David French’s self awareness is practically nonexistent. As far as I have seen in my 72 years, there is no more entitled group of people than white men. For context, I am a white woman.
I'm just an old white woman, but it would seem to me that bringing a child from Ethiopia to Tennessee (of all places) could be considered a form of child abuse. Not that racism isn't free flowing across the whole United States in one form or another, but it would seem that some states really enjoy wallowing in it (as seen in their openly racist political structures). I'm thinking that their weren't that many fellow black students in that elite school that she was sent to. And does some white person with money just assume that "I'm going to make life better for her by indoctrinating her with my white privilege? Ignoring the value the culture that she was born in? America did this for years with indigenous children. Take them from their parents, cut their hair, forbid them their own languages, make them white. Except for one obvious reason they're not white and so are treated as second class citizens anyway (it's the no win situation). And why should they be white? White can be so incredibly boring. I remember a beaten black man saying "can't we all just get along?" Getting along should not mean giving up vibrant cultures in order not to be spit upon or killed. When will we ever learn? And it's time to throw away all of those whitwashed history books and write new ones. Or instead of throwing them away, maybe have a bonfire to light our torches (and keep a pitchfork in your back pocket).
Amazing reply, so very well thought out! Have you read Isabel Wilkersons books by chance? “The Warnth of Other Suns” or Caste? Both are totally amazing and profound.
I’m guessing French didn’t attempt to expand his or his family’s circle after adopting his daughter to include families of color. That probably would have given them forewarning to expect just what happened. He failed his daughter.
It is a difficult thing to learn, as a fish, that there is water all around! Growing up in the south as a privileged white male, I didn’t know anything else. It was only when I got out of that water, studying in London that I first started “getting wet.” Will spend the rest of my life repenting and doing penance!
Omigoodness, well, welcome to the rodeo, Calamity Jane. No, white people don't get participation trophies for suddenly discovering the "lingering vestiges" of racism, or that the effects of slavery are still operating now. I will never forget wondering how to explain to people that "racism is not over" just because we elected a black president. Sigh indeed.
How do we change it? I mean this question very sincerely. With civil rights, the racism was so very obvious. Then it went underground, and somehow, because it wasn't absolutely firehose blatant, people unaffected seemed to think "Oh, that's fixed now." But, anyone with a working brain would have known it wasn't just by virtue of poverty, unemployment and prison statistics. Or, you know, actually listening to POC and simple observation. But now, it's not underground anymore--our president et al having made it "socially acceptable" once more. And man, it's way way more prevalent and severe than I thought it was. I'm not saying there hasn't been progress. But has it really been all that much? Especially in the South?
That breaks my heart, it really does. I know humans are tribal, and so there's a certain human nature to wanting to define "in" groups and "out" groups. There's also the desire to be better than someone, anyone at all. Yet, the cost. The emotional, physical, mental and spiritual strain of living with that day in and day out--and then the cost to us as a people. What inventions haven't been invented, cancer cures haven't been discovered, songs haven't been written, paintings not painted, books not created all because a huge number of people are laboring under oppression day in and day out? What a terrible tax on people just trying to live their lives.
Lotta racist shit out there. Crazy thing is there’s only one race: the human race. Some people invented the idea of categorizing people according to race to capitalize on their ignorance & prejudices
To dominate. Even redneck LBJ said that if you can convince the lowest white man that he's better than the best colored man, give him sombody to look down on, he'll empty his pockets for you.
This is a very, very interesting & challenging piece. It is exactly the kind of conversation we need to continue to have in a pluralistic & democratic (for as long as we can keep it) country. Altho of course it's unfortunate that we're still where we are, needing to make these arguments yet again. That being said, my impression of David French, from reading a good deal of his work, is that he is not the fundamental problem that we have to deal with. Blindered though he may have been ~ & that needs to be called out ~ he at least seems to have a deep belief in the value of all human beings, & he seems wiling to learn & evolve. As a progressive myself, he's one of the few self-identified conservatives whose work I find genuinely thought-provoking. A healthy democracy is an ongoing dialogue, & when people find "enlightenments" such as his frustrating, even infuriating, it's important that they speak. But in my view his lack of awareness, though problematic, is not the same as the closed-minded hatred & devaluing of other human beings that so often characterizes the modern Right. That is the true enemy that must be united against.
