Dear white people, I don’t like educating you about racism

You may enjoy the banter, but you know that it harms me.

A few days ago, I got into a heated discussion with a white man. He made some blatantly racist comments about Black people. After my response, which included telling him why what he said was racist and a request not to lump together all nonwhite people under the “POC” moniker, he said…

“I really enjoy having my beliefs challenged.”

Well, that makes one of us, buddy.

I’m realizing that many of these discussions, white people see as sport. It’s something to challenge their intellect. The problem is that racism has little to do with intellect. Learned people can be just as racist as anyone else. Racism is alluring to white people because it allows them to quickly dismiss history, society and violence.

Maybe that’s why they enjoy bantering about racism with nonwhite people. It’s mostly to “educate” us while entertaining themselves. I’ve yet to meet anyone who’s experienced racism that believes there’s anything entertaining about it. Those of us willing to educate you don’t do it for your enjoyment.

We do it for our lives.

If white people who vehemently defend themselves when called “racist” spent even half that time with their mouths closed and their minds open, we would have made at least some headway fighting racism. I guess you’re too busy enjoying yourselves because you refuse to listen to anything we have to say. You find our anger funny. You find our hurt mystifying.

And that, my friends, is white violence.

I’m not letting white people off the hook. You know it’s harmful, and you still do it. I don’t excuse white nonsense and say you simply don’t know better. Many of you know exactly the harm you cause, and still you choose that behavior. It makes you feel superior to us, right?

You fail to understand we don’t see you that way. You’ve never been superior to us. Your moral compass barely functions. Your need to hurt us overrides your need to understand us. What is there for us to envy? Your whiteness? No, even though our lives would be easier, most Black folks have no interest in being white. We see what you do, and we want no part of it.

Don’t misunderstand us wanting you to educate yourselves with wanting your approval or acceptance. We’re not here to beg you for anything. Educate yourselves, or don’t educate yourselves. Either way, we’re not going anywhere. Do I want you to do better? Yes. You can educate yourselves through resources and white allies who do the work. You also can read my articles. But let me be clear on one thing.

I’m not here for your entertainment. My life is not a game.

Follow me on Twitter: @LeciaMichelle11.