"...Generations of Black historians and scholars believe that if they dig up the RIGHT historical facts and present them compellingly enough, it will make a difference. If we show them Emmett Till’s disfigured face. If we dig up the numbers of lynching victims. If we write in exhaustive detail about the intersections between capitalism and the rise of the prison industry and how it disproportionately ensnares Black and Brown people. If we show them the data. If we show them the cell phone footage of our deaths, then they’ll believe. Our words and truths have not convinced White America of our humanity, much less compelled collective action in the name of justice for us. But Black studies has existed for half a century, and White people have dissed it at every turn—scores of Black scholars who have dedicated their lives to producing credible evidence of racism, only to be discredited and devalued and pushed aside. Do we need 500 more years of racial fuckery before we finally get this truth?
There is not a single thing that White people do not understand about racism and white supremacy except the thing that we are addicted to believing we can somehow magically make them see: Our humanity and the suffering caused by living in a racist society.
And if White people can pretend that they “don’t see race” or color, they can also pretend not to see racism. Not to see their own privilege, power, or culpability in maintaining an entire system built upon inequality. This game they play is a form of cognitive dissonance that they use to protect racial privilege and reproduce racism in dialogues about race. By faking ignorance, they don’t have to take responsibility for the things they do. By claiming naïveté, they absolve themselves of racist sins so they can turn around and sin again."
I've also noticed, this as well. I became quite tired of hearing that phrase: "I don't see color".. yet, when each person whom i've ever met encounters racism? Look to your left, over your shoulder, and to the right. They will flee the scene faster than a horse can trot. I've seen this scenario so many times, that i've gotten to the point, that when i hear that person say "I don't see color".. I will retort, "Yeah, that's not all, you DON'T see." I've given up on making friends with them. To have a friendship, one must have a complete understanding of each others cultural make up. If they pick out only the parts that make them "comfortable", then it's not worth the effort.
Speaking of "comfortable"? Talk about race in their presence, and you can see one of two reactions:
1) They become uncomfortable. Shifting in their chair, clam up like a lawyer in a church, they'll become suddenly distracted, a thinly veiled irritation (some times a subtle eye-roll).. Or look to their white counterpart for queues on what to do next - for example: Which direction to run for the nearest exit.
2) They'll become patronizing or even worse - make a joke about racism, or try to say something "sage", philosophical or wise about it. (like they actually know what the hell they're talking about.)
I, recently experienced a situation at an event during the holidays. We had guests over. One of them, finally came out and said he was a Trump Supporter. I didn't say one word, and withheld judgement - well, okay.... for at least 5 seconds.
As the evening wore on, he became increasingly inebriated, he started talking about how the 50's were the "good ole' days".. I piped up: "Yeah, but not for us!"
By just those 5 words? I made a whole darn room of white people uncomfortable.