100 Ways White People Can Make Life Less Frustrating For People of Color

[TrainedRage]

https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/ne95dm/how-to-be-a-white-ally-to-people-of-color

4. If someone tells you they’re from Uganda, don’t say, “I went to Nigeria once!” Just, please.

5. Related: Don’t refer to Africa as a country. It's a continent and it's wildly varied. Yes. Take a moment.

13. Avoid phrases like “But I have a Black friend! I can’t be racist!” You know that’s BS as well as we do.

19. Read something already written about it rather than coming to your friends/acquaintances of color looking for hot takes on anything and everything appropriative a Kardashian/Miley Cyrus does. We don’t wanna think about this shit 24/7!

30. Refuse to go to club nights or drag shows or burlesque nights that use culturally appropriative acts.

36. Don’t assume people of color can’t speak English.

46. Don’t touch our fucking hair.

56. If you have a partner of color or children of color, trust and believe that you can still be racist. You’re not exempt. If anything, you have even more of a duty to examine your behavior for the benefit of your loved ones.

70. Don’t? Vote? For? Racist? Politicians? Can’t believe I need to say this one but it seems like possibly, maybe, some of y’all did not get this memo.

80. If you haven’t seen Get Out, watch Get Out. Understand that the everyday horror is real.

98. Move past your white guilt. Guilt is an unproductive emotion. Don’t sit there mired in woe, just be better.




1000. If you are even slightly black you have the right to speak for all people of color.

 

[Corrik]

It is a ridiculous article.

 

[TrainedRage]

What you don't like her writing style?

 

[Deleted member 713885]

Dare I say "Black Fragility" at its finest!?

Heres the deal, I'll treat you like a common every day person. Same as I do with anyone.

 

[Helen Keller the Musical]

This article is the very definition of the victim mentality, sad.

 

[royox]

"let's list every stereotype and call it an article"

The whole thing is cringeworthy to read.

 

[KINGMOKU]

"2. Don’t assume that all people of color share the same views. We are not a monolith."

Goes on to speak to all white people as a monolith with an insulting and mocking tone.

Go fuck yourself author of said article.

Ill think for myself.

 

[Liberty4all]

Race baiting articles are garbage.

 

[Grinchy]

I'd love to read the satirical opposite to this list.

 

[Durask]

I gave up around #45. Too long.

 

[DiscoJer]

The problem with lists like this is that basically it treats blacks (or women or gays or whatever the given article is about, as there seem to be several) as minefields you need to tip toe through, rather than people like yourself.

 

[bucyou]

"2. Don’t assume that all people of color share the same views. We are not a monolith."

Goes on to speak to all white people as a monolith with an insulting and mocking tone.

Go fuck yourself author of said article.

Ill think for myself.

How intolerant (and ironic)#2 is in light of the kanye stuff today.

 

[Dacon]

This is embarrassing to say the least, I hope no one thinks shit like this when they see the color of my skin. Treat me like anyone else plz.

 

[pramod]

Instead of doing everything in that list i can just stop talking about, associating with, or even think about black people. At all. Much easier.

 

[Spheyr]

I put people in two categories

1. Shit.

2. Not shit.


The categorization system doesn't even begin to take race into account. (And everyone starts at #2)

 

[brap]

Do they not realize that by writing like a condescending asshole people are just gonna ignore them?

 

[LegendOfKage]

Instead of doing everything in that list i can just stop talking about, associating with, or even think about black people. At all. Much easier.

Much easier would be ignoring the list and the racist who wrote it.

 

[God Enel]

I put people in two categories

1. Shit.

2. Not shit.


The categorization system doesn't even begin to take race into account. (And everyone starts at #2)

The only proper way.

 

[Link1110]

19 could've fooled me. This was clearly written by someone who wants to and does think about this shit 24/7

 

[bitbydeath]

Heres the deal, I'll treat you like a common every day person. Same as I do with anyone.

 

[ilfait]

30. Refuse to go to club nights or drag shows or burlesque nights that use culturally appropriative acts.

If I followed this rule I'd never leave the house.

4. If someone tells you they’re from Uganda, don’t say, “I went to Nigeria once!” Just, please.

Once while in Korea I told a Korean guy that I'm from England and he said "I went to Scotland once!" and I was like "BITCH PLZ!!!"

 

[Kadayi]

The writer is 20 years old. Who the fuck takes life advice from a 20-year-old?

 

[highrider]

 

[JordoftheDead]

What a crock of shite.

 

[bosnianpie]

What an arrogant, useless way to present your point of view.

