Assholes in the news

[Rev. Rye]

Coca Cola are assholes for pushing one of the most racist things I've ever seen on their employees. "Diversity training".

By all means, let’s continue at our current levels of oppression, arrogance, certainty, defense, ignorance and pride. Heaven forfend we should listen to people and believe what they say. While we’re about it, we can continue to be apathetic and non-inclusive.

Boru

I can see the point in what they’re trying to say here. That said, there has to have been a better way of describing it than “being less white.” Keeping your privilege in check, perhaps? That would probably cover a lot more ground since there’s more to privilege than just your race (gender identity and sexual orientation, for one thing, also class, which may not be as relevant in this case since they have the same employer). Christ, isn’t acknowledgement of intersectionality supposed to be a big part of shit like this?

[arewethereyet]

By all means, let’s continue at our current levels of oppression, arrogance, certainty, defense, ignorance and pride. Heaven forfend we should listen to people and believe what they say. While we’re about it, we can continue to be apathetic and non-inclusive.

Boru

The main problem is the title -- how to be less white.  That defines "whiteness" as being everything negative on the list.  That is racist.

If we created a list about "how to be less black", would that be okay?

Racism doesn't stop racism.  The hypocrisy of it creates a backlash against real change.

Well said.  I was thinking the same thing.

I'm not sure with my German, English, Irish, and possibly Scottish...umm...pedigree, I can be less white.

[Rev. Rye]

Or it’s just a decent idea with very shit phrasing.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

I don’t find it explicitly racist, but I agree the title was thought up by someone with a tin ear on the issue.

Boru

[The Grand Nudger]

Certainly failing at no4 and no10, lol.

[Fireball]

The main problem is the title -- how to be less white.  That defines "whiteness" as being everything negative on the list.  That is racist.

If we created a list about "how to be less black", would that be okay?

Racism doesn't stop racism.  The hypocrisy of it creates a backlash against real change.

Well said.  I was thinking the same thing.

I'm not sure with my German, English, Irish, and possibly Scottish...umm...pedigree, I can be less white.

What, no Black Irish!? 

[The Grand Nudger]

There are no white irish.

That's the funny part. Whiteness has absolutely nothing to do with blood or soil, nothing to do with any intrinsic aspect or accident of being. It's a fictional category entirely defined by privilege. That's all that it's ever meant to be white here in the us or anywhere else.

[Rev. Rye]

There are no white irish.

That's the funny part. Whiteness has absolutely nothing to do with blood or soil, nothing to do with any intrinsic aspect or accident of being. It's a fictional category entirely defined by privilege. That's all that it's ever meant to be white here in the us or anywhere else.

Well, that and a relative lack of melanin.

[The Grand Nudger]

Nope. Plenty of melanin deficient people are and have been unwhite or subwhite. That falls under the accidents of being category.

[Ranjr]

White is not a skin tone.  Not for long anyway.  Look at Johnny Winter, the whitest sumbitch ever.