Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes
As I stated in last month’s post, my goals through this systemic racism series are to expound on history and data to demonstrate the systemic nature of racism in various institutions and structures in the United States. I will address whiteness as an institution in this particular post.
Whiteness
As I stated in last month’s post, my goals through this systemic racism series are to expound on history and data to demonstrate the systemic nature of racism in various institutions and structures in the United States. I will address whiteness as an institution in this particular post.
Whiteness
To begin exploring the systemic nature of racism that infects the institutions and structures in the United States, I want to start by addressing whiteness. There is history and meaning associated with identifying as white, and whiteness in this country has been used to elevate those considered white. White privilege, the idea of white supremacy, and institutional power concentrated in the hands of people who are white, particularly white men, all stem from the creation and perpetuation of whiteness. As a clarifying point, I am not saying that there is anything inherently wrong with less melanin. However, historically less melanin and geographic location in select countries led to the creation of white as a race that was superior, establishing a hierarchy of races that were, in contrast, inferior. When I refer to whiteness, I am referring to the idea of some people being white that stems from the construct of race. I will use the Be the Bridge Whiteness 101: Foundational Principles Every White Bridge Builder Needs to Understand document to briefly look at white identity, white privilege, and white supremacy.
White Identity
White Identity
For white people who have never had to think about themselves as white, talking about race is difficult. One reason for this is because, as expressed on page 7 of Whiteness 101, “White culture is so dominant in America that, like the proverbial fish in water, many of us have never spent time examining what white culture is, or what it means in the greater American cultural and historical context.” The writers of Whiteness 101 talk about developing a healthy white identity, and I think the only way to have a healthy white identity is to, in the words of Ekemini Uwan, divest from whiteness. In her blog post “The Blood of Jesus is the Bridge; Not My Back,” Ekemini Uwan wrote, “To a room full of white women, predominantly, I told the truth about the wickedness of whiteness which is a central pillar of the racial caste system, the need to divest from it and their need to reclaim and embrace their God-given ethnicity.” Page 8 of Whiteness 101 has some reflection questions to work through, and the section ends with the writers stating, “Developing a healthy white identity does not mean drowning in white guilt or reveling in white pride. It is essential we learn (or rather unlearn) our history, and acknowledge the role we have played in the oppression of people of color. This self-examination can (and should) be painful. It can be tempting to walk away from conversations about racism and live in denial rather than face our complicity. But if we can push through, we can also gain a vision for how to capitalize on our identity as white people in order to bring about a more just society and to be a source of good in the world.”
White Privilege
White Privilege
I know that many white people who live in poverty or who have struggled due to poverty bristle when they hear the term “white privilege.” Even Bill O’Reilly tweeted on July 19, 2018, “Enjoying my time in Ireland. Visited County Cavan where my ancestors were evicted from their land in 1845. That forced them to come to America legally so they wouldn’t starve. Pardon me if I reject the ‘white privilege’ scenario if applied to my family.” Ibram X. Kendi responded to this by sharing the post on Instagram on July 21, 2019 with the caption, “To reject the existence of White privilege is to say White people have more in the US because they are more. And to say Whites are more is a racist idea. This is why rejecting ‘the “white privilege” scenario’ is essentially accepting the Whites are superior scenario.”
On pages 9-10 of Whiteness 101, the writers explain, “As we move through life, this means that parts of our identity give us an advantage, where other parts of our identity leave us at a disadvantage. Social psychologist and theologian Christena Cleveland describes privilege and oppression as ways that society either accommodates us or alienates us. Privilege is about the way we are advantaged or disadvantaged by each category of our identity compared to others in that same category. For example, let’s look at some of the major categories that define our identity: race, gender, class, education level, country of origin, language ability, and physical health. The most privileged positions in each of those categories are: white, male, upper class, highly-educated, American-born, English-speaking, and able-bodied. Have you noticed how most positions of wealth and power in our country have traditionally been held by people whose identities include the most privileged positions in each of those categories? While we would like to believe that America is a meritocracy - that everyone has an equal chance of succeeding - the truth is that since our nation’s founding, privileged people have fashioned a society that advantages people like themselves, while disadvantaging others. This is not to say that people who are oppressed cannot succeed; it just means they will have to overcome more barriers to achieve their success. This is also not to say that privileged people don’t work hard; it just means they will have more doors opened wide for them, that won’t open as easily for others.”
