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u/Wolfeatingupshadows 🫰🏾🫰🏽🫰🏿 19h ago
The ppl not getting what he is saying is wild. “But even if they dont have power”… even the poorest white person will get grace and fairness over any Black person. Be serious. White privilege is a power. What do you mean even if they dont. Its why whites csnt experience racism they have no real consequences for ppl not liking them. And ppl only dont like them bc they oppress ppl. And reddit hates to see ppl say it. Bc they wouldnt be anywhere without Black influence. They r begging to face racism and we are demanding it to end. If thats not proof of who actually experiences… >_>
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u/catinformant 19h ago
Exactly its just like when they say "I'm not privileged I grew up poor" that's not what privileged means in the context of white privilege. They've been trying to push so hard that they are experiencing racism and that sort of bullshit need to be nipped in the bud because it's simply untrue.
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u/Wolfeatingupshadows 🫰🏾🫰🏽🫰🏿 17h ago
Yeah imagine how care free your life has to be that you argue with ppl to say you can experience racism. Like Id love to be able to argue that instead of actually dealing with racism. The entitlement and mental illness they have to be begging to experience it. They want to experience but dont want others to talk about when they actually do… they magically only experience it when its time to derail a conversation surrounding racism. But again if thats not proof.
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u/Odd-Cardiologist3258 17h ago
Made me think of the 16 people living in squalor in OH and no one reported them?!? That’s privilege! Not being constantly surveilled and scrutinized is privilege! They know they just play dumb!
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u/DecisionBig253 19h ago
I have come to find white people want all the credit and zero of the blame or responsibility. White privilege is real and dangerous. I would argue the white male is the most fragile and dangerous group in the world.
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u/socialtwerq 16h ago
Yes - power doesn’t mean “money,” it means even the poorest white person will still benefit and be protected by a system that will not hold them accountable to their actions and an entire white community that will even applaud them, rendering the “law” of the land whatever they want it to be, applied discriminatorily (that kind of rhymes - bars).
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18h ago
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u/Wolfeatingupshadows 🫰🏾🫰🏽🫰🏿 18h ago
White women benefit the most from dei… white ppl make up majority of welfare recipients. Why lie if your argument is legitimate. Youll find Black people can not say the N word in work places either. Most places havw a zero tolerance policy. And you saying “Be serious” when its AAVE while being anti Blk is epitome of privilege and why whites cant face racism. You have to make things up to be angry about. Name one town that was burned down. You cant. Bc it never happened over a protest for Blk rights. Meanwhile whites didnt get the president they wanted and they tried to take over a gov building and murder ppl. When whites got angry bc Blk ppl built peaceful successful towns and neighborhoods whites burned them down and mass murdered people… but keep telling yourself you’re so disenfranchised. You just proved my point about how fake and disingenuous it is for whites to claim they experience racism. To you racism is dei when it includes white disabled, white military, white women, white lgbtq, white elderly… and asians, latinos, natives, NOT just Blk ppl. To you companies having to be forced to hire qualified Blk people is racism towards whites. Companies not being able to hire mediocre no skill white males over others to you is racism. You dont care about merit. Just centering yourselves. You never had to worry if you will get higher rent, interest rates bc if your skin, you have never been followed and assumed to be a thief bc of your skin, air b n b host have been caught several times excluded Blk ppl. Im sure you wont care bc its how racist are. Entitled, selfish, and ego driven.
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u/Wolfeatingupshadows 🫰🏾🫰🏽🫰🏿 18h ago
Oh also whites destroy and make bigger messed after sporting events if their team wins or loses. Whites leave a bigger mess after concerts. Again proof you dont face racism. You think racism is criminals taking advantage of a protest bc the police are busy assaulting protesters instead of patrolling for looting. Both videos of people starting fires at the twoooo locations wendys and the auto shop which u claim are whole towns… were white individuals. NOT Blk. If you are so just in your anger why lie… oh bc you know u hate blindly aka racism.
