitalism without realizing much of it's success is due in part to the subjugation by whites of non-whites. One cannot ignore the factor of race in the discussion on environmental degredation, as it is the pillaging, overuse, and plowing down of non-White lands that allows White companies to sell much of their products. One can not study inequalities in the economy without studying how race, one of Americas oldest and biggest legacies, is tied to it in ways that would be ridiculous to ignore.

My advice? To the White Progressive who knows something substantial about race relations: start speaking up more. You can't denounce your privilege by just 'denouncing' it, but you can give up the privilege to keep silent on matters of race. To the White Progressive who spends so much time on matters of Gay Marriage, Capitalism and Corporatism, Foreign Policy, etc.: your excuses are inadequate. It is time to start reading, educating yourself, and being just as active on those matters as well.

Matters of race permeate and intertwine in nearly every modern issue that faces people in a capitalist system. Ignoring it or running away from it will not make that change, but it will cement the reality that the fight against racism is largely a fight left for minorities when, quite frankly, whites are just as responsible for anti-racist action.