Summary

The article expresses deep concern about the rise of white supremacy and calls for clear anti-racist stances from white individuals to ensure safety and allyship for Black people.

Abstract

The author of the article conveys a growing fear among Black individuals due to the increasing boldness of white supremacist groups, emboldened by political figures like Trump, Putin, and Bolsonaro. The piece underscores the inadequacy of passive non-racism in the current climate, emphasizing the need for explicit anti-racist actions and statements from white people. This call to action is driven by recent hate crimes, the proliferation of racist comments on anonymous platforms, and the overall surge in white supremacist activities. The author argues that for the safety of Black lives, it is crucial for white allies to actively condemn racism and engage in conversations that confront the uncomfortable reality of racism, including the presence of covert racists and white supremacists in everyday environments.

Opinions

The author believes that merely stating one is non-racist is insufficient; active anti-racist positions are necessary.
There is a palpable fear among Black people due to the rise in white supremacist activities and hate crimes.
The political climate, with leaders like Trump, is seen as validating and encouraging white supremacist ideologies.
The growth of alt-right groups and the normalization of their rhetoric are contributing to a morally precarious global situation.
Incidents such as the Christchurch mosque shooting, the El Paso shooting, and the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting are cited as evidence of the escalating violence from white supremacists.
The author points out that racists and white supremacists can be found in all areas of society, including among friends, colleagues, and in communities.
Anonymous platforms have revealed the extent of racist sentiments that exist even within seemingly progressive companies.
The author advocates for open dialogue about

Are All White People White Supremacists?

Black people need white people to be clear about whose side they are on because we are afraid. Let me explain why.

For many years, I was fine with my white friends, colleagues, and acquaintances simply inferring or even telling me they were non-racist.

That was enough proof for me, I didn’t need anything else, I believed them. But today, that is no longer enough.

I am increasingly taken aback by the number of people who endorse racist and even white supremacist views and ideology.

I realize that some people are in fact closet racist and white supremacists, hiding their real views on racism from the world. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Today, with the likes of Trump, Putin, and Bolsonaro in power, alt-right groups are thriving – ever so emboldened by the political support they receive from the highest echelons of power. They are no longer hiding their racist views and activities.

They have stepped up their recruiting efforts globally — which to me means that there is a large reservoir of people out there ready to join their ranks. This in itself is quite concerning.

The world is on a slippery moral slope – edging slowly and slowly towards a place where white supremacists feel even more validated in their quest to exterminate all those that don’t look like them.

Don't tell me that it isn’t impossible for us to get to that dark place. Take a look at Nazi Germany and the Holocaust and you’ll understand what I mean.

Once a certain switch is flipped, human beings are capable of the worst atrocities. History has shown us this time and time again. And even now, in today’s world, atrocious genocides are being committed while some of the world’s most powerful leaders turn a blind eye.

I ask my white friends to be clear about where they stand with regards to racism because I am afraid. I fear for my life and the lives of my brown children when I read and see reports about the actions of these abhorrent white supremacy groups.

Some people tell me that I am wrong to be so afraid. They say that white supremacy will never be legitimized in the societies in which we live today.

But how am I expected to believe that when I see that these groups are growing by the day? How am I to believe this when the most important leader of the free world, President Trump tells them to “stand back, stand by”?

How am I supposed to believe this when the number of hate crimes in the world is rapidly rising?

Just last year alone Muslims were killed in a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. Mexicans in a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, and in 2018, Jews at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia were murdered by members of white supremacy groups.

These tragic incidents are but a few examples of how white supremacists are becoming more and more violent and gaining more and more ground.

So yes, I am afraid. I am very afraid.

In the wake of George Floyd's murder, several companies like Linked In, Cisco Systems, and others held internal events to discuss the issues of diversity and racism.

Employees were asked to submit their questions on the topics via anonymous chat rooms and online platforms.

Companies wanted to provide a safe space for employees to express themselves and ask uncomfortable questions about racism.

Instead, several employees used these anonymous platforms to make vile racists and white supremacist remarks.

So much so that Ryan Roslansky, the CEO of Linked In said: “We are not and will not be a company or a platform where racism or hateful speech is allowed”.

What this showed so many black employees is that yes, racists and white supremacists live among us.

They can be your friends, your colleagues, your neighbors, the shopkeeper at the corner store, the bus driver, or even your university professor.

We walk alongside them on a daily basis, they are in our midst. And when I think that all they want to do is kill black people like me, then yes, I think I have every reason to be afraid.

Many people – white, black, and brown don’t like to talk about racism. It makes them uncomfortable, and I understand that.

But in the current environment, these conversations are going to have to be had because black people can not always tell who our white allies are.

There are way too many closet racists and white supremacists out there, we need to be sure who is on our side.

So yes, while it might seem like an uncomfortable exercise, it is something that any white person with black friends should do. Have that honest and candid conversation, ask uncomfortable questions, explicitly condemn racism, and ask your black friends how you can help in the fight against racism.

It’s not enough to be silently non-racist anymore, and it’s not enough to witness racism and not take a stance anymore.

If the white supremacists are preparing for a race war like they say they are, white people are going to need to chose which side they’ll be on.

Thanks for reading my perspective.