In Robin DiAngelo’s book White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism, there is a list that illustrates “the racial breakdown of the people who control our institutions...in 2016-2017.
On pages 9-10 of Whiteness 101, the writers explain, “As we move through life, this means that parts of our identity give us an advantage, where other parts of our identity leave us at a disadvantage. Social psychologist and theologian Christena Cleveland describes privilege and oppression as ways that society either accommodates us or alienates us. Privilege is about the way we are advantaged or disadvantaged by each category of our identity compared to others in that same category. For example, let’s look at some of the major categories that define our identity: race, gender, class, education level, country of origin, language ability, and physical health. The most privileged positions in each of those categories are: white, male, upper class, highly-educated, American-born, English-speaking, and able-bodied. Have you noticed how most positions of wealth and power in our country have traditionally been held by people whose identities include the most privileged positions in each of those categories? While we would like to believe that America is a meritocracy - that everyone has an equal chance of succeeding - the truth is that since our nation’s founding, privileged people have fashioned a society that advantages people like themselves, while disadvantaging others. This is not to say that people who are oppressed cannot succeed; it just means they will have to overcome more barriers to achieve their success. This is also not to say that privileged people don’t work hard; it just means they will have more doors opened wide for them, that won’t open as easily for others.”
In Robin DiAngelo’s book White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism, there is a list that illustrates “the racial breakdown of the people who control our institutions...in 2016-2017.
- Ten richest Americans: 100 percent white (seven of whom are among the ten richest in the world)
- US Congress: 90 percent white
- US governors: 96 percent white
- Top military advisers: 100 percent white
- President and vice president: 100 percent white
- US House Freedom Caucus: 99 percent white
- Current US presidential cabinet: 91 percent white
- People who decide which TV shows we see: 93 percent white
- People who decide which books we read: 90 percent white
- People who decide which news is covered: 85 percent white
- People who decide which music is produced: 95 percent white
- People who directed the one hundred top-grossing films of all time, worldwide: 95 percent white
- Teachers: 82 percent white
- Full-time college professors: 84 percent white
- Owners of men's professional football teams: 97 percent white
These numbers are not describing minor organizations. Nor are these institutions special-interest groups. The groups listed above are the most powerful in the country. These numbers are not a matter of ‘good people’ versus ‘bad people.’ They represent power and control by a racial group that is in the position to disseminate and protect its own self-image, worldview, and interests across the entire society. One of the most potent ways white supremacy is disseminated is through media representations, which have a profound impact on how we see the world. Those who write and direct films are our cultural narrators; the stories they tell shape our worldviews” (DiAngelo, 2018, p. 31).
White Supremacy
These numbers are not describing minor organizations. Nor are these institutions special-interest groups. The groups listed above are the most powerful in the country. These numbers are not a matter of ‘good people’ versus ‘bad people.’ They represent power and control by a racial group that is in the position to disseminate and protect its own self-image, worldview, and interests across the entire society. One of the most potent ways white supremacy is disseminated is through media representations, which have a profound impact on how we see the world. Those who write and direct films are our cultural narrators; the stories they tell shape our worldviews” (DiAngelo, 2018, p. 31).
White Supremacy
A definition of white supremacy from Elizabeth Martinez’s article “What is White Supremacy?” is that it “is an historically based, institutionally perpetuated system of exploitation and oppression of continents, nations, and peoples of color by white peoples and nations of the European continent, for the purpose of maintaining and defending a system of wealth, power, and privilege.”
