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My partner told me this morning about a post on Facebook that mentions white voters and Trump, and the comment under the post was “not all white people.”
I swear he told me that, and I’m sure it happens many times a day. Not all white people say, or type, “not all white people.” But if they do, it’s typically a bad tactic. The “not all” statements that white people draft and send to Black people or people of color are unhelpful.
If I write, “white America is racist,” the worst part of the sentence is the word racist. Personal identity is not always the worst part of a bad reality. People should focus on, and correct, the worst part. The reality of racism should outrage people.
If someone then says, “not all white people,” it’s like demanding a recount that will not change the outcome. When the verdict is clear, there really is no need to poll every juror and ask them personally if this is their verdict.
Often the people who want to put a dagger — instead of an exclamation point — at the bottom of a statement made by someone trying to survive and thrive are not the ones in danger of daggers.
