10 things Black People are Fearful of after Trayvon Martin that White people already Know
Let me tell you something; Let me tell you something about being White in this country:
In the time since the Zimmerman verdict came in, I have been reading and hearing many things stated by Black people in regards to fears of how this verdict may affect their quality of life in the future, or how it “proves” that they have things to worry about. They have expressed many fears, but I haven’t seen one yet that I, as a White person in this country, have not been living with as a daily occurrence, for my whole life.
You want to know what it’s like to be White in America? Well, you’ll never know completely, but let me give you an idea—let’s start out by talking about some of the things you have expressed fear about following the Zimmerman acquittal:
Fear#1: Non-Black people will be able to kill Black children without justified provocation and get away with less than they deserve or with help from public officials:
White people have understood this fear for a very long time now—and it is a legitimate one for us. Our children are dangerous as victims to the criminal justice system. When they are harmed, those who live their lives and make their fortunes denigrating us are afraid to let anyone know that White people can be victims.
Instead, they prefer to shuttle the case away, and slap the perp on the wrist so that non-White people won’t be offended that any White person had the audacity to be brutalized, raped, or murdered by a non-White angel.
Fear#2: Walking home Black may become a crime:
Well, walking home White has been a crime for some time now. All over this country, Whites know we must be careful where we go, because if we don’t carefully observe the unwritten rules of society, we risk losing our lives for being White “where we don’t belong”. Just a walk home White can end in death.
Fear#3: Young Black people will not be able to wear or carry certain things without being attacked:
We White people know all about this. Whites all over this country know that there are unwritten rules that apply only to them, and not to non-white people. These rules dictate that if they wear certain things which offend or make non-White people uncomfortable, they stand a good chance of being jumped, or even killed.
Fear#4: Non-Black people will be emboldened to commit crimes against Black people:
The emboldening of anti-White crime by blatant shows of anti-White hatred that go uncriticized and even reinforced by the justice system is something that is a real danger to us as White Americans. Racially motivated crime against innocent White victims that goes uncondemned as such, and may lead to even bolder victimization in the future, is an ever present threat to White lives and safety.
Fear#5: Non-Black Juries will acquit attackers of Blacks for racial reasons:
The fear—no the fact—that non-Black juries will refuse to convict those who commit crimes against White people is a fact of life for us.
Fear#6: Stereotyping and Profiling Blacks will increasingly lead to unnecessary deaths:
Unjust stereotypes which paint all Whites as dangerous, hateful, and seeking to harm non-Whites are an everyday wound for every White person in this country. Every one of us, everyday of our lives, is summarily stereotyped, profiled, judged, and dismissed as a “racist”, evil, bigoted, exploitive, and uncaring person—and judged as worthless and worthy of extermination—all by the color of our skin. And, it leads to innocent, unarmed White people being attacked and murdered all over this country in cold blood.
Fear#7: Being constantly seen as a problem to be dealt with:
Think you have a problem of being seen as a problem? You should just be White for a day!!! All throughout our lives, from our tenderest years, to the twilight of our old age, we are constantly told that we are what’s wrong with this country; We are the problem not only in this country, but in the world, and if we would just die off, allow ourselves to be replaced by non-Whites, start hating ourselves, we would do the country and the whole world a favor.
Fear#8: If Black people aren’t careful to constantly tip-toe around non-Blacks, so as not to make them uncomfortable/offend them, they could get themselves killed:
Whites live with this nightmare turned reality, everyday. We know that we must always watch where we go, and what we say, because any statement of pride in our own race, any expression of our opinion that a non-White finds remotely offensive for the most trivial of reasons, or even the most innocent of acts or statements, could land us in the hospital, maybe in a coffin—certainly will land us in some sort of serious verbal attack, or lose us a job, etc.
Fear#9: Black life is not valued as much as the lives of other people:
As White people, we have long since realized that our lives just don’t matter—all that matters is non-White “feelings”. Time and again our lives are disrupted by slander and lies—and nobody cares. Our lives are put on hold by terrifying and cruel crimes of violence—and nobody cares. Our lives our taken from us—and, nobody cares.
Our lives are worthless to those in the non-White community, and self-centered traitors in government, who care only about themselves, money, power, and ambition, and to the media people who care for nothing but their twisted, hateful agenda which teaches that White life is worthless. When we die, we are invisible, unpitied sacrifices. We are an “unprotected class”.
Fear#10: There is a systematic mistreatment and disadvantage faced by Black people in this country:
Whatever any Black person may think, we, as white people, are the single most systematically discriminated against group in this country. We face this disadvantage at every stage of our lives: from kindergarten and on up through our school years where we are degraded and torn down to instill racial guild and shame, to college admissions, to the job market, and freedom of speech in work environments, to a justice system that sees our victimization as a threat, and our pride as a crime. We face a society hostile to Whiteness every day of our lives.
That, is what it means to be White in America. That is what we as White people, must put up with everyday. And, so much more. Starting to see a little bit now? Starting to see the flicker of your own hypocrisy? I hope so. Because you will never know, never bear, the full brunt of what it means to be White in this country—to be constantly denied every right of identity, and torn down, degraded, treated like trash—you can’t, because nothing along the lines of what is being done to us, has ever been done to any other race. But, you can understand maybe a little better.
Next time you hear someone offer “White privilege” as a genuine concept you will be able to help race-relations in this country by pointing out that the only privileges White people have in this country are the privileges of being slandered, accused, and blamed without any chance at self-defense, denied rights without any recognition, harmed without any outcry, and killed without any remorse.
Thank you for your time, the way you respond, will show me the content of your character. If you have a shred of integrity and humanity in your soul you will admit that this is the biggest race problem America has. If you call me a racist, you are judging me by the color of my skin and not the content of my character (hypocritical for you). And you are contributing to the problem.
Let’s have a truly honest discussion about race in this country. Goodness knows we need it. Black America, this is my privilege. Are you still so sure you want it?
