I'm not seeking to question the existence of white privilege - it is very much a thing for all the reasons you've outlined in your very excellent argument. My point is rather that in certain situations the insistence of white privielege has a counter-productive outcome and makes society more racist. White people who lack other aspects of privilege may find it difficult to understand or empathise and be driven away from the message. There is a reason why the average white SJW comes from a place of extreme privilege comparatively wth other white people. I don't have an answer about what we do about that - just that the current modus operandi doesn't seem to be working.
Race and sexuality do inform how we respond to the world, as they are aspects of our identity. But they are not the total sum of our identities... and that is where the current generation are heading I'm afraid. Therapists up and down my country are dealing with young people whose entire identities are formed by their characteristics. We are creating a generation who cannot have discussions like these because their sexuality, race or gender is the defining thing about them and their entire friendship group. It's very psychologically unhealthy - and causing anxiety rates and suicide rates to skyrocket. The self is complex thing and we haven't really worked out what social media does to 'the self' yet.
I have very open and frank conversations with black friends about racism. I'm very much like this in real life too and I think we'd get on very well. If you're ever in the UK, let me know and we'll do coffee. My ex-housemate finds the entire social-justice-movement thing utterly disingenous. Like white people, particularly well meaning middle class white people, are waiting for a pat on the head and a biscuit for their pointless performative activism.
One of my co-workers, hates the idea that he can't be bigoted, biased and racist. He wants the same right to be flawed and as much of a dick as everyone else - and be called out on it. He's a very succesful social work trainer and thinks that the black/white/mixed-race relationship is complicated and the current arguments are too simplistic. It's a lot more complicated in the US, we are all in the UK where things are perhaps a little simpler.
Perhaps I have a tendency to befriend people who reflect my views - but all three of us have a general commitment to treat people as we find them. We've all had very frank discussions about racism that probably wouldn't be comfortable to have in public forums, not where offence can be so quickly weaponised. 'd say it has been very useful for all of us. Both have said that their conversations with me are more unusual and frank than most conversations they have about race.
I think you and I agree on a lot more than you think we do. We want the same destination, we just disagree about the method of getting there - and frankly there should be more discussions like this in the public sphere. I don't think that's because I'm right and you're wrong, or vice versa....it's because we have different life experiences that have shaped our views - and we have to work hard to find a commonality of perspective. That's the beauty of Medium and thank you for your time on this discussion. It's been genuinely useful. I'm sure we'll clash again soon!
On the commanlity of perspective at least we're both minimalists. :o)
