White People Have An Opportunity to Make a Difference Now

White people alone must confront white nationalism and white nationalist extremism. It’s an opportunity they must take.

Somehow White America can simply move on from a bomb that leveled a city block in Nashville in a month and an attack on the U.S. Capitol within two weeks. Like it’s nothing. Meanwhile, as dozens of threats on far-right message boards continue to be exposed every day, White America has lost interest.

Where are the screenshots of far-right posts everyone was giggling about a week ago? I think I know what’s happening. Let me see if I understand how this works. Joe Biden gets inaugurated and all is right in the world. Did I get that right? What do I win?

Hello?

White people?

You there?

All teasing aside, that’s the harsh reality of what’s happening right now. It’s as apparent on social media as it is in big media. Most of mainstream America (read: White people) has moved on from the imminent threat of white nationalist terrorism. Joe Biden was sworn in and despite its awkwardness, the inauguration was inspiring. I get it. I really do. But let’s be real. The threat of extremist activity against non-White people, statehouses, and infrastructure still exists. All Biden has done so far is sign some executive orders. It’s not like he alone can do anything to stop hateful extremism.

It’s a social issue that White America has to fix.

There are lots of calls for unity. We saw it throughout the inauguration and we’re hearing it from the same people who bullied ‘libtards’ for five years. How then, does one propose we unite with those who hate us? Are we supposed to just forget about all of that? What about the racial slurs and near-constant threats to our lives? Suddenly we’re supposed to be the good guys and extend a hand because White people demand it? You’re kidding, right?

Look, we can’t.

To be frank, I won’t.

I will have no part in asking the Black community to make peace with the kind of people who defend Ahmaud Arbery’s murderers. I will have no part in asking the Latino community to reconcile with the half of the country that thinks we don’t belong here. I will have no part in asking Black Lives Matter, a civil rights movement, to come to terms with those who attacked them with racist rhetoric, hateful propaganda, and intimidation through physical confrontation.

No, America. I want no part in any of that and I’m not sorry.

A Tragic Tale of Unfettered White Supremacy

Let me be clear. Based on my lived experiences and the academic knowledge I’ve gained along the way while investigating extremist hate groups, their members, and their differing ideologies, I do not believe the vast majority of extremists will ever truly change. They can’t change. Their beliefs so deeply ingrained that their minds are programmed to discount reality and stick to their ideologies. Made worse when bolstered by the rhetoric we hear from political pundits every day.

Look at it like this: in order to get Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) to the table, the tens of millions of racist White folks need to have their ‘come to Jesus’ and face the hard conversations. Until then, there can be no real unity and you can’t expect BIPOC to do this work. This is an issue only White America can fix simply due to proximity. There is no other group in America within the vicinity of hateful extremists as other (not-racist) White people.

Someone has to get in their face, call them out, and make them uncomfortable for once. Force them to address their bigotry and justify it. Make them realize how stupid some of what they say and what they believe sounds. Maybe such a shock to the system is needed to bring some of these folks back to reality. While I question whether this will make a difference on a larger scale, it’s on Team White America to make a concerted effort to start confronting the hate among them.

It’s not an easy task. I know it all too well.

Making a difference will be difficult because so many openly and arrogantly admit their racism and don’t care to change. There isn’t much you could say to convince people who wantonly live in that mindset. They won’t listen to logic. They don’t value reason. And it’s clear that there are more bigots in America than White people will admit. In fact, after witnessing what we have over the last five years, it feels like the numbers are higher than experts think.

Much, much higher.

As a Cuban, dealing with racism in our family was fairly commonplace. I say was, because, since many of the oldest in our family have passed away, so did their hate. Don’t get me wrong, we still have some issues from time to time, but they are confronted. It takes putting on a brave face and preparing to stand your ground — and then standing it. Facing down your father or uncle or cousin or coworker about a sensitive topic such as race is a feat unto itself.

But it must be done. Continuously and in a concerted fashion.

Regardless of whether we think we can convince those who hold racist beliefs to see the light or not, it’s worth trying. It should be as uncomfortable for them as it is for you. Especially if they’re the “I’m not racist, but” types. Level the playing field and make sure they’re more uncomfortable than you are. There’s no singular way to approach bigots in your proximity. Each situation is different. Sometimes it’s as simple as telling Grandma to stop repeating something that’s clearly racist and she obliges. Other times you may be met with aggression. No two cases are identical.

You have to find a way in and exploit it.

The Limitations of White Supremacy

White supremacy has proven time and again to have limits. Inevitably White people have to attack other White people to achieve their goals. For example, the Capitol invasion. They didn’t just attack and injure dozens of their own supposed allies, They killed five of them and attempted to murder more, including lawmakers. One of those killed was a police officer which white nationalists claim allegiance to. White supremacy reached its limits on January 6, 2021, and it imploded in their faces.

Now, even they know they’re no patriots. They’re traitors. That’s how the majority of the nation sees them. The country they thought would rise up behind them sees them as cowards who couldn’t take an election loss and act out in a white nationalist temper tantrum. They reached a point where their own actions are working against them no matter what they do. There is not much they can say or do to convince the population at large to hear them out.

That won’t stop them though.

They still have plenty of channels to spread their hate. They still have millions of followers who hang on every word on online message boards. Most of them can’t hide. They need funds to operate. Funds that are raised by their followers, some of whom are quite wealthy. Members of these movements aren’t all poor, uneducated, white-trash from the trailer park as many of you believe. Plenty of them are well educated, upper-middle-class, and middle-class supporters who spend a lot of money. Many supporters are also some of the wealthiest people in the world.

Regardless of the demographics, the one commonality they share is that they are hateful White people with the sole aim of sowing chaos and discord. Despite their differences in ideologies, this is where hateful extremists and extremist groups align. They want to burn it all down in order to advance their perceived power over minority populations.

Nearly all hateful extremists believe they have been gifted dominion over those they deem unfit. And despite their spin, that’s what all of this is really about: White, Christian, Colonialist supremacy over everyone else.

The real change will start to happen when White America begins to look in the mirror and confronts the hate in their own house. There is no better time than the present — when it appears that so many are questioning what they believed in (QAnon). If there was ever an opportunity to talk some of these extremists down, it’s now.

And only White people can do it.

Arturo is an anti-racist political nerd, journalist, and founder of The Antagonist Magazine. He is a top writer on racism on Medium and a regular contributor to several news media outlets. If you’d like to learn more about the issues covered here, follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram or read some of the related material below. You can also support his work here