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The biggest impediment to racial justice is this country is the denial of systemic and structural racism by a large portion of whites. Before Ferguson, it was somehow acceptable to say, “I don’t believe systemic or structural racism exists, yet I am not a racist.” 1/
In the face of facts, data, and visceral examples to the contrary, this idea is very resilient. It is described as a matter of ideology — seeing systems of oppression vs. seeing individual behavior. Any acknowledgment of systems, tends to be reductive. 2/
“The cops are out of hand.” “We need to rain in excessive use of force.” “Covid deaths of essential workers are shocking.” But this thinking is still shy of the truth. It allows people to agree with an issue without being on the hook to solve the root. 3/
There is a fundamental assymetry in not addressing the root cause. It reminds me of the chicken and pig fable we use to describe team dynamics in agile software development. Blacks and POC are committed while whites are involved. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chicken_and_the_Pig … /4
So to white people who deny systemic racism, I ask you this: If you’re wrong, what’s the downside to you vs. the downside to me? If I’m wrong, you lose very little. That assymetry should keep you up at night. /5
It’s irrational to think that the committed will tolerate systems they say are rigged, while the involved scratch their heads and say, “What’s the problem? It’s tough for me too.” How is that a reasonable social contract? /6
Reckon with this. Allowing the asymmetry — accepting that you have disproportionately less downside risk while knowing that your collective opinion impedes real change — is racist. You are wagering about your beliefs on the backs of black and brown people. /7
P.S. I’m not calling people animal names. Don’t come at me with that — I’m not having it today. The fable is a good one. You should read it if you aren’t familiar with it. /8
People just aren’t incentivized to change until it affects them. That’s how it works.
The thing is if you're a decent human being it affects you. In other words you're affected because you care.
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