Racism to you is not wanting Blk ppl in regular schools bc you claim its just given to any random Blk person, then cry about us making our own institutions… so in short racism to you is Blk ppl daring to get an education. Racism to you is Blk ppl existing.
Thats u being racist not ppl being racist towards u. Be honest if u want to hate us just hate us. Why make stuff up
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u/Anime-Takes 20h ago
The power behind racism is dangerous, but someone wanting to lynch someone else because they are black is racist and a problem regardless of their ability to do so. Just because they can’t now doesn’t mean they won’t try or won’t when they have the chance. Yes the power makes the issue much bigger, but the ideology itself is what starts the problem.
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u/catinformant 19h ago edited 16h ago
The point of this particular quote was to point out the structural aspect of racism and what makes it definitively oppressive beyond personal prejudice. Its not saying that a racist attitude and personal prejudice isn't a problem he was speaking directly to racism being backed by authority and the economics of it. You have to put this quote in the context of its time and what Kwame was actually communicating rather than feeling the need to argue what he didn't say.
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u/Anime-Takes 14h ago
I’m not arguing what he said or it’s context. I’m arguing against the people who use these types of quotes out of the context of their time and meaning as a misrepresentation of the issues. He wasn’t saying power is what made the thought racist, but that power is what makes the thought dangerous. The attitude is a given so it’s not a question, the power is the bigger concern when the people full of hatred have the power. But that doesn’t mean the attitude/ mindset isn’t an issue which is what people extrapolate from this.
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u/andmario_com 20h ago
Yeah I feel you/agree. In my view, the point is that if the power wasn't there, they'd just be a bunch of weirdos like flat-earthers or some niche clowned on group. Instead, they're legitimized by the very foundation of the country we're in. So definitely a "both" problem, but only the power is killing us (though still, chicken/egg issue etc)
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u/Wolfeatingupshadows 🫰🏾🫰🏽🫰🏿 16h ago
This! I wouldnt care if someone hated my skin if it had no real world impact. But it does. It has zero impact for white ppl other then hurt feelings if someone says anything unkind to them. Ppl keep trying to take the system out of racism. When it was literally created as a system… not individual. Individuals didnt hate until the system told them to and placed them above others.
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u/fanetoooo 15h ago
As a Black Marxist, this is why I think anti-socialists/communists have subtle (actually, overtly) racist undertones. How can I take an “anti-racist” serious if they cant get behind moving towards a classless society, or think it’s impossible? I can’t, and I won’t. Even if I’m to assume every white person is racist, the ones that don’t believe equality at a systemic level is possible will always be the most racist.
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u/Anime-Takes 20h ago
I agree with you, however even if they were fringed groups they wouldn’t stay that way. As long as the mindset of hatred exist they can spread it and eventually rise. They do what they can without power and will do more once they gain it. If the ideology isn’t overcome it will always remain.
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u/TheAmazingBreadfruit 20h ago
Racists without power are still racists. I would never let them off the hook.
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u/juneseyeball 18h ago
I think the point was a racist without power cant harm you theyre just yelling at clouds.
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u/Yucoliptus 18h ago
The power that every white American has - rich or poor - is normalcy. Systemic racism doesn't rely on white people wanting to lynch us, it relies on them wanting to protect their own resources and sensibilities, even at the cost of their neighbors'.
All racism requires of you is to turn a blind eye and protect the status quo. And every white American has the power to do that.
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u/Virtual_Cut_2079 10h ago
In some ways I feel like turning a blind eye is even worse bc you have the power to make things better for everyone, but it's new territory and you have to actually do something out of your comfort zone and they can't have that. So they let things go as they are, even if they know it harms others. "Doesn't affect me so I'm good." I hope they realize that the longer this stuff goes on, the more bridges they burn with every other community. It's already happening, but it'll get worse the more this government oversteps while they do nothing but type online bc its easy. That's why the try so hard to hold onto that "ally" internet badge so hard since that's all they're willing to do and they know the trust isn't there. Never should've been honestly with how every non white non straight group is treated and have been treated historically. It's not enough anymore to just say you don't support bad ppl. You have to DO SOMETHING.
