What's good Victims of White Supremacy {VOWS} and Admitted/Suspected Racist? In a recent exchange of views, I stated that the process of combating Racism/White Supremacy (WHITE PEOPLE) and establishing Justice is predominantly about WORDS. Knowing what to say AND what not to say. I have observed that even as White people of the northwestern hemisphere stockpile firearms at an astronomic - dare I say, Extinction Level Event - rate in the wake of Mr. Obama's victory, the one thing they amass at a greater rate than munitions... is WORDS. If you recall, non-whites could be executed for reading during earlier periods of "American" history. White people overstand the potency of the pen.
So, a receptive Victim of Racism says, "Give me an example... this needs to be tangible to me!" I says, "No problem." I'll construct a list of terms non-whites should avoid. A second VOWS says, "If you make that list, I'd like to see a copy." Wow, I got two Victims of Racism requesting counter-racist suggestions. No time for lollygagging.
So, a receptive Victim of Racism says, "Give me an example... this needs to be tangible to me!" I says, "No problem." I'll construct a list of terms non-whites should avoid. A second VOWS says, "If you make that list, I'd like to see a copy." Wow, I got two Victims of Racism requesting counter-racist suggestions. No time for lollygagging.
African-American
Minority
Multiracial
Diversity
Half-White
Mixed
Other
Prejudice
People of Color
Multicultural
Ethnic
Post-Racial
I'll share my view on what is incorrect about a portion of these terms; I'll leave the remainder for you to "chew on".
- Other: An intoxicated White man approached me - double YIKES! I knew the gentlemen, but I mean... this is White Supremacy! He explained that he recently got glasses and now recognized the trauma of being the other. The other what? The other Suspected Racist? The Other Side of Town? (Curtis can tell you about the non-white side of town). The System of Racism obliterates and confounds non-whites with convoluted and indirect speech. I ain't never heard nobody say, "Other than White". That's a lil' too honest, reveals a lil' too much about the Racist environment in which we exist. Non-whites should discontinue the use of this phrase AND question anyone who uses it. Make them announce exactly who they are referencing when they say other.
- Minority: This is an excellent example of how words shape comprehension and perceptions of the world. Non-whites - 90% of the global population - are trained to reference themselves as MINORities. On a subconscious level this conditions non-whites to devalue themselves and their mistreatment, to perceive themselves as an outnumbered, niggardly* faction within an American Democracy where the majority[WHITE PEOPLE] rules. It would be most accurate to say that the overwhelming majority of the individuals in the known universe are classified as non-white and exist within a global System of White Supremacy - established, maintained, expanded and refined by less than ten percent of the global population who classify themselves as WHITE. [*niggardly - less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable; meager]
- Half-White: The Victim of White Supremacy known as Queen P has dialoged with me and defended the use of Half-White for some time. I felt I could never adequately express what was incorrect about this term. As usual, I was missing the obvious. In the context of White Supremacy, exactly what does it mean to be WHITE? This is a critical question that every Victim of Racism should answer; and they should make certain to ask a plethora of White people to break this down for them. I guarantee it'll be a memorable experience each time you ask a White person to specify what it means to be White - make sure you ask them if they are White first. Cause I mean, you gotta know what it means to be White, if you know you are White, right? Once you grasp what it means to be White, the inaccuracy of the term Half-White will be obvious.
- Ethnic: June, 2008. Spring quarter comes to a close at the University of Washington. I bumped into a non-white student en route to submitting their final. She was finishing up a course in American Ethnic Studies. I says, "You just completed a quarter of exploration in the department of Ethnic Studies. What does 'ethnic' mean?" The student had no idea. I asked if this was problematic? She concurred and invited me to ask some of her classmates. We asked students and Teaching Assistants... no one knew what "ethnic" meant. Until... we bumped into a queen, a White woman. "What does ethnic mean?" She said - without hesitation, "non-white." Thank you for clearing this up oh, enchanted, fair maiden. Let's just stick with non-white to minimize confusion.
