“Do you think that there are white people victimized in America? These people are victimized like Black people, but are reaping the benefits of their own victimization.” Rev. Kevin Brown, one of my professors asked us this question today in Christianity in America. This question is a rather difficult one in some sense, but plain in another. I agree that there are white people that are victimized by being apart of a racist and oppressive system without even thinking about it. And yes these people do reap benefits, but some individuals I have met feel, or act like, those individuals benefiting from the system should basically just get out. This is harder than it seems. I will admit and own the fact that I come from the victimized white group who benefit from systemic racism. I will also admit that I am often at a loss as to how to deal with it.
In my home community I come from a “poor” as well as “intellectually” challenged family. What I mean is that in my home town my family was considered dumb white farmers. When in High school I struggled a lot with this and was actually denied some friendships as well as advancement options in education based upon my family history. It has been a long struggle for me to see how I am apart of the oppressed system, and see how I need to react against it. In the course of discussion in class the issue was raised that African Americans can’t do the work for the white people. I agree, I don’t want African Americans to do the work for me I have struggled with the issue, read numerous books trying to understand and trying to see my part in this story. But I have to offer a critique of that mindset.
Where I grew up I lived right next to Lincoln University. This school is a primarily African American school and I came into numerous interactions with African Americans. The most influential in my life was a High School friend. She took the time to talk to me, and through her patience I began to see that I am apart of the systemic problem. Her patience with me taught me, and because of her I try to be aware of the world around me.
I have to speak to something else as well. While I may not experience racism I do face discrimination because of my disabilities. This is a small plug for me, but one thing that concerns me in almost every discussion I have been apart of is that everyone else discrimination is worst than the other persons. The discriminatory experiences I have had are not the same as racism, or chauvinism, but it is still discrimination and deserves to be seen and heard. I just hope that some day we can learn not to devalue others experiences because they are not worded as strong as ours.
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