Resources for Allies
Liabilities Of White Privilege: How White Privilege Hurts White People
- White privilege justifies living in a false reality.
- White privilege hinders the ability to feel compassion for all humans.
- White privilege negatively impacts choosing the truest friend and finding true love.
- White privilege restricts the ability to see and be comfortable with all of humanity.
- White privilege allows rationalization of injustice.
- And more.
How To Explain White Privilege Exists: 7 Common Arguments, Debunked
- "But I live my life by the principles of equality and non-racism." - "Good intentions, while appreciated, can't in and of themselves overcome a 200+ year American history of anti-black racism, to say nothing of racism against Asian, Latino, and other populations.
- "Well, I never owned slaves." - "Even setting aside the incredible boost early America received from millions of entirely unpaid, uncared for slaves — and those back wages are still unpaid, by the way — consider what decades of enslavement and subsequent racist oppression means for a community."
- "Well, what do you want me to do? I can't change any of this." - "Nobody expects that you're going to single-handedly demolish the edifice of white privilege in America. That demands an enormous social transformation, and it can't happen in ignorance. If all of us can soberly, calmly recognize and understand our own privilege, we'll creep ever closer to that day."
- And more.
So you say you’ve got white privilege. Now what?
- "Take up minimal space during anti-racism dialogues and protests."
- "Listen when people call you on your microaggressions."
- "Never invite POC to the table for the sake of claiming diversity."
- "Stop lifting up non-confrontational POC as examples for what POC activism should be."
- "Call your friends, family and co-workers out on their racism—even if a POC isn't in the room."
- And more.
Why People of Color Need Spaces Without White People
- "Expecting people of color to be in the room to help white people learn about race is yet another example of privilege."
- "Yes, when people of color create space to be with only each other, it is a form of temporary physical segregation in the literal sense of the word, but that is not akin to the institution of segregation. We are not proclaiming “separate but equal” with the creation of PoC spaces."
- "These spaces aren’t acts of oppression, but rather responses to it. They are our opportunity to be with each other away from the abuses of racism and patterns of white dominance. Given that space to breathe, there’s a possibility of healing. Being together can offer resiliency for bringing our fullness into integrated spaces where it will inevitably be challenged."
It’s White America’s Job To Fight White Supremacism
- "Between the 9/11 attacks in 2001 and the Orlando, Florida, nightclub shooting in 2016, for instance, more people were killed in the U.S. by right-wing extremists than by Islamic extremists, according to a New America foundation study. There is an attempted domestic terrorism plot by white supremacists in the U.S. approximately every 34 days, Beirich said during last week’s panel discussion."
No, We Won’t Calm Down – Tone Policing Is Just Another Way to Protect Privilege
- “Calm down so we can discuss this like adults.”
- "Have you ever tone policed someone in a conversation on oppression? Tone policing focuses on the emotion behind a message rather than the message itself – and you might think you’re helping by making the conversation more “comfortable.”"
- Click through for an informative comic on tone policing put forth by Robot Hugs (warnings for language).
Do's and Don'ts for Bystander Intervention
- Do
- Make yourself obvious as a witness.
- Take cues from harassed individual
- Keep both you and individual safe
- Don't
- Call the police
- Escalate the situation
- Do nothing