- African-American: I've actually had a White woman get angry with me because I decried the use of the term African-American. "Malcolm X coined that term... your roots to the Motherland... Ubuntu... Ali Bumaye!" I suspect this White woman - Georgia Roberts - has had sexual intercourse with non-whites [state side and the Motherland]. Next time I see her, I'll ask for her view on whether Charlize Theron is African-American. Theron, born in Benoni, South Africa, became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 2007 - and she speaks Xhosa. She may have a better claim to the term than I. I ain't put a toe down no where near Africa and can barely speak English - as you can see. Oh yeah, talking 'bout White women got me distracted. What are the qualifications for being African-American? And what do the terms African and American mean?
- People of Color: White people and non-whites alike got a vice grip on this term. Major difference? Many White people have an elaborate understanding of this phrase & how it supports the System of White Supremacy. Non-whites - as usual - display our victimization, i.e., our deficiencies in comprehension. And I got counter-racist case studies to bolster my view! The admitted White Supremacist known as Rebecca Aanerud (206.221.0710) defended her use of People of Color. Aanerud said that substituting Non-White for People of Color, gives the impression that White is the norm, the standard of judgement; that anything not white is some how deviant. Codified, A+ response? "Ms. Aanerud, in a System of White Supremacy, is that true?" "Well... erh.... uh.... ummm.... Yes, but..." Thank you Ms. Aanerud; no further questions. Non-whites who defend this phrase, didn't comment on semantics or what truths and information the term "People of Color" conveys. They explained that "People of Color" was birthed in the struggle for liberation, and that the use of the term is an homage to blood shed and lives lost. Malcolm and C. L. R. James used this term, so it most certainly should be carried forward and enunciated with dignity. Translation: we're doing this because we've always done this. Hallmark victimization, niggardly thinking (glance back at that definition).
Words are tools, weapons not accessories. Speech is not a Malcolm X cap or a dashiki - a catch-phrase or garment brandished to impress, imitate truth. Speech is the verbalization of accurate information. This is done by precision crafted selection and deletion of words that reveal or conceal truth. The best evidence that non-whites are retarded by the System of Racism, is our collective failure to communicate.
It is said that the [non-white] loves to
jabber; in my own case, when I think of
the word jabber I see a gay group of children
calling and shouting for the sake of calling
and shouting - children in the midst of play,
to the degree to which play can be
considered an [imitation of ]... life.
The [non-white] loves to jabber, and
The [non-white] loves to jabber, and
from this... leads to a new proposition:
The [non-white] is just a child.
[Frantz Fanon, Black Skin, White Mask pg. 26]
Children are careless with words. Elementary school teachers remind tikes to refrain from using words if they do not know what they mean. Why? Because most likely they do not know what they are saying. Any words that you cannot define in a simple to understand manner should be added to the above list. Words transport your thoughts and feelings to the world. You don't choose words based on how they sound or because other people use the them. You select words that best convey your meaning. Communication is reduced to incoherent babble when the spoken/heard words are not understood. And many of the terms used in discussions of Racism ARE NOT CLEAR. And if you don't believe it... break out a pen and pad and see if you got simple, easy to grasp definitions for every term listed above (Start with post-racial).
Admitted White Supremacist David Allen stated, "We speak the language of White Supremacy." Meaning, the tools we use to connect with everything and everyone, the linguistic framework which defines our world, our lives, has been engineered to support the mistreatment of non-whites. White Supremacists make a concerted effort to use words that do not reflect truth about their criminal system; their primary activity is deceiving non-whites, and they flourish in doing so. Non-whites are literally being smothered by language that diverts attention from and/or promotes the system of Racism. I believe the terms above exemplify this - and there are others!
The late, great Negro author, James Baldwin, wrote, "The Victim who is able to articulate the situation of the victim has ceased to be a victim: he or she has become a threat."
To make it plain. As a Victim of Racism, you threaten the System of White Supremacy - and support the establishment of Justice - by telling your story well. The use of words that efficiently, accurately reveal truth and articulate your mistreatment, are ruinous to a system founded on lies. The terms listed above do not threaten the System of White Supremacy. All non-whites, all opponents of Racism, should dedicate themselves to fashioning words and meanings that expose Racists and their activities.
We should all be using the best words possible to snitch on White people!
No comments:
Post a Comment