Myth: Racism Against White People

Time and time again when you get into a discussion about race relations and you say, “white people”, rather than “some white people” or “most white people” you will inevitably get the accusation that you are “racist against white people”. This is laughable, particularly if you are in a country like the U.S. There is no possibility of white people experiencing racism. But before we can explain let’s talk about the word racism and who is defining it versus who should define it.

The earliest recorded use of the word “racism” was around the late 1800s/early 1900s in the OED (Oxford English Dictionary), and like our education system, it hasn’t evolved much since then. Dictionaries, with slight variations, share the same definition of racism. Racism is the belief/theory that race is the determining factor of characteristics, traits, abilities and, as such, there is a superior race. Of course this is defined by white people, which is why many minorities don’t subscribe to this definition. Here’s why.

First, having white people define “racism” is like when they tell our stories. They are going to phrase it in a way that paints them in the best possible light and us in a bad light or in a way that minimizes our intelligence, strength and grit. (Ex: In school I was taught that Rosa Parks was just a tired, black woman who sat at the front of the bus and, unknowingly…