On pages 13-14 of Whiteness 101, the writers explain, “Written records reveal that social scientists made specific assumptions about various people groups based on skin color, region of origin, and culture as far back as Hippocrates. However the word race didn’t appear until the 16th century, and the concept of dividing humanity into a social hierarchy based on physical characteristics wasn’t solidified until the 17th and 18th centuries. This racial classification system was developed by European countries as they expanded their dominion through worldwide colonization. Europeans needed a rationale to validate the subjugation, dehumanization, and enslavement of the non-European people groups they sought to conquer...Blumenbach supported the degenerative hypothesis, which purported that Adam and Eve were white, and that over time some people groups degenerated from whiteness into other races. For the next 200 years, ‘white’ scientists and anthropologists worked diligently to create scientific ‘proofs’ that would provide further justification for the social stratification of the different ‘races.’ Not surprisingly, the ‘evidence’ always affirmed the supremacy of the white race. [SPOILER ALERT: Modern scientists have completely disproved the reality of race.] Our country was founded within this context, firmly upon the principle of white supremacy, most obviously expressed in 1) the violent taking of Native lands, while offering Native peoples the choice of assimilation, removal, or death, and 2) the legalized ownership, enslavement, rape, torture, and forced labor of Africans.”
I attended a lecture in April where Austin Channing Brown spoke and pointed out that even the way we talk about white supremacy upholds white supremacy. She explained that whiteness is not supreme; therefore, a more accurate way of speaking about this topic is to say “the idea of white supremacy.” I know that for white people who are new to discussions about race, reading that white people must divest from whiteness seems confusing, alarming, or even like I am now being the racist for sounding as if I am disparaging white people. From my personal experience, I can say that once I understood what whiteness is, why whiteness was created, and how whiteness is still used today, I knew I had to divest from whiteness because whiteness as a social construct that affords those with less melanin certain privileges and power is antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If I find myself trying to cling to whiteness, or to being from the white race, then I am making an idol out of being seen as white and the benefits associated with whiteness. One additional point to illuminate is that white people must divest from whiteness, but we cannot tell people of color to divest from their racial or ethnic identity because the sentiments behind celebrating whiteness versus celebrating blackness or another racial or ethnic identity are not the same. In the Truth’s Table episode “BlacKkKlansmen (Movie Discussion),” Dr. Christina Edmondson explained that crying out white power “is an expression of dominance” while crying out Black power “is an expression of dignity.” The past informs our present, and since our society was founded on the idea of white supremacy, we still have work to do to eradicate every ounce of idolatry that prizes whiteness in individuals and institutions.
Action Steps
On pages 13-14 of Whiteness 101, the writers explain, “Written records reveal that social scientists made specific assumptions about various people groups based on skin color, region of origin, and culture as far back as Hippocrates. However the word race didn’t appear until the 16th century, and the concept of dividing humanity into a social hierarchy based on physical characteristics wasn’t solidified until the 17th and 18th centuries. This racial classification system was developed by European countries as they expanded their dominion through worldwide colonization. Europeans needed a rationale to validate the subjugation, dehumanization, and enslavement of the non-European people groups they sought to conquer...Blumenbach supported the degenerative hypothesis, which purported that Adam and Eve were white, and that over time some people groups degenerated from whiteness into other races. For the next 200 years, ‘white’ scientists and anthropologists worked diligently to create scientific ‘proofs’ that would provide further justification for the social stratification of the different ‘races.’ Not surprisingly, the ‘evidence’ always affirmed the supremacy of the white race. [SPOILER ALERT: Modern scientists have completely disproved the reality of race.] Our country was founded within this context, firmly upon the principle of white supremacy, most obviously expressed in 1) the violent taking of Native lands, while offering Native peoples the choice of assimilation, removal, or death, and 2) the legalized ownership, enslavement, rape, torture, and forced labor of Africans.”
