White People: I Dont Want You To Understand Me Better, I Want You To Understand Yourselves

[aikoaiko]

8. I think question for me and white folks is how is this reflection on equality in our interest.

I've asked this question one way or another a copy of times and the answers I received from POC and white people just aren't compelling. The answers are usually some variation of "its the right thing to do" or "we'll all live better lives without racism."

It is one thing to agree, in principle, that we should live in an egalitarian society, but it is another to believe that and take some kind of action that doesn't benefit oneself/family and benefits others.

There is some truth in the saying that for white folks "equality feels like oppression." And I don't know how to get around that.

I suspect this post will be offensive on several levels and for that I'm sorry, but it is what white male liberals like me need to address, I think. I think about these issues and get nowhere.

Speakers like Tim Wise, Robin Diangelo, Allan Johnson, Peggy McIntosh, etc all have insights but don't answer the question of why it is in white people's interest to go beyond blatant/explicit racism. I find that white folks find it easy to blow off these speakers because they often appear to take smug delight in making fellow white people feel uncomfortable.