Instead of shooing away Mineral B, it is my opinion, that if he's saying something wrong it is an opportunity to provide proper instruction because in all honesty a lot of whites simply don't understand everything we say, do, or believe. It is a different culture and when they try to use their same language that they've known since childhood and hear us use the same words they can only assume that it has the same meaning. They don't understand how English words can mean different things to us or be used in different ways; ESPECIALLY when talking about race.
And I know this because I've had honest conversations with white people and it was obvious that they were trying to apply their prior grasp of the English language to words we also use.
The reality is, that we as black people don't care about the original use of a word or term. It means whatever we agree with each other that it means. And this is because we grasp language on a fundamentally different level that is actually the correct use of language. In their minds Merriam Webster defines words. But that isn't true. Webster simply records words and their meaning based on what PEOPLE are saying and what they mean. So while you can say "that's not what that word means" the reality is that whatever we agree it means is what it means.
It kills them that we say black people can't be racist. Because in their minds, racism is something you say that is negative about another race. That's not racism. When we talk about racism in mixed company we have to clearly define it for them so that they are on the same page. Racism requires a member of a race from a position of higher socio-economic position. The reason this distinction is important is because if someone pushes you is it wrong to push them back? If someone is trying to hit you and you hit them back you are just defending yourself. But they take us defending ourselves and trying to survive, as us doing the same thing they did when they oppressed us because of our color. No... We never invented the concept of race and then went out and oppressed whites because of their color. And I would expect, that if we did, they would feel some type of way about "black people". So as members of the group being oppressed we have every right to feel however we want to feel about it and whoever we think is doing it to us. Where we are wrong is in categorically thinking (even though this is more the minority view) that it still is and has always been "all whites" and that's the part that isn't true. However, thinking it is "all whites" who are "the enemy" isn't racist. It is a RESPONSE or REACTION to racism.
Calling it racist is a way for many whites to absolve themselves of their past or present part in their actual racism or racist views by saying, "See? we're the same." No we're not. No... we're not.
Every animal has a fight or flight response to danger. What it says, by saying black people aren't allowed to react or else that's racist, is saying that you are only allowed to choose flight. If you choose fight you're wrong and the same as the predator trying to kill you. No... did the alpha male deer wake up one day and say "let me find a wolf to gore with my horns"? Or did the alpha male run at the wolf to protect his "dear" (pun) family?
There are whites who understand this and those who don't. The ones that have the best chance of understanding it are white women. Why? Because, no matter what reason she gets pregnant by a black man, she now has black kids to defend. And that also means defending them against racism. And that's when it clicks. And when I explained certain things to a white mother of black children I also had to admit that we have done a very poor job in trying to explain these things in the past. We need to do better with that. Because its not simply their fault for not understanding. How can you understand something that is never taught to you? And if they don't learn it from us, whose going to teach them? Billy Bob?
So white people... if you want to ask me questions. I'm here for you. Ask away. If you want I'll even give you my personal phone number if you want to ask these questions in private.
But black people... you realize that we used to educate the world, right? People used to come to Africa to get higher education. So teach. Stop simply reacting to ignorance and teach. That is the cure of everything ignorance produces. And everyone is ignorant about something. White are simply more likely to be ignorant on racial issues because NO ONE is teaching them.
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