Thread by @michaelharriot

#istandwithkrystina because... Well...

White people are racist.

A thread.

I don't understand why white people can't understand that there is a difference between "white people are racist" and "ALL white people are racist."

Sometimes, for shits and giggles, I arbitrarily use the words "white people" just to see how many "not me" responses I get

But here is the crazy part:

WHITE PEOPLE DO IT ALL THE TIME!

How many Black people have ever been put in the position of speaking for Black people like we walk around taking polls and surveys.

ESPECIALLY if you are a Black writer.

Every Black writer is assumed to be an expert on Black people—even if it is not in their area of expertise. And it's not racist or OFFENSIVE as much as it is weird.

What would someone like business journalist Suzie Orman say if her boss walked up to her and asked:

"Hey Suzie, you're white. I need you to get the lowdown on what happened at the Capitol."

Black reporters get this all the time. I remember when @espn had a panel of Black ex NBA players who worked for the network as analysts reacting to the Donald Sterling tape.

They asked them to explain how it would have made them feel.

You know what ESPN didn't do?

Ask a single white person: "Can you explain why white people do this?"

Apparently, Black people can instantaneously conjure up the collective emotions of the entire niggaverse.

If you say "white people" it's "playing the race card."

For instance, if I say "white people voted for Trump", eleventy-million white people will reply that they didn't.

You gotta break them down by religion, education or even their address.

Who voted for Biden?

Black people

WHo made Biden the Democratic nominee?

Just "Black voters."

And Black people who didn't vote for Biden don't reply: "But I voted for Amy Klobuchar" because they know this doesn't mean ALL THE BLACK PEOPLE.

Also: no one voted for Amy Klobuchar.

For instance, ANY Black person who advocates for justice or equality is automatically a "Black Lives Matter activist"

The problem with this is A LOT OF THESE people and protests have nothing to do with Black Lives Matter. I'm not even talking about the official organization.

In some cases, if 3 niggas show up with a sign, it's a BLACK LIVES MATTER protest and the person automatically becomes a "BLM activist."

But what about white people?

Take for instance this Associated Press article about the violence in Portland when a white man was killed by another white man. LITERALLY the only person whose race is mentioned in the ENTIRE ARTICLE is some random Black dude they talked to:

apnews.com/article/shooti…

White people don't notice this.

Black people don't complain about it because... Well, we ARE BLACK and most of us aren't ashamed of it

Yet, white people think it's "divisive" or "playing the race card" when you mention white people.

Why?

Well, I came up with a name for it:

I call it the "privilege of individuality."

White people aren't accustomed to being defined by the actions of others. If a white man shoots up a school, it's a dude shooting up a school.

If a Black person mentions police brutality, they gotta answer for every murder in Chicago

When white people stormed the Capitol, it was THOSE WHITE PEOPLE. When white people booed Colin Kaepernick it was SOME white people.

Even when we had the most expansive survey in American history, when 159,633,396 people voted and MOST white people voted for Donald Trump...

According to FBI stats, 96% of Black men will not commit a crime this year. 98 % of white men won't either

But if I walk past a white woman in a hoodie at night, she'll clutch her purse a little tighter. Not because I AM SCARY—she doesn't know me— but because BLACK MEN are scary

However, if I say "white people are Trump voters," even though it is statistically probable, it's supposedly not fair to white people.

THAT is the privilege of individuality.

But you wanna know the crazy thing?

Let's say you're a random person in the parking lot.

In the unlikely event that you are victimized it will MOST LIKELY be by a white person because, in whole numbers, there are more white criminals than Black criminals. (Again, 95 percent of people in EITHER race are not criminals).

So considering a Black person to be a criminal is not just racist, it's just stupid.

But why do I say white people are racist, then?

(By the way, I'm not one of those people who believe racism=power+privilege. There are a lot of toothless, powerless Trumpers who are racist AF)

Here's the thing, though:

Studies show that a small percent of white people think Black people are dumber than whites. Most don't think Black people are lazier. Most don't think Black people are more violent.

BUT:

Studies show that employers are more likely to hire someone if a white person refers the potential employee... UNLESS the employer is Black.

hbr.org/2017/10/hiring…

theroot.com/study-youre-mo…

Financial institutions are more likely to lend to white buyers, even when they have the same income and credit.

Teachers punish Black children at higher rates that white children.

theroot.com/government-stu…

Homes in white neighborhoods are valued on average, $48,000 more than homes in Black neighborhoods—even if they have the same amenities & crime rates

theroot.com/if-you-want-to…

Black men get 20% longer sentences than white men who commit the same crimes

ussc.gov/research/resea…

But 99.9 percent of financial institutions, 98 percent of state legislatures, the Senate, Congress, the courts, and 98 percent of Fortune 500 companies are run by white people.

There is not a single institutional system in America where racial parity exists.

You know what?

I WISH white people thought Black people were lazy. I WISH they thought we were more violent. I WISH they thought we were dumb AF

We could fix that.

If they think we are truly equal, then the only thing that could explain them not working to fix is not caring.

What word would embody "not caring about Black people?"

One last thing:

Imagine if you were teaching driving school and the host started talking why it's important to check your gas gauge.

If you had a Tesla, would you stand up and yell:

"Not all cars! My car is electric!"?

Or would you say:

"Oh, they're not talking about my car on this part."

If you were injured in an elephant stampede and someone asked you what happened, would you describe each elephant or would you assume an intelligent person knows you didn't mean ALL THE ELEPHANTS?

NO ONE MEANS ALL. NOTHING IS EVER ALL!

So until I hear someone say

"Black voters voted for Joe Biden (except Candace Owens, Kanye, Diamond, Silk, my cousin who's locked up, Jason Whitlock, Jesus, people who wear Wranglers and running shoes...)"

Then white people are racist.

theroot.com/the-privilege-…