Imagine if someone did a similar list about a minority population. Such list with the same generalizing and condescending tone is definitely possible to write without much effort. Still it's almost unthinkable, because a normal person knows that there's more to people than the color of their skin. You know, the stuff MLK was talking about half a century ago.
If what he said is true, then why is it totally fine to target white people like this? So much talk about how to erase racial tensions and hatred, yet when there's an opportunity to take a kick at whites it's done with almost no consequences at all.

Hypocrisy at its best from people claiming they don't want racism in the world.

 

[i_am_ben]

A lot of these just constitute basic manners.

 

[JORMBO]

I put people in two categories

1. Shit.

2. Not shit.


The categorization system doesn't even begin to take race into account. (And everyone starts at #2)

The same system I use!

 

[VAL0R]

Instead of asking "what can other races do for me?" Why not suggest ways of promoting racial harmony that are unifying? "This is how we can love each other more." Or "What can I personally do in my community to mend racial wounds that affect us all?"

 

[JDB]

And they say liberals get triggered easily
wew

 

[It's Jeff]

And the list is so succinct and easy to remember! Shit, when you ask someone to stop by the store for lettuce and onions, you usually get one or the other. Sometimes neither.

Give me three good rules, like Gremlins. Three I can remember. By the time you get to like fifteen, it gets awfully nitpicky.

 

[ilfait]

And they say liberals get triggered easily
wew

Triggered liberals aren't a problem; a liberal won't try to silence you, get you fired, censor you, or support laws designed to control what you say and hear. A triggered PC policezir is a very different story.

 

[Frozen Bagel]

I could manufacture an arsenal’s worth of weapons with all these triggers

 

[OH-MyCar]

And they say liberals get triggered easily
wew

I'm liberal and the only thing that triggers me is the fact that this stuff is thoughtlessly propagated by the exact same people who unfriend family members for posting dumb, conservative clickbait.

Half of us can't smell the shit when it's actually on us.

 

[Blood Borne]

White guilt really and truly is the bane of the west.

 

[LegendOfKage]

I'm liberal and the only thing that triggers me is the fact that this stuff is thoughtlessly propagated by the exact same people who unfriend family members for posting dumb, conservative clickbait.

Half of us can't smell the shit when it's actually on us.

People like to complain about outrage culture, but outrage business should be the true concern. The complete polarization, political segregation, and demonization of everyone in America (and for that matter, the world) as a natural result of the pursuit of the almighty dollar. This is what our 24 hour news cycle and the internet has given society.

If you are a journalist today, there's no advantage to not taking sides or not omitting facts to make one side look good, and the other side look bad. The more polarizing and hateful people can make the news, the better it is for ratings.

The advantage is that anger fuels media attention. The more upset people are about a story, the more they are likely to talk about that story, and share that story, and retweet that story. But at the same time, all that attention builds the audience of both sides of a conversation. You can't build one audience through anger without attracting another. And then one day, you realize that you've devoted 25 percent of your total news coverage to one presidential candidate, and Donald Trump is in the White House.

 

[strange headache]

I speak 'soshul jiahstice', let me translate for the common folk (i.e. those with common sense):

4. If someone tells you they’re from Uganda, don’t say, “I went to Nigeria once!” Just, please. - Don't try to find common ground or relate to me, I'm a very special snowflake!

5. Related: Don’t refer to Africa as a country. It's a continent and it's wildly varied. Yes. Take a moment. - Only I am allowed to think that Europe is full of white people who are all the same!

13. Avoid phrases like “But I have a Black friend! I can’t be racist!” You know that’s BS as well as we do. - Don't use arguments I cannot refute, dat's racist!

19. Read something already written about it rather than coming to your friends/acquaintances of color looking for hot takes on anything and everything appropriative a Kardashian/Miley Cyrus does. We don’t wanna think about this shit 24/7! - Don't ask people about their opinions, you might learn something. Just go read my bullsh*t articles. Also, I think I'm smart but keep gossiping about the Kardashians.

30. Refuse to go to club nights or drag shows or burlesque nights that use culturally appropriative acts. - Don't engage with different cultures and maybe learn to appreciate them. We've got to keep this divide going!

36. Don’t assume people of color can’t speak English. - I'm the only idiot who thinks that skin color has a bearing on linguistic skills, so let me project my racism onto you!

46. Don’t touch our fucking hair. - Don't be like these guys!

56. If you have a partner of color or children of color, trust and believe that you can still be racist. You’re not exempt. If anything, you have even more of a duty to examine your behavior for the benefit of your loved ones. - You're racist, even if you aren't racist, you racist!

70. Don’t? Vote? For? Racist? Politicians? Can’t believe I need to say this one but it seems like possibly, maybe, some of y’all did not get this memo. - Don't vote for people I don't like, because everybody I don't like is racist... y'all!

