Challenging Racism and the Problem with White "Allies": A Conversation with David Leonard - Youngist

some important points within this piece:

"The idea of white allies also reinscribes the idea that whites have a choice as to whether to fight racism, to fight white supremacy. And while this may be true, it turns any agitation into a choice worthy of celebration....

As if participation in struggle or consciousness cancels out whiteness, privilege, and position within America’s white supremacist hierarchy The notion of being an ally supersedes the necessary space of accountability. As whites engaged in political work, justice work, and work that challenges white supremacy, we must be accountable to the struggles for justice, to communities of color, to organizations on frontlines, and to the work being done.

and this:

When we talk about white supremacy, we need to focus on the structural violence directed at communities of color – we are talking about issues of life and death, from healthcare to food insecurity, from labor exploitation to systems of mass incarceration. Segregation, state-sanctioned violence, war, poverty, racism – white supremacy operates through and within global injustice. White people are not suffering in any of these contexts. As it relates to the criminal justice system, health, economic security, wealth, or education, white people are not hurt by racism. Recognizing intersectionality and varied levels of privilege, racism empowers, privileges, and protects white America. To claim otherwise is factually inaccurate and troubling....I do think it is important to talk about racism, how ideologies of white supremacy invariably lead to injustice and violence within particular white communities.

Challenging Racism and the Problem with White "Allies": A Conversation with David Leonard - Youngist