Pop quiz! Since some folks insist on still not getting it.

Our Pride Is Not a Threat to You

I’m getting really tired of having to explain racism to folks who are plenty old enough to know better. Often, I don’t even try anymore. I just come here to vent, and a new blog post emerges from it. I guess today is one of those days.

I saw a post online that asked why it’s OK for every race except white people to be proud of their race. It has got to be the epitome of fragility and privilege to ask this and not understand how much it misses the entire point. There are so many levels to the lesson that needs to be taught here, and honestly, I don’t feel like I have the energy anymore, but there are a couple of things I definitely need to get out of my system before I spontaneously combust.

First of all, there would be no need for Black pride, Latin pride, or even gay pride to be blasted from the rooftops or paraded down city streets if society as a whole had not been built on systems put in place to benefit straight white people to the detriment of those who have darker skin and/or who are not heterosexual. Those with white skin have always held the cards in this country, from the day Christopher Columbus stole it from the natives already living on what is now American soil right up to the present day. That bigotry laid the foundation for us to have no choice but to voice how proud we are of being who we are precisely because the world (and the U.S. in particular) operates by telling us we shouldn’t be proud, that we don’t matter, and that we are somehow inferior to others who just happened to be born with lighter pigmented skin.

It’s all bullshit, so naturally, we call it out. And when we do, we get ignorant comments like the one that prompted this rant. Suddenly we are unpatriotic, as if that’s the worst thing someone can be; being racist is much worse, but that’s how much racism is ingrained into this country. It’s as if they think we should be thankful our ancestors were kidnapped from their native land and brought here against their will be used as slaves. We’re here now, though. If the U.S. is ever going to be truly united, it needs to function for everyone regardless of their race.

Historically, POC are the ones who’ve had to endure being judged and treated unfairly based solely on the color of our skin. Not white people. You don’t have to be vocal about being proud of being white because the entire world is already telling you that you’re valued and treating you like you matter. So no, you don’t need a White History Month; we study that ad nauseam, and the history that’s taught in our schools is decidedly slanted to focus on exactly that and not the history of POC. Our story started long before slavery and does not only include Dr. King and Rosa Parks. Further, you don’t need a Straight Pride Month because being straight is already viewed as the widely accepted norm. Every damn month is Straight Pride from a societal standpoint.

POC are not telling white folks that they shouldn’t be proud to be who they are, but also understand that all too often, pride in being white in this country turns into white supremacy. Horrific, unthinkable acts have been perpetrated against non-whites in the name of white pride. The difference between your pride and our pride is that we, as a group, are not saying you are inferior or should not exist because we happen to be proud of our own heritage. We’ve already acknowledged, for countless generations, that having white skin and being attracted to the opposite sex is a pretty good luck of the draw in this country. Bonus points if you’re white, straight, and male!

Instead of getting your feelings hurt and trying so hard to be viewed as oppressed, try stepping aside and listening to those who have actually BEEN oppressed just because of who they are or who they love. Try to see someone else’s perspective. Just as saying Black Lives Matter does not mean that other lives don’t, pride in who we are does not mean we hate you by default. I need some of you to seriously come out of your bubbles and understand that you do have privilege in the U.S. for having white skin. Whether you agree with that or not, it just is. That doesn’t mean your life hasn’t been hard. It just means it wasn’t made harder because of your skin color. Show some grace, and do some learning beyond the limited view that was taught to you in school or shown to you by the small circle of people you associate with who all look and think like you. It might just blow your mind.