No one is immune to the ideas that permeate the culture in which he or she is raised...
The concept of white complicity turns up in various manifestations in the critical whiteness scholarship. There are at least two types of the white complicity claim that should be discerned.
First, white complicity is often addressed as the product of unconscious negative attitudes and beliefs about non-white people that infect all white people and has an effect on their practices. This is one way to explicate how well-meaning white people play a role in the perpetuation of systemic racism. Barbara Trepagnier’s recent work is a good example of this first approach to white complicity. Trepagnier refers to “silent racism” and argues
“No one is immune to the ideas that permeate the culture in which he or she is raised. Silent racism … refers to the unspoken negative thoughts, emotions, and assumptions about black Americans that dwell in the minds of white Americans, including well-meaning whites that care about racial equality.”
Silent racism, according to Trepagnier, is not about some discrete individual’s psychology but rather is a “cultural phenomenon.” It is silent in that these beliefs and emotions are unspoken yet they fuel everyday racism and other racist actions. Trepagnier underscores that all white people are not affected in the same way, yet all white people are “infected.” White supremacy, according to Trepagnier, “inhabits the minds of all white people.” Trepagnier studies the paradox in which racism in the United States remains an enduring social problem yet few white people perceive themselves as “racist.” Her research is focused on well-intentioned white people who claim to be “not racist” yet who are involved in acts of “everyday racism.” As an illustration of such silent racism, Trepagnier draws attention to an observation commonly reported by Black women in academia that many white people subtly express surprise when they encounter a Black person in a position of authority. This, Trepagnier explains, is an excellent demonstration of the “silent, insidious racism” on the part of people who are not hateful and do not intentionally want to marginalize. Such white people may even insist that they are “not racist.”
Scholar and teacher educator Joyce E. King" similarly refers to a type of unconscious white racism that differs from outright racial bigotry. King refers to such unconscious racism as “dysconscious racism” which she defines as
… a form of racism that tacitly accepts dominant White norms and privileges. It is not the absence of consciousness but an impaired consciousness. Uncritical ways of thinking about racial inequity accept certain culturally sanctioned assumptions, myths, and beliefs that justify the social and economic advantages White people have as a result of subordinating others
Because of their miseducation, King argues that whites have a distorted view of the reasons for racial inequality. Moreover, they unconsciously protect these beliefs because they support their self-image from the pain of being challenged. King emphasizes that dysconscious racism is not about hate or animosity towards people of color. She demonstrates how such unintentional and often unconscious racial beliefs are the predominant type of racism in contemporary society in the United States. Some Critical Race Theorists also highlight the role of unconscious negative racial attitudes in perpetuating systemic racial injustice. Charles Lawrence for instance, argues against the presumption of purposeful intent that is a condition of much anti-discrimination law. In order to seek redress for discrimination, the litigant must show the perpetrator’s intent was to discriminate on the basis of race. This is counterproductive, Lawrence contends, when the source of racism is more often not attributable to overt, blatant acts of hate but instead attributable to unconscious negative attitudes and beliefs.
Individuals raised in a racist society absorb attitudes and stereotypes often without even knowing. Such racism is deeply embedded in white people’s psyches and influences behavior in subtle yet pernicious ways. As an illustration of such unconscious racism, Lawrence recounts how as a student in a predominantly white college, his white companion once remarked, “I don’t think of you as a Negro.” As he contemplates the racist overtones hidden by this seemingly benign compliment, Lawrence realizes that its underlying presumption involves the belief that being considered a Negro is to be considered less than human. Such “well-intentioned” racism is deeply entrenched in the white unconscious. Unless the law is willing to expand its notion of discrimination to encompass these subtle ways that racism functions, Lawrence contends, racism will not only continue to endure but the legal system will also be complicit in its maintenance.
“Being White, Being Good” by Barbara Applebaum
stop with this nonsense of getting upset when black people use generalizations like “white people” in describing racists and racism. all y’all are complicit. not just the kkk, neo-nazis, white nationalists, white supremacists and the like. all y’all. the few of you that aren’t complicit are so small it’s almost imperceptible.
janainaart
ellievsbear
izzy806
vaporwave
