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White People Disappoint Me

White America

By Sarah DickinsonPublished 4 years ago 9 min read
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As a middle-aged, middle-class white woman I need everyone to hear this. White. People. Disappoint. Me. Why? Because your privilege is so engrained that your entitlement keeps you from seeing some very basic, simple truths. Racism is alive and well. PC and Cancel Culture did not kill it. It simply made it a bigger crime to be called a racist than to be a racist. Racism is all around you. Disparities and injustice are waving at you every day and you still fail to acknowledge it. If at any point during a discussion about race you need to hear the phrase, “Imagine if it was your child, mother...”, you are part of the problem. Because white America has claimed to disavowe “Racism” in its most vile sense in favor of allowing “polite racism”

So, forgive me if I speak to you like you are a child, but honestly white America needs a big lecture with small words right about now.

Let’s start with some basics for the cheap seats in the back, a little racism 101 if you will. Racism is not just hate. Racism is not just violence. Racism is not just stereotypes. Racism is not just ignorance. Racism is power. Power to inflict all of these injustices regularly, repeatedly and with impunity to any person of color who is powerless to stop it. Powerless to fight back and win. Are we clear?

Reverse racism is not real. It is impossible…IMPOSSIBLE…for a white person to experience racism. Can people make assumptions about you based on your color? Yes. Can people believe stereotypes about you? Yes. Can people hate you and project violence on you for being white? Absolutely. Can any minority victimize you without facing repercussions and justice? No. Can any minorities prejudices or contempt for you negatively affect your education, family, safety or livelihood? Again no…and that my little jellybeans is the point.

Now let’s tackle White Privilege. It is again very, very simple. When we founded this country, we the people created this document called The Declaration of Independence and it went a little something like this. ” We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their creator certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

As a writer, it is a truly beautiful passage. Unfortunately, it was written for white males. As well as the laws that followed. It wasn’t until August of 1920 that women were allowed to have these rights. And while blacks and minorities were finally given the right to be eligible to these right in 1964 it was honestly too late. Why you ask? Well you see my little jellybeans all the laws written and all the institutions in our country… Sorry, big words, government, health care, law enforcement, entertainment, and judicial systems are all examples of institutions. Anyway, all of these things in our amazing, capitalistic country was built on the belief that white people were superior. Which in theory, means others must be inferior. The end result is that every single system in this country is fundamentally built on the foundation that White is the best option. White will be offered the thanksgiving dinner while everyone else can fight for the scrapes. This is white privilege.

Now if the definition is too much to get your whole head around, you are in luck. Because I have some examples. White privilege is when you are pulled over for speeding and are asked for your license and registration please. You are told to have a good day. In fact, some of the Karen’s and Thad’s in White America will give the cop an attitude. Threaten to call his boss or ask for their badge number. You aren’t asked to get out of the car, if this is your car, or are you carrying drugs. When you go shopping you are called ma’am or Sir and not followed. Your application for a home and a job is giving top priority. Schools in poor white areas, are not the best, but they are better than those in poor black neighborhoods. You live in a world where you have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit to happiness. You have all tools necessary to achieve or leave whatever you want. You have choices, options and power in your life. A power not given to anyone else in this country. You have this from birth because of the color of your skin, and you have taken it for granted. You have gotten so used to it that you can not fathom that is not the truth for everyone.

White privilege does not mean you are a white supremacist. It does not mean you do not have struggles. It does not mean you did not work hard. It does not mean that you are ok with the system. It also does not mean you want to, try to, or ok with anything you have coming at the expense of a black person. It means you need to recognize your advantages over others disadvantages. It means you need to call it out, stand up, and try to fix the system.

And while I have your attention White People, for the love of Baby Jesus and everything you hold holy, stop with White Shame. Stop telling people you’re embarrassed by your privilege or you’re embarrassed by being white. Cause here is a secret. A secret that makes the black community better than ours. They don’t want your embarrassment. Because let’s be honest you basic white bitches who cry your white shame do it to one person: black people. In the apex of white privilege, you put black people in a position of absolving you of your privilege or forgiving you. Yes, white people, this is why I’m so disappointed with you. You somehow make your privilege about you and you bring your victimhood to the victims. It’s disgusting.

Also, to clarify my statement how black people are better than us. The black community has a sense of pride that white people will never know. The black community embraces each other, white people are all about their individual lives. The black community lifts each other up and supports each other, white people climb over each other for gain. The black community has a sense of pride in their community, white people have arrogance. When there is crime or injustice against white America, white people call for blood. In the black community? They just want justice.

Now lastly, it seems the Karen’s and Thad’s in the white community are having problems understanding what’s going on. They don’t understand why this death caused this reaction. They don’t understand why people aren’t angry at rioters and looters, and in a way, I’ll give you that. You have the system work for you, so of course you’re confused. So, let me explain it.

As a woman who’s lived a good life for my 40 years, I can say I have had struggles. I have dealt with heartache, pain, bullshit. I’ve witnessed injustice, racism, violence and death. What I have never witnessed was a lynching. A full scale second by second lynching. And it broke me. It broke me in so many ways and it continues to break me with every development. It broke me to see a strong, capable, full grown man beg for his life. Beg for help, beg to breathe, and beg for his mother. It broke me in ways I can’t describe.

But I broke in a completely different way looking at that piece of living garbage. I won’t call him a cop, a man, or a human. Hands in pockets, arrogance in eyes, and calm in the body language while he murdered a human being with such calm efficiency. Knowing cameras were on while his cronies threatened to tase anyone who tried to help. That face broke me, because everything in that face bought out the true narrative.

White America is fed a narrative about black mens deaths. We are given and fed a dialogue that many of us believe that these instances of murder, of brutality are the exception. That they happen, and they are vile, but they aren’t the norm. That excuse for a human’s face broke that. It flooded a truth some of suspected, but now we can’t deny or question. This is what normal looks like to black America. It broke me to know every friend, coworker, acquaintance and family member of color that I’ve been blessed to have join my family and my life was not shocked. They were angry, hurt, broken, but they were not surprised. That arrogant, cold, calculated face was not shocking. It was their everyday. Knowing that broke me further.

Most of White America is broken in the same way I am, but not all of them. There is a percent of them who are more outraged over burned out stores than a nation of black corpses on our hands. That’s why I’m disappointed. That’s why I’m disgusted with white people.

Now, I’m lucky. As a white person I want to believe, and I can believe that there are more good cops than bad cops. More white people want to do better than the MAGA loving zealots who are content in their ignorance and hate. More people are protesting then looting. I can believe as I see cops take a knee, corporations and industries stand up for the black lives matter movement, and other countries protest that this may end in the change we need. The change all of us want to see.

I’m still mad. I’m still breaking, but more than anything I want to be part of the solution. I want to see my peers learn. Learn about your privilege. Don’t learn just about black, or any minorities culture, learn their history. Learn the reality. Learn how to help. Learn who your money supports. Learn who you’re voting for. Learn who is in and surrounding your life. Ask the uncomfortable questions. Quiet your urge to explain how you’re not racist and be silent and listen. Call out, denounce, defund, and remove from your existence any form of racism. Benign racism and staying silent causes as much damage as blatant racism. Learn how to do better.

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About the Creator

Sarah Dickinson

I'm a lifelong resident of beautiful upstate New York. Mother of two amazing humans and three equally awesome rescue dogs. I'm the author of Silver Spoons : One's Journey Through Addiction, and I'm currently working on my follow up novel.

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