The editor of New Sacred, a blog run by the United Church of Christ (UCC), attempted to tackle a controversial topic in a blog post last week: white privilege. Whether or not the blog post generated much change, it certainly drew plenty of attention and fueled additional controversy by asserting that white people were racist, “No matter what.”
Marchaé Grair, also social media associate at the UCC, called on “anti-racism allies” – specifically, white readers – “to confront the ways you may also be racist.” Grair, who is African-American, offered ten steps “to reject your white privilege.” It was her tenth step that created the biggest stir: “Recognize that you’re still racist. No matter what.”
Like her other nine points, Grair defended this assertion at length. She argued even “anti-racist allies” enjoyed privileges from a system based on centuries of racism. She said it was impossible to “disconnect” from the racist system of privilege, regardless of how “anti-racist” they actually were as a person, since “white people always benefit” from this system:
Sometimes, anti-racist allies talk in an “us vs. them” framework when they discuss race, with the “us” being POC and anti-racist allies and the “them” being racist people. That’s an oversimplification of centuries of racism, and it also avoids one simple truth. White people always benefit from institutionalized racism, no matter how anti-racist your ideologies may be. You can’t disconnect yourself completely from the racism from which you benefit, and recognizing that is a large step in rejecting white privilege.
The UCC shared an infographic with all ten steps from Grair’s blog on its Facebook page:
The blog elicited some strong reactions and skeptical responses. Trump-supporting CNN contributor Jeffrey Lord mentioned Grair’s post during a rant on air June 7. But Lord apparently has no problem throwing around the “racist” label himself. He even used the term to describe Paul Ryan and other Republicans, also on CNN.
In perhaps a more thoughtful response, one tweeter questioned Grair’s premise: “You seem to equate ‘benefiting from racism’ w/ ‘being racist’ -am I reading you right?” While Grair refrained from answering specifically, she encouraged “white folks to do some self-examination instead of thinking I’m a Google resource” during the ongoing Twitter conversation on June 6.
Comment by Gary Kleeman on June 8, 2016 at 2:56 pm
This Social Justice Warrior action is a typical agitprop (agitation propaganda) action used by the United Church of Christ (UCC). The UCC is nothing more than a progressive Alinskyite, Leftist group that uses religion as a disguise to advance Socialism. It’s amazing with what they get away with as a “church”.
Comment by Mark Brooks on June 8, 2016 at 4:43 pm
To assert that all white people are racist is profoundly racist, at least according the ordinary definition of racism:
: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
: racial prejudice or discrimination
per Merriam-Webster. The Oxford English Dictionary has essentially the same definition.
However, for the Left, racism is something only white people can practice, a profoundly racist idea and one that has nothing to do with the ordinary meaning of the word, or its history. But since the goal is to cover for racism by redefining the term, we can describe it as a kind of Orwellian “Newspeak”, where you either have the “bellyfeel” for the concept or you don’t.
Hence the futility of the Twitter exchange. Right-thinkers don’t engage in facts and logic. So far as they are concerned, they can have their own facts, not just their own opinions. Redefining racism to provide cover to racism becomes a moral imperative in such a irrational mindset. The thinking becomes ideological, which is to say tribal, and not rational. There is no dialog with the depraved minds of the unregenerate, as anyone who has read Romans understands.
Comment by The Dove on June 8, 2016 at 5:52 pm
I know this has been pointed out before, but it bears repeating: the liberal churches, who pride themselves on their racial diversity and inclusiveness, whose seminary faculties are usually on 50 percent white, or less: they have fewer non-white members than most evangelical churches do. If you want to see “white privilege” on a Sunday morning, take a peek at an Episcopal church or ELCA or UCC or PCUSA. These are clubs for white liberals. The Episcopalians elected their first black presiding bishop last year – they’re preening about their “diversity,” but they’re still lily white on the outside and eco-green and socialist-red on the inside.
Comment by T_Ford on June 8, 2016 at 7:02 pm
Sorry Marchae’ but I don’t give a rats ass about your judgmental rantings. I’m certainly no more racist than YOU are. So check your own racism and get outta my face!
Comment by Gary Kleeman on June 10, 2016 at 8:19 am
Comrades, the United Church of Christ will re-educate you.
“The United Church of Christ, anticipating a late summer release of “White Privilege – Let’s Talk,” an adult education curriculum designed to invite members to engage in safe, meaningful, substantive and bold conversations on race, is launching a series of free webinars on the subject in June, in partnership with the Center for Progressive Renewal.”
http://www.ucc.org/news_ucc_curriculum_white_privilege_encourages_sacred_conversations_on_race_05232016