I attended a lecture in April where Austin Channing Brown spoke and pointed out that even the way we talk about white supremacy upholds white supremacy. She explained that whiteness is not supreme; therefore, a more accurate way of speaking about this topic is to say “the idea of white supremacy.” I know that for white people who are new to discussions about race, reading that white people must divest from whiteness seems confusing, alarming, or even like I am now being the racist for sounding as if I am disparaging white people. From my personal experience, I can say that once I understood what whiteness is, why whiteness was created, and how whiteness is still used today, I knew I had to divest from whiteness because whiteness as a social construct that affords those with less melanin certain privileges and power is antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If I find myself trying to cling to whiteness, or to being from the white race, then I am making an idol out of being seen as white and the benefits associated with whiteness. One additional point to illuminate is that white people must divest from whiteness, but we cannot tell people of color to divest from their racial or ethnic identity because the sentiments behind celebrating whiteness versus celebrating blackness or another racial or ethnic identity are not the same. In the Truth’s Table episode “BlacKkKlansmen (Movie Discussion),” Dr. Christina Edmondson explained that crying out white power “is an expression of dominance” while crying out Black power “is an expression of dignity.” The past informs our present, and since our society was founded on the idea of white supremacy, we still have work to do to eradicate every ounce of idolatry that prizes whiteness in individuals and institutions.
Action Steps
- If you are white, read Whiteness 101 in its entirety. On page 19, the writers state, “Whiteness 101 was created by Be the Bridge as a launching point for racial understanding. We must keep in mind that educating ourselves about the intersection of race and faith will be a continual, lifelong process. As our founder, Tasha Morrison, likes to say, ‘It’s a marathon, not a sprint!’ Join the BTB movement as we labor toward racial justice, healing, and reconciliation in the church and in our country. Here are some suggested next steps:
1. Request to join the Be the Bridge To Racial Unity Facebook community, where bridge builders from around the country process life and race through the lens of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. Diversify your world. Visit or join a church where the leadership and the majority of the congregation are POCs. Get your news from a different source. Shop at different stores. Follow POCs on Twitter. Move to a more diverse part of town.
3. Start a monthly book club to discuss some of the suggested titles from this document with other white bridge builders.
4. If you read through Whiteness 101 by yourself, consider going through it again, this time with a group of white friends.
5. Consider joining or launching a local Bridge To Racial Unity Discussion Group. Click on the link to purchase our Bridge To Racial Unity Discussion Guide 2.0 and Leader’s Guide. Assess your readiness by reading the ‘Questions To Ask Yourself Before Starting a BTB Group.’”
- Complete additional research on the topic of whiteness. There is more to the history and implications of whiteness than could possibly be covered in a single blog post. Read Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi. Listen to the Seeing White podcast series on Scene on Radio. Read “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh. Read The Making of Asian America: A History by Erika Lee. I will include additional resources at the end of this post.
- Normalize conversations about race and white supremacy, as L. Glenise Pike explains in her video “The Importance of Normalizing Conversations About Race + White Supremacy.” In your own home, with your family and friends, and in your spheres of influence, speak up and have back and forth conversations.
- Financially support people of color. Use Patreon, PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App to send money to the people of color that you learn from to show your appreciation. Hire people of color and pay them well for their expertise and time at the next event you organize. Financially contribute to the work of the organizations that are run by people of color that you follow. Be a regular patron at businesses owned by people of color, without centering yourself if you are white. Allocate income to pay for therapy for people of color.
- Vote, show up against racism, and engage in meaningful ways to dismantle systems of oppression, including the work of reparations. [I wrote a post titled "Reparations before Reconciliation" on August 4th that contains additional information on reparations.] Do all of this under the leadership of people of color.
What to Expect in Future Posts
- Complete additional research on the topic of whiteness. There is more to the history and implications of whiteness than could possibly be covered in a single blog post. Read Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi. Listen to the Seeing White podcast series on Scene on Radio. Read “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Peggy McIntosh. Read The Making of Asian America: A History by Erika Lee. I will include additional resources at the end of this post.
- Normalize conversations about race and white supremacy, as L. Glenise Pike explains in her video “The Importance of Normalizing Conversations About Race + White Supremacy.” In your own home, with your family and friends, and in your spheres of influence, speak up and have back and forth conversations.
