Anti-Racist

If a white supremacist pushes a Black man into the river,
And he’s drowning because he doesn’t know how to float,
And if the other Black men standing on the bank
Don’t know how to swim either,
Who’s going to rescue him?

Only if there’s another white man standing beside them,
Who knows how to swim—maybe he can save him.
But it’s going to be dangerous, because he’ll get wet,
And in the ensuing struggle,
They both might drown.

That’s how difficult it is
To overcome racism—
You’ve got to put your life at risk.

White Supremacy: Same Dog, Same Tricks—Time to Change the Training

Let’s talk about whether the US is fundamentally racist….

This Is What Happens When You Adultify Black Children

Op-Ed: Conservatives have tricked themselves with reverse psychology: “If everybody’s a racist, nobody’s a racist.” Since they are living in denial, they have undermined the Constitution’s First Amendment—freedom of assembly and the right to petition the government—by watering down “Black Lives Matter” to “All Lives Matter.”
Everybody rationalizes when they don’t understand or justify what they can’t control. Everything is perception, and people tend to respond defensively in a mixed environment. For example, affluent parents can take their white children out of the public school system and enroll them in “school choice” to escape racism. However, the minority child is often left behind. Ironically, to the privileged child, the word “racist” becomes a joke or an insult—something desensitized and meaningless, or merely a token label.
Systemic racism becomes deeply ingrained in our institutions when polite society tolerates harmful policies and etiquette rules implemented by white supremacists. American culture is like a moving walkway in an airport—pulling toward racism and white privilege. Even if you’re standing still and not actively attacking minority groups, you’re being pulled in that direction. Until you turn around and move in the opposite direction—opposing those who spread harmful rhetoric—you are allowing Christian nationalism and other forms of intolerance to go unquestioned.
Hopefully, the Constitution will still stand when evangelicals also need its protections. However, if our Republican representatives continue cherry-picking the Amendments they choose to enforce, I doubt there will be much left of our civil rights.

Apartheid Explained | Nelson Mandela’s Battle

“Instead of being blind to race, color blindness makes people blind to racism, unwilling to acknowledge where its effects have shaped opportunity or to use race-conscious solutions to address it. Denial that racism still exists; denial that, even if it does exist, it’s to blame for the situation at hand; denial that the problem is as bad as people of color say it is — these denials are the easy outs that the dominant white narrative offers to people. Wellesley College professor Jennifer Chudy’s research finds that only one in five white Americans consistently expresses high levels of sympathy about anti-Black discrimination.
Color blindness has become a powerful weapon against progress for people of color, but as a denial mindset, it doesn’t do white people any favors, either. A person who avoids the realities of racism doesn’t build the crucial muscles for navigating cross-cultural tensions or recovering with grace from missteps. That person is less likely to listen deeply to unexpected ideas expressed by people from other cultures or to do the research on her own to learn about her blind spots.” Excerpt from: Why saying “I don’t see race at all” just makes racism worse.

“It would twist the minds of men, as greed and self-reverence eclipsed human conscience and allowed the conquering men to take land and human bodies that they convinced themselves they had a right to. If they were to convert this wilderness and civilize it to their liking, they decided, they would need to conquer, enslave or remove the people already on it, and transport those they deemed lesser beings in order to tame and work the land to extract the wealth that lay in the rich soil and shorelines.
To justify their plans, they took pre-existing notions of their own centrality, reinforced by their self-interested interpretation of the Bible, and created a hierarchy of who could do what, who could own what, who was on top and who was on the bottom and who was in between. There emerged a ladder of humanity, global in nature, as the upper-rung people would descend from Europe, with rungs inside that designation – the English Protestants at the very top, as their guns and resources would ultimately prevail in the bloody fight for North America. Everyone else would rank in descending order, on the basis of their proximity to those deemed most superior. The ranking would continue downward until one arrived at the very bottom: African captives transported in order to build the New World and to serve the victors for all their days, one generation after the next, for 12 generations.
There developed a caste system, based upon what people looked like – an internalized ranking, unspoken, unnamed and unacknowledged by everyday citizens even as they go about their lives adhering to it and acting upon it subconsciously, to this day. Just as the studs and joists and beams that form the infrastructure of a building are not visible to those who live in it, so it is with caste. Its very invisibility is what gives it power and longevity. And though it may move in and out of consciousness, though it may flare and reassert itself in times of upheaval and recede in times of relative calm, it is an ever-present through-line in the country’s operation.” Excerpt from America’s ‘untouchables’: the silent power of the caste system

Mentally Enslaved African-Americans, Who embrace the N-word talk.

