Here’s What Racism Has to Do with White People

Most white people consider only a very limited definition of Racism.

They tend to think of Racism as something that is conscious and intentional. They also tend to think it’s an action on the part of one individual, or perhaps a small “hate group.” That means they don’t recognize Racism if we define it any other way. If it’s not conscious, intentional or coming from an individual, they don’t recognize it as racism. If they’re doing something they’re not aware of, or that they don’t mean to do, they think, “I’m not racist” and they mean it. If they don’t feel the effects of societal discrimination, they think those forces don’t exist.

I used to use a very limited definition of Racism too.

I’m writing this article because I used to be one of those white people. But I’ve since learned a ton about race and Racism. There’s a huge difference between stuff that happens on the individual level and societal levels. I’m hoping that this essay will help white folks better understand what structural racism is, and what it means to be privileged. It took me years of formal and informal education to understand this stuff, and I was seeking it out. There’s a lot to understand, so here goes.

Let’s take a sociological perspective.