The history white people need to learn

[scootsy]

I've been trying to wrap my head around this for the last seven months.

https://www.salon.com/2014/02/07/the_history_white_people_need_to_learn/

Condensed summary.

The very notion of whiteness is relatively recent in our human history.
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“White people,” in opposition to non-whites or “colored” people, have constituted a meaningful social category for only a few hundred years, and the conception of who is included in that category has changed repeatedly. If you went back to even just the beginning of the last century, you’d witness a completely different racial configuration of whites and non-whites.
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For whiteness to maintain its superiority, membership had to be strictly controlled. The “gift” of whiteness was bestowed on those who could afford it.
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Whiteness was never about skin color or a natural inclination to stand with one’s own; it was designed to racialize power and conveniently dehumanize outsiders and the enslaved. It has always been a calculated game with very real economic motivations and benefits.
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This comprehension of whiteness could also dissuade many white people of such detrimental and pervasive racial notions, such as, “Why is black pride OK but white pride is racist?” If students are taught that whiteness is based on a history of exclusion, they might easily see that there is nothing in the designation as “white” to be proud of. Being proud of being white doesn’t mean finding your pale skin pretty or your Swedish history fascinating. It means being proud of the violent disenfranchisement of those barred from this category. Being proud of being black means being proud of surviving this ostracism. Be proud to be Scottish, Norwegian or French, but not white.
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Let’s expose whiteness as a fraudulent schema imposed as a means to justify economic and physical bondage. Let’s try to uncover the centuries-old machinations that inform current race relations and bind us in a stalemate of misunderstanding. Then let’s smash this whole thing to pieces.

Took me a while to change the way I think, but I finally agree with the author's point. My summary doesn't do the author's argument justice, but basically being white is an ever-changing social construct designed to subjugate others. The definition or meaning of being white is misunderstood. It's a well-thought out article, maybe weakly argued, but convincing nonetheless.

 

[fishonjazz]

One brow wrote this arcticle right?

 

[Qman]

No offense to anyone, but what is the surprise?

Those who have power have always tried to tilt the world towards their children's success. (Regardless of actually skin color.) This has become more of a moral conflict with the ideas of equality and equal opportunity.

 

[scootsy]

No offense to anyone, but what is the surprise?

Those who have power have always tried to tilt the world towards their children's success. (Regardless of actually skin color.) This has become more of a moral conflict with the ideas of equality and equal opportunity.

The article is written to those who self-identify as white. I think we are all aware of the observation you made, but the point of the article is to educate people who self-identify as white, that white-ness was a concept created to tilt the balance of power.

When I consider my societal position, I identify as a straight white married male. The author wants to let me know the meaning behind the group I identify with. She argues that being white is not having a particular skin color, it's a social construct that was formulated to achieve the ends your post mentions.

 

[♪alt13]

I've been trying to wrap my head around this for the last seven months.

https://www.salon.com/2014/02/07/the_history_white_people_need_to_learn/

Condensed summary.



Took me a while to change the way I think, but I finally agree with the author's point. My summary doesn't do the author's argument justice, but basically being white is an ever-changing social construct designed to subjugate others. The definition or meaning of being white is misunderstood. It's a well-thought out article, maybe weakly argued, but convincing nonetheless.

Pride is a crutch that is worn as a crown. It is fed by and amplifies the emotions of fear. It is too often mislabeled as a virtue. It is too often misinterpreted as the opposite of weakness. It is weakness and it is not virtuous.

Belonging to a minority does not decrease the hubris inherent in racial pride. In my view it enhances it, especially if your rationale for pride is based upon the malactions of the majority. It is a product of fear and as such will manifest itself as anger, envy, derision, hate, etc.

Being proud of being black is in my view defining one's self worth by the anger felt over the ostracism imposed by those that have white pride. While I can certainly understand the emotion I do not think that embracing it is particularly healthy for anyone involved.



Yes I made up the word malaction. I could not think of a better word and this one seems to work for what I was trying to say. Deal with it.

 

[LogGrad98]

This seems like it is a part of the comments we have seen that it is ok to be proud of being black or latino or asian, and they each need their own month or whatever to celebrate their diversity, but we are absolutely not EVER allowed to be proud of being "white", and in fact we are supposed to be deeply ashamed of being white. Seems like a deeper more invasive version of political correctness to me.



hey hey beat me to it again. I may have to slash his tires. Or meet up with him at a Panda with my sword.

 

[scootsy]

This seems like it is a part of the comments we have seen that it is ok to be proud of being black or latino or asian, and they each need their own month or whatever to celebrate their diversity, but we are absolutely not EVER allowed to be proud of being "white", and in fact we are supposed to be deeply ashamed of being white. Seems like a deeper more invasive version of political correctness to me.



hey hey beat me to it again. I may have to slash his tires. Or meet up with him at a Panda with my sword.

you have to understand that the author is saying there is a misunderstanding in our current society about what it means to be white. she is talking negatively about what she believes to be the true meaning of it. and I do find it compelling.

the reason white pride isn't ok is because being white has never been a static thing. it's never just been about the color of your skin. 100 years ago, irish and polish americans were CERTAINLY not viewed as whites, despite the obvious whiteness of their skin. the idea is that white pride is taking pride in a social construct designed for the sole purpose of subjugating others. we can still be proud. I am proud of my welsh and swedish ancestry, i'm proud of my ancestral line. i'm proud of my culture and heritage, but i'm not going to connote those two with race.

