Politically Reactive on Illusion of Post-Racial Society

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The latest episode interviews Pastor Michael McBride and to me brings up many important ideas for the conversations we are all having right now. Examples of what is touched on:

  • White as a category is false and is itself a system of oppression. McBride said "God did not create folks who identify as white people as white. God created them: Irish, Polish ... a cultural connection to a land and a place and a story ... whiteness is a creation of modernity." This race hierarchy enslaves all of us.
  • We are not post-racial although many, many people wanted to believe that were when we elected President Obama. McBride says "I tell my white friends, don't you think I want a post-racial society, if I could get one by winking my eye ... " Hari comments that the only thing that has come out of post racial society is the term "post racial society"
  • McBride says "White people need to be delivered from whiteness ... and really reach for the beauty of their [own] story ... how do we make this tapestry of diversity, that I believe is a gift from our creator, an asset and not a deficit ... it can't happen if everybody is trying to rush into an already crowded bus that is not intended to give everybody a seat ..." 
  • Hari asks about coalition building between cultures and McBride says: "the only way we can stay out of coalition is if we live in the world a-historically ... shared suffering, often lost among folks that don't have a good grasp of history ... I think there is a certain kind of pain threshold around change that oppressed people have that most white folks don't have, a lot of us know what its like to push through a brick wall, as opposed to opening a door." 
  • Kamau asks for his listeners "what would you say to a white person who wants to help, but is not sure what to do?" McBride's answer is good ... "You have to do your own work of learning about the oppression of race and racial hierarchy ... because we are carrying our own cross around this stuff and its very hard to have to educate white folk while getting free at the same time." 
It's really good and gives a lot to think about and be challenged by. (And inspiring too!)

http://www.politicallyreactive.com/ 

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