White Victimization

I was on Salon.com today and they had a piece talking about how conservative CNN commentator Glenn Beck feels that he “can’t win” because he is “American[],” “white,” “Christian,” and “conservative.” In case you misunderstood him, Beck went on to say, “I mean, I was talking about it with my family yesterday. I said, ‘I’m tired of being the least popular person in the world.’”  Now I trust that most readers of this site, (regardless of background) think that this type of language is inflammatory, repulsive and disrespectful. I would agree.

However, as I reflect on how the affirmative action fight went down in Michigan, I try to imagine the conversations that White couples had in bed when they could unload their deepest prejudices without fear of being judged. I am sure many conversations revolved around feeling victimized.

“Why can’t they just get in on their own merits?”

“If my kid is smarter then a Black kid, why are they being penalized for being White?”

What bothers me though is how easy it is to take on the victim role. If we all agree that (and I think most would) there is still institutional and systemic racism that plague Black people and other communities of color, then certainly there are groups that benefit, correct? I wish the benefits were more highlighted. Thankfully, there is a book entitle, “Black Wealth/White Wealth” that will learn you to realities you always had an inkling about, but didn’t want to know.

Nevertheless, for an example of how popular being a victim is, there are many Whites that will vote against affirmative action policies even when they are confronted with information explaining that White women are the biggest beneficiaries.

That shows me that it’s not just about being ignorant, because the feeling of being victimized has caused White people to vote against their own interests. I don’t want to get caught up in the affirmative action debate per se, but I think that debate provides an interesting and probing look into perceived white victimization.

I think comedian Paul Mooney said it best when he said, “Everybody wants to be a n-word, but nobody wants to be a n-word.” I just don’t know why, being a victim is not fun. Someone please help me understand.

Stay up fam,

Brandon Q.

April 3rd, 2007 | Race

2 comments

David & B, y’all make great points.

What gets me is that the ability for people and politicians to juxtapose this white victimization with white guilt does nothing but keep Black folks’ heads spinning in a vertigo of white supremacy.

Comment by Garlin II — June 29, 2007 @ 10:17 am

Good call! I have noticed this trend on the right growing more and more centrist. Especially on Fox news, they appear to be taking a lesson from the left and it’s ongoing intellectual enslavement of African-Americans through the use of the victimization pacifier.

Now I see it in the main stream right. White victimization is no longer the domain of terrorists like the KKK. Suddenly, now Don Imus is a martyr. And white Americans are buying this bullcrap hook, line and sinker!

This shouldn’t come as a big surprise since we are all the same.

The politicians will constantly herd us into these groups for their own gain. Black/White, Muslim/Christian, Pro-Choice/Pro-Life. They are carrots on sticks that we blindly follow, corralled into mobs of power, exploited by the influential manipulators that bleed the ensuing anger for money and votes before casting us aside when they land softly in the comfy seats of power.

Perhaps soon, we’ll all wake up to the fact that we are being coerced into pigeon holes of skin color, ideology, and economic cast and see our leaders for who they really are.

Comment by David Bennett — June 27, 2007 @ 12:28 pm