 

[♪alt13]

you have to understand that the author is saying there is a misunderstanding in our current society about what it means to be white. she is talking negatively about what she believes to be the true meaning of it. and I do find it compelling.

the reason white pride isn't ok is because being white has never been a static thing. it's never just been about the color of your skin. 100 years ago, irish and polish americans were CERTAINLY not viewed as whites, despite the obvious whiteness of their skin. the idea is that white pride is taking pride in a social construct designed for the sole purpose of subjugating others. we can still be proud. I am proud of my welsh and swedish ancestry, i'm proud of my ancestral line. i'm proud of my culture and heritage, but i'm not going to connote those two with race.

I am not proud of my Welsh ancestry. It would be foolish, imo, for me to be so. I am interested in it but never prideful. I do think that the Welsh language is worth preserving but I think the same of Navajo of which I have no ancestry.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

you have to understand that the author is saying there is a misunderstanding in our current society about what it means to be white. she is talking negatively about what she believes to be the true meaning of it. and I do find it compelling.

the reason white pride isn't ok is because being white has never been a static thing. it's never just been about the color of your skin. 100 years ago, irish and polish americans were CERTAINLY not viewed as whites, despite the obvious whiteness of their skin. the idea is that white pride is taking pride in a social construct designed for the sole purpose of subjugating others. we can still be proud. I am proud of my welsh and swedish ancestry, i'm proud of my ancestral line. i'm proud of my culture and heritage, but i'm not going to connote those two with race.

Loggrad won't rest until he gets his month to worship mayonnaise, Jimmy Buffet, and watch The Big Bang Theory.

 

[Deleted member 848]

This seems like it is a part of the comments we have seen that it is ok to be proud of being black or latino or asian, and they each need their own month or whatever to celebrate their diversity, but we are absolutely not EVER allowed to be proud of being "white", and in fact we are supposed to be deeply ashamed of being white. Seems like a deeper more invasive version of political correctness to me.



hey hey beat me to it again. I may have to slash his tires. Or meet up with him at a Panda with my sword.

You and heyhey are both missing the point.

 

[♪alt13]

You and heyhey are both missing the point.

Care to expand?

I extended you the courtesy of an argument. You responded with a simple condescending statement.

/weak

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Care to expand?

I extended you the courtesy of an argument. You responded with a simple condescending statement.

/weak

Think Scootsy already did that for him.

 

[fishonjazz]

I have always considered Irish and polish Americans to be white

 

[♪alt13]

Think Scootsy already did that for him.

Nope Scootsy made an argument against white pride. Something that would agree with my rejection of all racial pride. He did not make an argument supporting black pride.

The author briefly did though my position is that her argument is an excuse for holding a puerile and petty position/emotion.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I have always considered Irish and polish Americans to be white

You've only been around for like 30-40ish years.

 

[Jonah]

It's a tough and touchy time to be old and white in America. Changing demographics will inevitably end the electoral relevance of the Southern Strategy; 2016 truly is the last stand and shock and confusion will reign as Republicans realize they are Custer. If a Democrat wins in 2016 the Republican Party will implode.

 

[fishonjazz]

You've only been around for like 30-40ish years.

Yep.

I tend to think that they were thought of as white 100 years ago as well though..... maybe poor white, or immigrant white, but white none the less.

The arcticle seems to be saying, and I'm simplifying, that white means well off or powerful.
I tend to think that poor, white, underprivileged people have always existed and have been considered white

 

[One Brow]

Pride is a crutch that is worn as a crown.

"Black pride", "gay pride", etc. is not about feeling pride per se; it's about rejecting shame. Messages of how black culture is bad, gay people are sinful, etc. reverberate in popular culture; these pride events are saying that people are not ashamed of who they are. It's a public declaration of the rejection of society's messages.

 

[candrew]

Not a bad article; but as the title suggests, it is what it is: History

The good news is while the 20th Century was about dividing us by race, the 21st Century will most certainly be about dividing us by class. The lines are already clearly drawn

So in the coming decades, poor white folks and black folks can at least feel good about being flushed down the same toilet together.

 

[One Brow]

I tend to think that they were thought of as white 100 years ago as well though..... maybe poor white, or immigrant white, but white none the less.

The arcticle seems to be saying, and I'm simplifying, that white means well off or powerful.
I tend to think that poor, white, underprivileged people have always existed and have been considered white

You are allowed to think that, and you are allowed to choose to be wrong. If you go back about 120 years, you'll find drawings illustrating the supposedly ape-like features of the Irish, essays on their low character, etc.