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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhite supremacy wins again: Melissa Harris Perry and the racial false equivalence
This faux-outrage on the right about MHPs racism and insensitivity obscures exactly this set of truths about the rights shoddy record on race. That both Mitt Romney and Phil Robertson have and love black grandbabies should remind us that racism is not primarily about individual attitudes. White folks can love individual black people and still build a world that is inhospitable to black folks. In fact, individual and exceptional black achievers are necessary to maintain the lie of racial progress. Their presence has very little to do with systemic change, though.
Two professors at Tufts released a recent study that found that white Americans believe they have replaced black people as the primary victims of racial discrimination. While both whites and black people agreed that anti-black bias was high in the 1950s and had decreased over time, white respondents to the study perceived a sharp increase in anti-white bias, while blacks perceived such bias to be nonexistent. The question is whether this perception of anti-white bias bears out in material terms.
White Americans currently have 19 times the wealth of African-Americans. That gap has increased, not decreased, since 1995 when it was at an all-time low of 7-to-1. A 2010 study from Brandeis University found that even among the wealthiest African-Americans, wealth has fallen from $25,000 to $18,000. Perhaps even more shocking is that the wealth of upper-middle-class whites surged to $240K. So not only is white wealth increasing, but among African-Americans being wealthy on average means you have $18K in assets. That is laughably absurd.
Yet 83 percent of white Americans believe that equality has been achieved or will be achieved in the foreseeable future. Are you crying yet? The rest of this study will make you weep.
....
This is the height of cultural delusion: blaming the person on whose neck youre standing for twisting your ankle. And this delusion has led to a fervent belief in false equivalences that makes white people feel like one-to-one racial comparisons are fair. For instance, they see Melissa Harris-Perrys misstep as akin to the perpetual misstep that is Rush Limbaughs daily commentary. But to quote the song Pia Glenn sang that caused all this brouhaha, One of these things is not like the others.
Read the whole piece here
I have a conservative coworker who insists racism doesn't exist and if anything it's white people that get the shaft. We've argued constantly over this and now he at least admits that there is still some racism against minorities but that it's on the way out and that white people have it worse. Straight, white Christians having it the worst of the worst.
Capt. Obvious
(9,002 posts)Is this continuously reminding white people of their privilege?
el_bryanto
(11,804 posts)I think it's right on the money; but I don't know how much more could be said about it, unless someone wants to argue with it.
Bryant
Capt. Obvious
(9,002 posts)some members most certainly disagree with it.
And some agree obviously.
I read this piece last night (one of the many Salon emails I get a day) and I made a mental note to come share it here next time I was on as I thought it would be a thought provoking, feather ruffling, whatever, discussion piece.
Dr. Strange
(25,925 posts)Stop racisting us!
Capt. Obvious
(9,002 posts)some of my best friends are white.
LisaLynne
(14,554 posts)It makes no sense to me. I'm not even going to attempt to try to explain it because right now, I just can't. Lately, actually, I've been starting to feel as though in many respects, it's actually getting worse. And that makes me really, really sad.
Capt. Obvious
(9,002 posts)Not long ago I was having a conversation about federal contracts (maybe state, but I think it was federal) and the 15% rule - that 15% of the contract has to go to minority owners/workers.
Coworker hit the roof over the blatant racism of the rule. He was absolutely outraged (visibly angry) that 15% of the workforce/ownership couldn't be white males.
Another example of white males getting the shaft - they can't get 100%.
LisaLynne
(14,554 posts)The underlying assumption -- and granted, I think some of it in some people is subconscious -- is that they should get it all. There should be no racial minorities or women competing for jobs. There should be no mention of a religion other than Christianity. There should be no visible gay couples. Etc, etc. So, when steps towards equality are made, it feels like at best a loss, but more often than not an attack.
cinnabonbon
(860 posts)Your company must be breaking child labour laws, because you're apparently working with a big baby.
pampango
(24,692 posts)Both within each decade and across time, White respondents were more likely to see decreases in bias against Blacks as related to increases in bias against Whitesconsistent with a zero- sum view of racism among Whiteswhereas Blacks were less likely to see the two as linked.
In sum, our findings situate specific claims of persecution by White Americans in a broader belief in a new, generalized anti-White bias. That Whites now believe that anti-White bias is more prevalent than anti-Black bias has clear implications for public policy debates and behavioral science research in the years to come.
http://ase.tufts.edu/psychology/sommerslab/documents/raceInterNortonSommers2011.pdf
I wonder if the economic struggles of all 99%ers (regardless of race) has left many whites looking for a convenient scapegoat - rather than focusing on the 1%. Affirmative action has been a sore point for many Whites, particularly conservatives ones, so the search for a scapegoat may have gone no farther than the usual suspect.
Capt. Obvious
(9,002 posts)Then again, it drops when I hear the arguments against White Privilege too.
Orrex
(63,225 posts)Demanding basic human rights and equality and whatnot. Shame on them.
ProSense
(116,464 posts)http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/wall-street-journal-jason-riley-msnbc-black-mediocrities-melissa-harris-perry
ProSense
(116,464 posts)...that, who can forget:
<...>
"They are a special interest. End of story...and I'm not going to be held hostage by special interests. And if they want, they can look at my family picture. My son happens to be black, so they can do whatever they'd like about it," LePage said.
- more -
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/14/maine-governor-says-naacp-can-kiss-my-butt
Gov. Paul LePage tells fellow Republicans: Obama 'hates white people'
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/08/20/1232570/-Gov-Paul-LePage-tells-fellow-Republicans-Obama-hates-white-people
LePage feeds the cancer of racism in Maine
https://bangordailynews.com/2013/08/20/opinion/lepage-feeds-the-cancer-of-racism-in-maine/
The black son/grandchild is the new "black friend."
erpowers
(9,350 posts)I think the biggest problem the Democratic Party has concerning the Melissa Harris-Perry Kieran Romney issue is that they are following the Republican narrative. The author of this piece, someone at Talking Points Memo, and other Democrats have seemingly accepted the narrative that Harris-Perry and her guests made fun of or mocked Kieran Romney. Neither Harris-Perry, nor her guests mocked Kieran Romney; they mocked Mitt Romney and the Republican Party. Democrats should make that fact known.
The worst thing that was said in that segment was when Pia Glenn said "one of these things is not like the other...". Right after that Harris-Perry said the boy was gorgeous and that she wanted him to marry North West so that Mitt Romney and Kanye West would have to be in-laws. Finally, Dean Obdeliah said the picture summed up the diversity of the Republican Party. I think most people could see that none of the jokes were meant to insult the family for adopting a black child.
cinnabonbon
(860 posts)I hope you won't get any hate for it.
I honestly can't believe that there are white people saying they have it worse. Or denying white privilege.
treestar
(82,383 posts)Oh the poor white people! And a few who really thought Obama would get revenge, claiming he hates white people. This is on par with birtherism almost.