Willful Blindness
History is not the past, history is the present. We carry our history with us. To think otherwise is criminal. -James Baldwin
Nothing fancy here. Just a straighforward public service announcement.
Whiteness is a dangerous, violent concept. It isn’t about skin color. It’s not even about race. I mean, it is, and it isn’t. Fundamentally it’s the symbol of those appearances and lineages used to implement a willful blindness used to justify white supremacy. Whiteness mutates as the needs of the shape of the hegemony of whiteness shifts. It’s a deft chameleon. It is about using moral rhetoric to defend exploitation, racism, mass murder, reigns of terror and the crimes of empire. It is necessary to justify the sins needed to satisfy our ancestors’ greed and our comfort.
This is the history of whiteness. Reckon with it and see yourself as you truly are.
Then, build a better world.
For context, I’m white and latinx. I’m a first generation immigrant to the U.S.A. from Venezuela and of Spanish descent. This is my history.
Further Reading/Watching:
- 🎥 I Am Not Your Negro - 2016 documentary film directed by Raoul Peck, based on James Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript Remember This House.
- 📺 Toni Morrison on Charlie Rose (1993)
- 📑The Social Construction ofWhiteness: Racism by Intent,Racism by Consequence - Teresa J. Guess
- 📺 The Event: How Racist Are You? with Jane Elliott (Channel 4)
🎶 Currently listening to:
Rothko - For Danny