Why are we liberals so quick to condemn white supremacy, but so impotent at dismantling it?
Charlottesville brought a chorus of denunciations. Rightfully so. White supremacy is evil (profoundly immoral and injurious).
But white supremacy didn’t spring up this weekend. For those “with eyes to see,” it’s been there for… forever.
Why is our energy so much greater for denouncing white supremacy than for dismantling it?
My guess is that it’s because dismantling white supremacy is inconvenient.
I hate to make this prosaic, but it means going to meetings. Lots of meetings. On your own time. In the evening. Across town, even. Not sexy protests or counter-protests. Boring, fractious, sometimes disorganized meetings, where groups of citizens are working to:
- Address racial biases in the criminal justice system
- Make sure there are no failing schools in your county
- Make housing affordable in your community
- Protect voting rights and register new voters
That’s it. That’s where white supremacy gets its maddening staying power. It's not because the racists are so powerful or that racism is endemic to America. It's because white liberals have decided they don't have enough time to commit a few hours a month to organizing.
An entire vile, evil edifice remains institutionalized, because we’ve decided we don’t have time to take it down. We've have decided that we're just as happy being “right” as we would be if we were actually doing good.
If you're ready to do the work, but don't know where to begin, write me a note in the comments. I'd also be interested to know how, in your little section of the culture, you think we could normalize the practice of community organizing. What if community organizing was as culturally acceptable as yoga is for white liberals? Share your thoughts.
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