Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race

by Reni Eddo-Lodge

We tell ourselves that good people can’t be racist. We seem to think that true racism only exists in the hearts of evil people. We tell ourselves that racism is about moral values, when instead it is about the survival strategy of systemic power. When swathes of the population vote for politicians and political efforts that explicitly use racism as a campaigning tool, we tell ourselves that huge sections of the electorate simply cannot be racist, as that would render them heartless monsters. But this isn’t about good and bad people.

This is the difference between racism and prejudice. There is an unattributed definition of racism that defines it as prejudice plus power.

racism is more than a one-off incident. It’s about the world you live in, and the way you experience your environment.

whiteness as a political ideology.

Racism’s legacy does not exist without purpose. It brings with it not just a disempowerment for those affected by it, but an empowerment for those who are not. That is white privilege. Racism bolsters white people’s life chances. It affords an unearned power; it is designed to maintain a quiet dominance. Why don’t white people think they have a racial identity?

For those who identify as feminist, but have never questioned what it means to be white, it is likely the phrase white feminism applies.