It’s an odd day for me when I watch white people, especially grown men, come undone over a publisher’s decision to pull a book, especially one about “Captain Underpants.”
Worried about the tax plan the state is pushing to pass that will cut funding to much needed nonprofits, universities, and programs? No? Well, are you concerned at all about how high the sales tax will increase with this, leaving us to pay more for everyday necessities? No again? But let a publisher respond to a recent heinous attack on Asian people and all hell breaks loose? Gotcha. I never knew so many grown men were such big fans of “Captain Underpants.”
Why are we, as white people, suddenly so damn fragile? Or have we always been and social media is the tool to bring it to light? Actually, that is kind of a stupid question because we have always been. We’ve always been the race that deserved all the good things in life simply because we are white. “White privilege” means that we may not have an easy life but the color of our skin doesn’t create the difficulties. I don’t know why that’s so hard a pill for us to swallow.
My eighth grader did a social studies report last week on race inequities. We were riding in the car when she randomly says, “Hey, mom. Did you know that black families make less money now than they did in 2000?” She had a few facts that rolled right off her tongue seamlessly. Why? Because the inequity upset her. She can’t understand why we still allow people to be treated so differently based on the color of their skin.
I thought I was one of the coolest white people around until I started to examine my own white supremacist views after the death of George Floyd. I quickly realized that our country is designed for us to continue these views throughout the generations. We’re not taught real Black American history. I was 48 years old when I first learned of Black Wall Street and 49 when I learned about the absolute destruction of it, thanks to a show on HBO Max.
I have a list of things I want to learn about in terms of racism that is a mile long. Advocating for social justice means I have to be aware of how injustice affects each of us, including race. In fact, blacks are so disproportionately affected by every social ill that I’m questioning any white person who thinks they’re righteous and won’t educate themselves. I get it; It’s uncomfortable to have your hidden ugly side exposed, especially when you had failed to even acknowledge that you had such an ugly side.
But here we are. White people feel as if it’s stupid for the picture on a bottle of pancake syrup changed. You would think from the response that each and every white household in America used that particular brand. Suddenly, we were all attached to it and were declaring that changing it was the dumbest thing we’d ever heard, not realizing that arguing about it was a lot dumber. We didn’t feel as if anyone’s voice or opinion was as important as ours, and what other reason was there for such a reaction other than our supremacist beliefs? Supremacy exists whether we admit to it or not.
I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve been called a snowflake in the past four years. Hateful white folks are so sure that they’re right that they’ll attack anyone who disagrees. At some point we have to ask ourselves what we’re so determined to protect and why. What exactly is it that makes us so upset about kneeling or pancake bottles? Because if you answer something to the effect of “(they) are always complaining about something” then you’re part of the problem.
I’m thinking that white men are the only demographic which has never had to fight for their right to vote. Granted, there were rules at one time that you had to own property, but guess who owned all the property? Yep, white men. We even paint a picture here that all women were given the right to vote at the same time, which is not true. White women were all given the right to vote at the same time.
I don’t know what it’s going to take to end racism, but I know that I feel it’s my responsibility to work toward that end as a white woman. I need to use my white privilege to help elevate black and brown voices. I need to actively seek out and support black and brown owned businesses. I need to relearn American history factually. And I need to dissociate myself from people fighting over “Captain Underpants.”
Onward,
Amy Jo