- Financially support people of color. Use Patreon, PayPal, Venmo, or Cash App to send money to the people of color that you learn from to show your appreciation. Hire people of color and pay them well for their expertise and time at the next event you organize. Financially contribute to the work of the organizations that are run by people of color that you follow. Be a regular patron at businesses owned by people of color, without centering yourself if you are white. Allocate income to pay for therapy for people of color.
- Vote, show up against racism, and engage in meaningful ways to dismantle systems of oppression, including the work of reparations. [I wrote a post titled "Reparations before Reconciliation" on August 4th that contains additional information on reparations.] Do all of this under the leadership of people of color.
What to Expect in Future Posts
At this time, I plan to address systemic racism as seen in wealth, employment, education, the justice system, housing, surveillance, foster care, healthcare, the environment, media, military, politics, and the Christian church in future posts. I will give action steps for myself and readers and provide additional resources.
As I look at the Equal Justice Initiative calendar and read it to my kids, I see that every single day conveys at least one injustice, usually based on race. These are past and present injustices, spanning hundreds of years, demonstrating that racism in this country is not simply an individual problem. Rather, racism is a systemic problem, infecting institutions and structures. Further, this problem centers around justice, therefore it's a problem God is concerned about, which means I must be concerned. In my opinion, systemic racism is not solely a political issue but also a spiritual issue. I am called to love my neighbor, and one way I can do this is by joining the fight to dismantle systems of oppression so that all people can flourish.
(Resources are linked below.)
“The Ultimate White Privilege Statistics & Data Post”
“What is: Privilege” (Kat Blaque)
The Next Question Video Web Series (Hosted and produced by Austin Channing Brown, Jenny Booth Potter, and Chi Chi Okwu)
“Is Racism Over Yet?” with Laci Green
“Social Justice Equity” lecture by Tim Wise
Seminary Dropout: “193 - Austin Channing Brown, on Her New Book I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, Why White People Have So Many Cats, and What Makes Insecure Such an Amazing Show”
Music (that may make you uncomfortable)
Music (that may make you uncomfortable)
“Cynical” by Propaganda feat. Aaron Marsh and Sho Baraka
“A Time Like This” by Micah Bournes
Articles
"How Racism Relies on Arbitrary Hierarchies: From 15th-Century West Africa to Suburban Long Island" by Ibram X. Kendi (added June 5, 2020)
“Sandra Oh, Hollywood, Christianity, and the Never Ending Centering of White Dude Narratives” by Erna Kim Hackett
“Sandra Oh, Hollywood, Christianity, and the Never Ending Centering of White Dude Narratives” by Erna Kim Hackett
“If You Love Me, Do Your Homework” by Tamara C. Johnson
“What Does It Mean to be White?” by Robin DiAngelo
“Citizenship Once Meant Whiteness. Here’s How That Changed” by Ariela Gross and Alejandro de la Fuente
“Stop Talking About Racial Reconciliation and Start Talking About White Supremacy” by Erna Kim Hackett
“How White People Ruined Church for Me” by Andre Henry
“Stop Talking About Racial Reconciliation and Start Talking About White Supremacy” by Erna Kim Hackett
“How White People Ruined Church for Me” by Andre Henry
"America Has Been Addicted to Whiteness for 400 Years" by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove (added October 13, 2020)
Books
Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation by Latasha Morrison
I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
Raise Your Voice: Why We Stay Silent and How to Speak Up by Kathy Khang
There There by Tommy Orange
Becoming Antiracist by L. Glenise Pike
Beyond Colorblind: Redeeming Our Ethnic Journey by Sarah Shin
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
The Myth of Equality: Uncovering the Roots of Injustice and Privilege by Ken Wytsma
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#systemicracism #racismissystemic #racism #prejudicepluspower #dismantlewhitesupremacy #endwhitesupremacy #antiracism #antiracist #becomingantiracist #beingantiracist #whiteness #loveyourneighbor #seekjustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #lament #repent #repair #facethepast #healthefuture #tellthetruth #equality #vote #showup #engage #blog #blogger #newblogpost #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative
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