White people love asking, “why does everything have to be about race?” The truth? Nearly everything IS about race, and white supremacy made it this way. Here’s how to respond the next time they ask this ridiculous question.
Lie #1: Housing Is Fair
The USA has a long history of housing discrimination, redlining, and residential racial segregation. The federal government ranked neighborhoods by their “risk” levels. Black areas were considered the “most risky,” which directly affected homeownership and the overall condition of our communities today. Home ownership has a HUGE impact on the wealth gap!
Lie #2: Healthcare Is Fair
Black people in the USA are more likely to have lower-quality healthcare, leading to lower life expectancy and diseases like high blood pressure. Just one example: in both the US and the UK, Black women are 3-4 times more likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth!
Lie #3: We Commit More Crimes
Wrong! The criminal legal system is just as racist as everything else. Black people aren’t committing more crimes than anyone else – we’re just nearly five times more likely to be incarcerated than whites.
Lie #4: Racism Is Just An American Issue
Racism and its many facets, like colorism, are global. Historically darker-skinned folks have experienced the harshest forms of oppression – no matter the country. In Latin America, colorism against Afro-Latinos is common, and even in Palestine, Afro-Palestineans often experience disproportionate police brutality.
Whites have always tried to downplay the impact of race. Speaking the truth about the everyday impacts of racism is necessary for challenging all systems of oppression.