Not all white people

In response to a post I made on Facebook where I made a reference to the attitude of white people and  I received the following response:

"Not all white people....I was THRILLED, and most people I know felt the same...."

I then asked:

"Why is it that white people tend to deny they are part of the group identified as "white people"?"

And the following was shared:

"Adrian McKee because we don't like to be lumped together and mislabeled by stereotypical presumptions any more than any other group. Why do you find it necessary to continue to do to others what you say that you don't want others to do to you?"

My response:

I "harp" on white people for the reason you state, because white people don't like to be lumped together.  The reason, I have found for this is that it basically is a mechanism to make one feel that there is no need to take responsibility for the actions of the group one is associated with.  The thing is that you cannot disassociate from being white because it IS what you are, the same that I am black, and that IS who I am.  

A major aspect of white privilege is the "ability" to deny being white so you don't have to take responsibility for the way white people have treated the whole world over the last 4-500 years, through conquest, robbery, murder, slavery, and countless other actions that has brought to world to it's present condition.

Now to be clear, where we are now involve other players than white people, but if you look, it has been the spread of whiteness that has changed peoples and societies all over the world to feed into the problems that plague all of Humankind.

Even though you may feel "not all white people" the issues are not that simple.  The system of Racism is still a white run/influenced and as a white person, it is designed to benefit you.  For that reason you are inoculated from its effects which created an environment that leaves you clueless (like people going through life not consciously being aware of the air we breath).  It is this unawareness that lets these Racial systems continue, a system that favors white people while disfavoring Black people and "other" peoples.

In the past white people have not been very helpful in taking action as they feel it is fair, and this fairness is because white people don't really have reason to change it.  From your perspective you push a narrative of "if you work hard you will be rewarded".  Tell me, how does this narrative pan out when you look at the lack of black people in positions of power.  Often white people point to Oprah, Michael Jordan, Tyler Perry and others who are doing quite well and telling the rest of us that the success on 0.01% of the population means we are all equal, even though the reality is that white median wealth is 5 times that of black median wealth.

Why do you suppose this is the case?

In the past there were countless programs setup to help white people while at the same time leave out black people.  Things like Redlining, the Tax Laws, Education Funding, The Electoral College, Gerrymandering, Voter Suppression Laws, The War on Drugs, The Education System, Targeted Policing, Inequality in the Criminal Justice System, and more.  

We did pass the Civil Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act 60-65 years ago and today we can sit and watch as those gains are being cut back.  We elected a Black President, and white people "Proudly claimed" at that time that Racism was over, even though the Majority leaders in Congress vowed to fight ALL legislation no matter how good for the country it was (and they did, though I am still astonished that the ACA got passed under him, and I predicted after he was elected his biggest success would be to no be assassinated because of the amount of hated we Black People know white people harbor against us, after all, in the past, they killed Medgar, Malcolm & Martin).

You may feel I am exaggerating about this but be aware, these DANGERS Black People live with everyday, despite white people pushing the narratives "he should have complied", "he should not have run", "he should not have broken the law" and other deflections away from the wrongful killing of black people by police that see being black as a weapon to be defended from.

What can we do about this?

What we can do is what we need to do for any issue that is in need of a solution.  The first step is awareness.  You cannot cure an illness you refuse to acknowledge.  My talking about white people is to voice to white people that you have to stop deflecting, you have to stop thinking that you you are not a part of the "system" of Racism.  We ALL are a part of this system, Black people as well as White people.  

White people continue to complain that Black people are always playing the "Race card" and that we are obsessed with Race.  I will answer YES to this because while Race does not mean much to white people (because, as stated earlier, you'all benefit from it) that for Black People it is a matter of LIFE or DEATH.  White people need to become aware of this AND accept this IS the black experience.  

And once knowing this, because I am relating this Black TRUTH to you now so you are responsible, what are you going to do about it?

The reality is that when a Black person or a person that is considered other (I'm not leaving anyone else out because there are multiple victims) the blame fall on those who benefit and endorse the system.

"Not me" does not cut it anymore.  As I said, we are all, White, Black and all others are part of the system.  Are you actively working to change the system or are you enforcing it though active involvement or passive complicity?

Answer that to yourself, look deeply and honestly.