Whiteness and Individualism
The other day, I wrote an apology to Black reality tv shows because I felt that they were “bringing me down,” spotlighting the stereotypes that I hoped to dodge. I have since realized that this way of thinking mirrors and perpetuates white supremacy and the illusion of a hierarchy that posits whiteness and rightness as equivalents. My bad.
And my partner reminded me that white reality tv shows, some apart of the same franchises, include the same amount of, if not more, drink throwing, gossiping and drama-ing as their Black counterparts. And I wondered if some white people felt like me and worried that these shows were “bringing them down.”
I quickly remembered that whiteness affords white people (and those perceived to be white) individualism. The actions of one do not influence how others see the rest of the group. In other words, while white people can be embarrassed by the actions of their fellow white people, they do not feel that those actions represent them. Moving away from reality shows and towards the insurrection, many white people were ashamed and disheartened by the gross display of white supremacy, white privilege, and white rage. It was overwhelming for many to see white people desecrate a national democratic symbol. The next day, however, they did not have to worry that they would be judged by or measured against the heinous actions of those who stormed the Capitol. They could continue to live their life as “normal” because those heathens in D.C. did not represent them.
Witness white supremacy at work.
Dylan Roof. Kenneth Lay. Timothy McVeigh. Bernie Madoff. Proud Boys. And many others…yet they are treated as individual outliers; they actions do not represent other white people.
And I’m not arguing that their actions should be used as stereotypes for white people. I’m suggesting that we treat Black people and people of color as individuals too.