“In the closing scene, Baldwin asserts that ‘I can’t be a pessimist because I’m alive, so I’m forced to be an optimist. But the future of the Negro in this country is precisely as bright or as dark as the future of the country. It is entirely up to the American people whether or not they are going to face and deal with and embrace this stranger whom they maligned so long. What white people have to do is try to find out in their own hearts why it was necessary to have a ‘nigger’ in the first place. Because I am not a nigger, I am a man! But if you think I’m a nigger, it means you need him. And the question the white population of this country has got to ask itself—North and South, because it’s one country, and for a Negro there is no difference between the North and the South. It’s just a difference in the way they castrate you, but the fact of the castration is the American fact—If I am not the nigger here, and you the white people invented him, then you’ve got to find out why. And the future of the country depends on that, whether or not it’s able to ask [itself] that question.'” Excerpt from: I Am Not Your Negro

Anti-Blackness Drives U.S. Gun Culture & Right-Wing Assault on Democracy

1 Black Radical vs 20 Black Conservatives

“In every encounter, we either give life or we drain it; there is no neutral exchange.” By: Brennan Manning

Listen to Jason Gray—Remind Me Who I Am song

Poem Analysis: The Cost of Overcoming Racism

The poem presents a stark metaphor for the profound challenges involved in confronting and overcoming racism. Through vivid imagery and allegory, it underscores the perilous nature of attempting to dismantle systemic oppression, emphasizing that such efforts often entail significant personal risk.

Summary and Interpretation

At its core, the poem depicts a Black man drowning in a river after being pushed in by a white supremacist. The other Black men on the bank are unable to assist because they don’t know how to swim, and the only potential rescuer is a white man who knows how to swim but risks getting wet—and potentially drowning himself—while trying to save the victim. The poem concludes that overcoming racism is an arduous endeavor that requires risking one’s life.

Historical Context

Historically, efforts to challenge entrenched systems of racial oppression have often come at great personal and collective cost. During the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, activists like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and countless others risked imprisonment, violence, and even death to fight for racial equality. The imagery of risking one’s life echoes the real dangers faced by those who challenged systemic injustice, illustrating that progress often demands sacrifice.

Furthermore, the metaphor of drowning symbolizes the perilous nature of confronting systemic racism. Historically, efforts to desegregate schools, end discriminatory laws, or challenge racist ideologies have been met with violent opposition, as seen in events like the Birmingham campaign or the violent reaction to protests. The poem captures this reality, suggesting that those who stand against racism often do so at great personal danger.

Psychological Perspectives

From a psychological standpoint, the poem highlights the concept of social and personal risk involved in confronting deeply ingrained biases and systemic injustice. According to Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory, change often requires courage to challenge existing norms, which can evoke fear and anxiety. The act of risking one’s safety aligns with the idea that social change necessitates stepping outside comfort zones and confronting potential threats.

Moreover, the poem touches on collective psychological phenomena such as bystander apathy and diffusion of responsibility. The Black men on the bank represent individuals who are unable or unwilling to act due to their own limitations or fear, which is common in real-world situations where witnesses fail to intervene. The poem suggests that only someone with the capability (the other white man who can swim) and willingness to take risks can make a difference, emphasizing individual responsibility in social change.

The Moral and Emotional Dilemma

The poem also explores the moral dilemma faced by those who seek justice: “You’ve got to put your life at risk.” This reflects the reality that moral courage often involves risking personal safety for the greater good. Psychological research on moral courage indicates that individuals who stand up against injustice experience stress, fear, and potential backlash but are driven by a sense of moral duty.

In conclusion, the poem powerfully encapsulates the perilous journey of confronting racism, emphasizing that progress often comes with significant personal risk. Its historical references underscore that such sacrifices are not new but are woven into the fabric of social justice movements. Psychologically, it highlights the courage required to challenge systemic oppression and the risks of inaction. Ultimately, the poem serves as a sobering reminder that overcoming racism demands unwavering commitment and the willingness to face danger head-on.