For 60 of my 74 cracker-raised years, I have used the rationale that 'it wasn't me, it was my forefathers', after I realized the evil pervasiveness of the 'lost cause'.
Now, it's all on me to stand up and resist. Nobody is coming to save us.
Well, change is good... but you're right. The only reason he never saw it is because he's never experienced it and doesn't know what it is like to be discriminated against. He has no context. White women can understand, at least those who've bristled at misogyny. But some conservative white women astound me with their Trad wife stuff. And how could a white person even think bringing a child over from Africa is ok? For goodness sakes.
The era of BLM woke a lot of people up. And thank goodness. Every generation improves on the last, for sure, but that doesn't mean you've reached the place where it doesn't exist.
I married an Asian man, Filipino/Chinese, who has brown skin. I know my boys have faced difficulties, my girls not so much. One of my sons looks more Asian than the rest. It was hard for me to understand how it was for them. Most of my husband's family don't talk about racism. They just ignore it. I'm glad the younger generation of Asian people are speaking up more.
I often wonder if we'll ever really erase it from humanity. I hope so.
I get it. I also adopted two children from Guatemala long ago ( my daughter is 19 and my son is 25). I and my wife are white. I was not blind about racism. I dated black and brown women and had black friends. I saw what happened to them in our society. I had the "talk" with my children. I defended them and their POC friends when they had incidents with racists, including cops. I even made a cop personally apologize to my son and his black frriend when he treated them badly at school. I am not blind to racism but I believe I did a good job raising them and warning them about how our society may treat them because of the color of their skin.
White Americans are well known for not giving a shit until personally harmed.
Human beings are well known for not giving a shit until personally harmed
So true.
Ex Libris: "What if she were your daughter, sister, mother ..."
Let's not forget the time David French learned that evangelical Christians aren't very Christian, when they drove him from his church.
David French’s self awareness is practically nonexistent. As far as I have seen in my 72 years, there is no more entitled group of people than white men. For context, I am a white woman.
LOL funny!
I'm just an old white woman, but it would seem to me that bringing a child from Ethiopia to Tennessee (of all places) could be considered a form of child abuse. Not that racism isn't free flowing across the whole United States in one form or another, but it would seem that some states really enjoy wallowing in it (as seen in their openly racist political structures). I'm thinking that their weren't that many fellow black students in that elite school that she was sent to. And does some white person with money just assume that "I'm going to make life better for her by indoctrinating her with my white privilege? Ignoring the value the culture that she was born in? America did this for years with indigenous children. Take them from their parents, cut their hair, forbid them their own languages, make them white. Except for one obvious reason they're not white and so are treated as second class citizens anyway (it's the no win situation). And why should they be white? White can be so incredibly boring. I remember a beaten black man saying "can't we all just get along?" Getting along should not mean giving up vibrant cultures in order not to be spit upon or killed. When will we ever learn? And it's time to throw away all of those whitwashed history books and write new ones. Or instead of throwing them away, maybe have a bonfire to light our torches (and keep a pitchfork in your back pocket).
Amazing reply, so very well thought out! Have you read Isabel Wilkersons books by chance? “The Warnth of Other Suns” or Caste? Both are totally amazing and profound.
I’m guessing French didn’t attempt to expand his or his family’s circle after adopting his daughter to include families of color. That probably would have given them forewarning to expect just what happened. He failed his daughter.
Thanks for this.
I especially appreciate this sentiment: “That’s not a bubble he lives in. It’s a force field.”
It was and is done ON PURPOSE. So that people don’t have to face discomfort. And then change as a result of that.
🙄
It is a difficult thing to learn, as a fish, that there is water all around! Growing up in the south as a privileged white male, I didn’t know anything else. It was only when I got out of that water, studying in London that I first started “getting wet.” Will spend the rest of my life repenting and doing penance!
Omigoodness, well, welcome to the rodeo, Calamity Jane. No, white people don't get participation trophies for suddenly discovering the "lingering vestiges" of racism, or that the effects of slavery are still operating now. I will never forget wondering how to explain to people that "racism is not over" just because we elected a black president. Sigh indeed.
And now we're living the backlash.
