Call me dumb or naïve but I’m consistently surprised by the attempt by whites on the left to evoke and embrace the ‘colorblind’ society. It’s a challenge for me as a person of African descent, to do politics with the white left that far from fighting the notion of white supremacy, on too many occasions, instead participates in racist power dynamics. Dealing with racism all day-everyday, I tend to see manifestations of it in interpersonal interactions and other social dynamics where whites observe the same dynamic in race neutral terms. This point is difficult to overstate as it determines the basic framework in which race is discussed and dealt with. The disparity between the number of instances in which black folks see and are confronted with racism to the number of times whites see and are confronted with it creates a psychological mismatch predisposing whites to adopting an ‘oh, that again’ state of mind to issues regarding race. That, in conjunction with other socioeconomic factors, I believe, is the reason for the de facto political segregation that attendance to any three progressive meetings or events in the Atlanta area, will make resoundingly clear to any doubter.
This difference in experiences and thus consciousness around the perniciousness of racism creates a mental framework, I feel comfortable in saying most of the white left resides in, that asks, ‘what’s the big deal?’
This environment, perhaps especially for political black folks, is so toxic and psychologically violent that as to make the white left, as a socio-political vehicle, not only inadequate but wholly unpalatable. And it’s important to point out that the response of nonparticipation to this unpalatable environment is for only a small minority, an act of protest. For most black folks, non-participation in racist white social dynamics is a function of psychological survival and sustainability. I say this for those thinking this was describing some bougie black political class boycotting white politics as a form of upper crust protest. No. Living lives where the psychological violence of racism is an everyday, every hour, fact of life avoidance of racially toxic environments is as natural as would be switching lanes from behind a emissions failing 18 wheeler billowing plume after plume of black smoke through your car. Duh. Of course you avoid it.
And then there are some who don’t switch lanes but instead roll up their windows and hold their breaths for as long as possible, trying to cover as much ground as they can before eventually bailing to come up for air. And still more, there are those that that don’t pull over and learn to breathe shallow, possessing seemingly indefinite immunity to the toxicity. But no one is immune and everyone is affected. Not even the racist offenders, who are no more responsible for the situation as is the guy/gal driving for the company that won’t fix its polluting semis. Yeah, he could pull over, leave the truck on the side of the road and start walking. But he’s heavily invested in the enterprise. He’s got a family to provide for, his pride to maintain and doesn’t want to be trouble for those he would rather by accepted by. None of that changes the facts of what it is he’s participating in. He didn’t make the shitty system of trucks. He was a hire. But in the end, he’s accountable for the predictable consequences of his actions. Knowing what the company is, knowing what the system of trucks is doing, he’s accountable.