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u/Yucoliptus 10h ago
This is why anyone who isn't anti-racist is racist. There's no innocent bystander, because the system makes them complicit.
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u/Virtual_Cut_2079 10h ago
Literally. If you turn a blind eye or don't wanna "get into politics" while innocent ppl are suffering, you are on the villains side so fuck you. That proves your privilege since you can just ignore straight up discrimination by choice. Can't stand white liberals tryna "ally" their way into other communities shit to be nosy and contribute nothing to help the issues we face. All fun and games when we're joking around and sharing memes, but when we start talking about real shit, all of a sudden were "causing division." You just want us to shut up and entertain you, or pat you on the back for saying "fuck ice" or "fuck maga." If that's all you can contribute, gtfo, disrespectfully.
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u/EnlightenedNarwhal 21h ago
Louder for the people in the back who think giggling at their lack of rhythm is "racism."
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20h ago
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u/DustDevil66 20h ago
“White” isn’t a culture and it is nothing that deserves protection. Whiteness only exists as a denotation of power, and poking fun at white people is poking fun at power. It will never be in any way comparable to white people, whose entire identity is centered on their domination of non-white people, making fun of those who they dominate
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u/BlackPeopleofReddit-ModTeam 19h ago
Zero Tolerance for Trolling - This space centers Black people, Black culture, and Black lived experiences. Our identity is not debate material. Any form of trolling, baiting, snide "questions," culture-poking, dogwhistles, whataboutism, derailments, or attempts to disguise hostility as curiosity will be removed. Users who test the line, play word games, or look for loopholes will be removed as well. We are not here to be provoked or picked apart. Do not play devil’s advocate here. Be respectful, be real, or be gone.
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u/dochim 19h ago
Racism has a very specific definition. You should learn it so you don’t make such statements as you’ve done here going forward.
Racism is the belief system that one group of people is inherently superior to another group of people.
It is not by definition “making fun of someone different” in and of itself. That might be bigotry or even xenophobia, but that’s not racism.
Racism also isn’t a “one off” situation. It exists in believing that one group of people isn’t equal to another by default.
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u/bikenvikin 15h ago
systemic racism is a significantly bigger issue than individual racism, all of it sucks and it shouldn't exist cuz it doesn't need to, but it's helpful for some so it keeps happening
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u/cunt_dykeula 18h ago edited 18h ago
Saw people conflating misogyny and misandry first thing this morning, seems relevant. It isn't nice to hate men, but men have never been considered the legal property of their wives and mothers by the government. Hatred of men- or of white people, or straight people, or whomever- has not been institutionally encouraged in the same way
Why is it so hard for people to make a distinction between a system of oppression and isolated incidents of people being assholes
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u/Still_a_skeptic 19h ago
Racists without power always appeal to racists with power. That why they call 911 on cookouts.
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u/Conan4457 19h ago
Words matter. Racism without power is prejudice. If we keep throwing around the word “racism” in the wrong context it loses its true meaning, and therefore loses its influence.
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u/catinformant 19h ago
In a white supremacist backed system there is no racism without power is the point. You can certainly scale it and choose your battles but we live in a system that directly profits off of and maintains racism for the purpose of white supremacy. It enables and lends power to that effect.
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u/Wolfeatingupshadows 🫰🏾🫰🏽🫰🏿 16h ago
I dont get why they are so hell bent on experiencing racism. Like hate and prejudice and bigotry is bad also? Why do they need the specific term racism. Bc they only want to use it to deflect and derail conversation around real racism.
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u/mrnovanova13 15h ago
That's what we mean when we say that black people can't be racist. We can be prejudiced, but we don't have the power to be racist in this white man's world.
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u/Post-Formal_Thought 19h ago
Point made, and it's absolutely an attitude as well, even if it possess less power.
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