How White Americans’ Hatred of Racism Actually Supports Racism Rather Than Solves It

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Nothing upsets White Americans like calling them a “racist.” It can spark outright indignation, extreme defensiveness, a faucet of tears, and a host of emotions that dwell in our primal selves. 

Why do White Americans fear the word so much?

Over the past 15 years of teaching about race and racism at the high school level, I have polled my students on their associations with word “racist.” The list is relatively consistent from year to year: the Confederate flag, the Ku Klux Klan, burning crosses, white sheets.

In other words, they consistently associate “racist” with the symbols of the most egregious and deadly forms of White Supremacy.

  • How White Americans' Hatred of Racism Actually Supports Racism Rather Than Solves It