The conflation of material success with ‘whiteness’ is reminiscent of the guidelines issued by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, which claimed that ‘white culture’ is defined by qualities such as independence, rational thought, hard work, respect for authority and politeness. According to the Smithsonian’s guide, even the tradition of the ‘King’s English’ is a Trojan horse for white supremacy. Many black people were naturally outraged at the implication that such positive traits were alien to them, yet this sort of bigotry of low
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