Here's an idea: How about we try segregating people by race? Have we tried that before? It feels like we've tried that before.
The King County Library System in Washington State decided to try it believing that the only way you can reduce racism is by being more racist.
You know, explicitly racist. Jim Crow racist. Robert Byrd Exalted Cyclops racist.
It's worth pointing out that King County is named after Martin Luther King, Jr. Remember him? "Content of our character" and "not by the color of our skin" Martin Luther King, Jr.? Yeah, him.
This current fascination with segregation appears to be spreading, not just in Washington State, but to various college campuses such as Rice University and The University of Kentucky.
Sure, separating people by race is explicitly racist and wrong on every level and in every way, but as long as we're going to do it, lets make sure we are condescending to the people of color while stigmatizing the white people. We can do this by separating them into two groups:
- Healing Space for Staff of Color
- White Accountability Space
The white group was provided "materials" that included a list of 41 ways in which they are awful.
This list of "Common racist behaviors and attitudes of white people" include:
- Interrupt and talk over people of color.
- Rephrase or reword the comments of people of color.
- Ask people of color to repeat what they have just said.
- Look to people of color for direction, education, and coaching on how to act or what not to do.
Basically, they are instructing white people that in order to avoid these racist behaviors, they need to walk on eggshells and act more distant and formal with people of color.
Which reminds me, that is also racist.
- "Walk on eggshells" and act more distant and formal with people of color.
What if you think this is all impossibly divisive, relies on a collectivist worldview that you reject, robs people of agency and in so doing dehumanizes them?
You're not permitted to because you're racist.
On a lighter note:
