I know (sadly) that I have to preface this diary by saying that I am not White, I’m Black. And I say sadly because if I were a White man, I don’t think my opinion on this topic would be heard by many — so as a Black man, in this particular space which is somewhat different than the rest of society, I feel the need to speak up and speak out about what I’m seeing here.
So look… I grew up experiencing racism as a near daily aspect of my life both indirectly and directly. From a very young age I learned quickly what racism was, what it looked like, the tone people would use to convey ideas that were racist, and how they’d shrug off any accusation of racism as if to say “who me? Never!”
And having experienced so much hate directed towards me, my mother, and those around me; I resolved myself to always pointing out racism wherever I saw it, and in any of it’s forms.
Coming here to Daily Kos today, to start my daily routine, I was disappointed (again) seeing the #FiveWhiteGuys hashtag repeated on the front page, by the DKos staff. Clicking on the article looking for some nuanced opinion or justification, I found that the author genuinely believed that being a White man was reason enough to call into question the intent and motivations of the group of centrist Democrats opposing Nancy Pelosi.
Now, to be clear; I’m about as far away from a centrist Democrat as can be imagined! Haha.. I’m also not a fan, politically-speaking, of Marcia Fudge (I’ve met her more than once actually, and I assume she’s a good person; but I have questions about her commitment to LGBTQ equal rights — I and others could be misunderstanding her past positions though?).
But with that being said, unlike the modern-day Republican Party, we Democrats are a big tent party; and we have always had moderate positions and politicians within the party. And I promise you, prior to the election, not a single person here would have conveyed this kind of angst or anger towards someone running as a Democrat — so why 10 days removed do our attitudes change? We know there are centrists in the party, we know their priorities are different than the liberal or otherwise progressive wings of the party. This shouldn’t come as a shock.
So why now do we focus on the race (White) and gender (male) of the more conservative members, who yes, happen to be predominantly White, in order to somehow invalidate their arguments?
Why just 10 days removed from an election where Democrats kicked ass can we not listen to members of our own caucus rather than castigating them for being “White guys” as if that was a bad thing?
Who cares if they’re White? They’re among a minority of White men who identify with and run as Democrats to support a broader, more inclusive and diverse agenda.
Just because they are White, and just because they are male, doesn’t mean what they have to say matters any less than anyone else — particularly when what they’re talking about has literally nothing to do with matters of race or gender.
Like, I understand the argument that sometimes White folks cannot understand the realities of minorities; and that they should listen to those around them telling them about their experiences. But that race consciousness seems to be getting exploited here and to great effect in order to try and silence opposition to Nancy Pelosi (who will be very likely be Speaker).
I would think, as liberals, progressives, and broadly as Democrats, we would reject racism in all it’s forms; and that includes outright racist rhetoric against White people — and yes, even White men (ooh)..
tl;dr: guys, let’s give it a rest with the anger towards White men. Like, this is what right-wingers do towards Black men, 24/7. I see it all the time, non-stop. I really don’t want to see it among ostensibly like-minded individuals here where I try to get away from the everyday racism you see all over the internet.