Black People can't be racist

I'm not talking about the video specifically. I'm speaking in general terms. When someone expresses marginalization, it's best to listen and empathize than to say "yeah but" about something you haven't experienced. Too often, and I get this mostly from white males, lots of which are in this forum, is yeah but. No... That's never the right way to respond IMHO.

Step in another's shoes and try to understand what they are complaining about. This goes a long way.

Too often, and this is the privilege that comes with not having to deal with racism. Honestly, when White people complain about racism, it's often met with an eyeroll because racism really doesn't effect them at all except by simply being irritated (please don't bring up affirmative action when Black unemployment is through the roof).

 

I apologize if I offended you personally with this subject. I could have just as easily titled it "women can't be sexist", but I went with what I though would get more hits truthfully. FWIW, living in Tokyo as a tolerated minority was an interesting experience. By the way in Japan, white people cant be racist.

 

But you've been guilty of this when people talk about black on white crimes... I'm not just calling you out though. I'm sure I've been guilty of this as well.

 

That is fucked.. Those programs are fucking ass backwards.

And saying people that have no power (or can't extend power) can't be racist is a dangerous fucking prospect to even think about.

 

Well, the one pass I give is Jews get to hate ourselves.

 

Omg lol

 

I wish I could like this more than once, bro.

 

Thanks brother!

 

But why teach your kids that it's okay to be racist towards white people because it doesn't affect them the same way? It still promotes hatred. It still promotes bad feelings towards someone based entirely on the color of their skin.

 

And run the risk of alienating those against racism.

 

Or maybe that your race has been victimized by some other race or races.

 

That seems like a very narrow scope of racism. What do you call discrimination based on the color of someone's skin?

 

I've absolutely said that before and point blank was called a racist

 

The general view that Blacks/women can't be racist or sexist is not prevelant in either group. But the point of view is often used to get noticed. I too was in an AA studies course about a decade ago and this topic was discussed. But not one student or teacher truly believed it, it was a jumping off point to discuss the effects of racism and how they disproportionately affect people. If you have been marginalized in society in the past, any new racism is added to a rich historical scaffolding that our current lives are built on.

Before I was 14 I never heard a Jewish slur and when I finally heard one it was out of context, had no meaning to me and simply seemed funny in a pathetic way. Over the next decade I heard several more slurs. Each time I got madder because context was being formed. Enough times and you realize there is a real community living among us that hates Jews.

Now I can extrapolate from my personal experience to being a Black person where instead of first hearing a slur at 14, you moght hear it at 5. Instead of hearing slurs 4 times in my life, I might hear the slurs dozens of times. And you see other Blacks often portrayed stereotypically in movies, TV and media. You see jails filled with othe blacks. You get pulled over more often and treated with more suspician by police than you white counterparts. The historical scaffolding is much greater, the history of dealing with racism is much greater. So when a Black person is subjected to racism it has a far greater effect than to a Jew or especially an average white male.

The racism is real and bad from both actors, but the effects are wildly disproportional. Same with women who constantly hear quips and statements about how they can't do something or don't belong in certain roles.

So yes, a Black person can be racist, but in most cases the effects are mild comparatively. Of course there are always egregious acts, violent ones, ones that hurt deeply, and those are felt tremendously from all recipients, but most more mild acts are simply not equatable just because the actions are similar (calling someone a cracker vs N-word). In both cases the original sentiment might be equal, but the effects are not.

 

Racism is racism, regardless of direction.

 

I guess I'm just confused. What if someone hates a particular race, not because they think they're superior but just because they don't like the stereotypes of that race? I think someone could have irrational hatred towards another race without necessarily feeling superior. What if it's jealousy? What if it's something like hating Muslims after 9/11 or hating Japanese after Pearl Harbor?