How do we change it? I mean this question very sincerely. With civil rights, the racism was so very obvious. Then it went underground, and somehow, because it wasn't absolutely firehose blatant, people unaffected seemed to think "Oh, that's fixed now." But, anyone with a working brain would have known it wasn't just by virtue of poverty, unemployment and prison statistics. Or, you know, actually listening to POC and simple observation. But now, it's not underground anymore--our president et al having made it "socially acceptable" once more. And man, it's way way more prevalent and severe than I thought it was. I'm not saying there hasn't been progress. But has it really been all that much? Especially in the South?
Will it always be there in America?
Yeah it will always be there sad to say , passed down from generation to generation .
Corollary. Racism is learned at the breakfast table.
That breaks my heart, it really does. I know humans are tribal, and so there's a certain human nature to wanting to define "in" groups and "out" groups. There's also the desire to be better than someone, anyone at all. Yet, the cost. The emotional, physical, mental and spiritual strain of living with that day in and day out--and then the cost to us as a people. What inventions haven't been invented, cancer cures haven't been discovered, songs haven't been written, paintings not painted, books not created all because a huge number of people are laboring under oppression day in and day out? What a terrible tax on people just trying to live their lives.
Participation trophies for white people...we are slow indeed
I'm white and would like a little gold star stuck to my forehead !
Lotta racist shit out there. Crazy thing is there’s only one race: the human race. Some people invented the idea of categorizing people according to race to capitalize on their ignorance & prejudices
To dominate. Even redneck LBJ said that if you can convince the lowest white man that he's better than the best colored man, give him sombody to look down on, he'll empty his pockets for you.
My dad mentioned this article to me, and now I can't wait to read it so I too can sigh.
"David French discovers racism... at 57." True, and pathetic, story.
This is a very, very interesting & challenging piece. It is exactly the kind of conversation we need to continue to have in a pluralistic & democratic (for as long as we can keep it) country. Altho of course it's unfortunate that we're still where we are, needing to make these arguments yet again. That being said, my impression of David French, from reading a good deal of his work, is that he is not the fundamental problem that we have to deal with. Blindered though he may have been ~ & that needs to be called out ~ he at least seems to have a deep belief in the value of all human beings, & he seems wiling to learn & evolve. As a progressive myself, he's one of the few self-identified conservatives whose work I find genuinely thought-provoking. A healthy democracy is an ongoing dialogue, & when people find "enlightenments" such as his frustrating, even infuriating, it's important that they speak. But in my view his lack of awareness, though problematic, is not the same as the closed-minded hatred & devaluing of other human beings that so often characterizes the modern Right. That is the true enemy that must be united against.
It’s not blindness. They know what’s up
For 60 of my 74 cracker-raised years, I have used the rationale that 'it wasn't me, it was my forefathers', after I realized the evil pervasiveness of the 'lost cause'.
Now, it's all on me to stand up and resist. Nobody is coming to save us.
Well, change is good... but you're right. The only reason he never saw it is because he's never experienced it and doesn't know what it is like to be discriminated against. He has no context. White women can understand, at least those who've bristled at misogyny. But some conservative white women astound me with their Trad wife stuff. And how could a white person even think bringing a child over from Africa is ok? For goodness sakes.
The era of BLM woke a lot of people up. And thank goodness. Every generation improves on the last, for sure, but that doesn't mean you've reached the place where it doesn't exist.
I married an Asian man, Filipino/Chinese, who has brown skin. I know my boys have faced difficulties, my girls not so much. One of my sons looks more Asian than the rest. It was hard for me to understand how it was for them. Most of my husband's family don't talk about racism. They just ignore it. I'm glad the younger generation of Asian people are speaking up more.
I often wonder if we'll ever really erase it from humanity. I hope so.
I get it. I also adopted two children from Guatemala long ago ( my daughter is 19 and my son is 25). I and my wife are white. I was not blind about racism. I dated black and brown women and had black friends. I saw what happened to them in our society. I had the "talk" with my children. I defended them and their POC friends when they had incidents with racists, including cops. I even made a cop personally apologize to my son and his black frriend when he treated them badly at school. I am not blind to racism but I believe I did a good job raising them and warning them about how our society may treat them because of the color of their skin.