The great white hype: The hypocrisy of 'white anti-racists'

The U.S. has had a long history of Black (and other people of color) liberation movements become severely crippled by the appropriation and coaptation of white middle class intelligentsia. Just look, for instance, at the white abolitionist movement, the civil rights movements, the anti-war movements and so on and so forth.

What really is disturbing is this recent self-help phenomenon of the white anti-racist. Within this self-help ring of white anti-racists you will find mostly white middle class intelligentsia attempting to debate with other white middle class intelligentsia about the power and privileges they enjoy over people of color. When they themselves cannot put into words or facts their own power and privilege they seek out famous white anti-racists such as Peggy McIntosh, Howard Winant, or Tim Wise. The last white middle class intellect mentioned is of course going to be in Corvallis speaking and signing his new book tonight.

Why is this so disturbing? First let's ask why is it that white people need to read or listen to other white people before they can stop being racist, when people of color have been writing and speaking on the subject for years? Is it because he's smarter or does more research? Or is it simply the fact that white anti-racists can only respect another white person's thoughts and feelings?

Second, why is it that a white middle class intellect should receive numerous publishing offers, get paid speaking gigs, or win the 2001 British Diversity Award all on writing/speaking about racism and white supremacy? Why is it that a white middle class intellect deserves more money, power, privilege and praise for doing something white folks should be doing in the first place? How about all the people of color in the world who don't have access to his education, have access to his resources, have access to the network he's developed -- does that mean their history and experience of everyday racism is not as valid as his research? Obviously, this is a form of white supremacy, practiced and supported by supposed anti-racists.

Finally the mere title of "white anti-racist" is laughable, as it implies that one can retain one's whiteness and still be anti-racist. In Tamara Knopper's open letter to white anti-racists, aptly titled "The white Anti-Racist is an Oxymoron" she declares that "one must realize that whiteness is a structure of domination. As such, there is nothing redeemable or reformable about whiteness." Knopper goes on to say that "white people need to be willing to have their very social position, their very relationship of domination, their very authority, their very being ... let go, perhaps even destroyed."

After all of this, you may believe that I don't think white folks can be anti-racist. Quite the contrary, there have been some famous white folks like Laura Whitehorn and David Gilbert or those who made up the Patriot Party in the 1960s. And there are white people today who are anti-racist, because they continuously do the work without seeking fame or fortune. Rather, this article is directed to those of you who have created and perpetuated a market for these white middle class intellects preaching about anti-racism.

So if you're white and you want to be anti-racist you must learn to subjugate your whiteness in order to ally with people of color and their movements. You will not lead, you will not appropriate or exploit, you will not determine how we operate, and you will not dominate our space and our time. If you want to be a true ally, you will do all this and more, and if your ego can't handle following people of color, then please leave us alone and get out of the way.

Allan Lumba is a post baccalaureate student in ethnic studies. The opinions in his op-ed do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Barometer staff.