80. If you haven’t seen Get Out, watch Get Out. Understand that the everyday horror is real. - Educate yourself, go consume more pop media! That's how I became so smart.

98. Move past your white guilt. Guilt is an unproductive emotion. Don’t sit there mired in woe, just be better. - By virtue of my skin I am perfect in every way and much better than you filthy white people.

 

[ilfait]

I'm liberal and the only thing that triggers me is the fact that this stuff is thoughtlessly propagated by the exact same people who unfriend family members for posting dumb, conservative clickbait.

Half of us can't smell the shit when it's actually on us.

It's also not really just being triggered that's the issue. If you're never triggered and your name isn't Spock you should check your Prozac dosage. It's normal and it can be good to have a severe negative reaction to certain things, especially when that reaction comes from a sincere and personal place. But the kind of actions that different types of people take based on those reactions differs enormously.

 

[i_am_ben]

I speak 'soshul jiahstice', let me translate for the common folk (i.e. those with common sense):

4. If someone tells you they’re from Uganda, don’t say, “I went to Nigeria once!” Just, please. - Don't try to find common ground or relate to me, I'm a very special snowflake!

5. Related: Don’t refer to Africa as a country. It's a continent and it's wildly varied. Yes. Take a moment. - Only I am allowed to think that Europe is full of white people who are all the same!

13. Avoid phrases like “But I have a Black friend! I can’t be racist!” You know that’s BS as well as we do. - Don't use arguments I cannot refute, dat's racist!

19. Read something already written about it rather than coming to your friends/acquaintances of color looking for hot takes on anything and everything appropriative a Kardashian/Miley Cyrus does. We don’t wanna think about this shit 24/7! - Don't ask people about their opinions, you might learn something. Just go read my bullsh*t articles. Also, I think I'm smart but keep gossiping about the Kardashians.

30. Refuse to go to club nights or drag shows or burlesque nights that use culturally appropriative acts. - Don't engage with different cultures and maybe learn to appreciate them. We've got to keep this divide going!

36. Don’t assume people of color can’t speak English. - I'm the only idiot who thinks that skin color has a bearing on linguistic skills, so let me project my racism onto you!

46. Don’t touch our fucking hair. - Don't be like these guys!

56. If you have a partner of color or children of color, trust and believe that you can still be racist. You’re not exempt. If anything, you have even more of a duty to examine your behavior for the benefit of your loved ones. - You're racist, even if you aren't racist, you racist!

70. Don’t? Vote? For? Racist? Politicians? Can’t believe I need to say this one but it seems like possibly, maybe, some of y’all did not get this memo. - Don't vote for people I don't like, because everybody I don't like is racist... y'all!

80. If you haven’t seen Get Out, watch Get Out. Understand that the everyday horror is real. - Educate yourself, go consume more pop media! That's how I became so smart.

98. Move past your white guilt. Guilt is an unproductive emotion. Don’t sit there mired in woe, just be better. - By virtue of my skin I am perfect in every way and much better than you filthy white people.

Are you ok? Do you need a hug or something?

 

[Snoopycat]

"As someone with very low tolerance for racist bullshit, I’ve managed to surround myself with white people who are cognizant of their privilege and strive to make the world a less terrifying and frustrating place for people of color."

As a black guy from where I'm sitting the world is not a terrifying place and it's a sad thing to see this kind of mentality being pushed as if it encompasses us all. Maybe it's an African American thing, I don't know, I never been there. I don't know how the people live but I read that list and it seem like it was written by a spoilt, middle crass brat.

 

[ilfait]

I speak 'soshul jiahstice', let me translate for the common folk (i.e. those with common sense):

4. If someone tells you they’re from Uganda, don’t say, “I went to Nigeria once!” Just, please. - Don't try to find common ground or relate to me, I'm a very special snowflake!

5. Related: Don’t refer to Africa as a country. It's a continent and it's wildly varied. Yes. Take a moment. - Only I am allowed to think that Europe is full of white people who are all the same!

13. Avoid phrases like “But I have a Black friend! I can’t be racist!” You know that’s BS as well as we do. - Don't use arguments I cannot refute, dat's racist!

19. Read something already written about it rather than coming to your friends/acquaintances of color looking for hot takes on anything and everything appropriative a Kardashian/Miley Cyrus does. We don’t wanna think about this shit 24/7! - Don't ask people about their opinions, you might learn something. Just go read my bullsh*t articles. Also, I think I'm smart but keep gossiping about the Kardashians.

30. Refuse to go to club nights or drag shows or burlesque nights that use culturally appropriative acts. - Don't engage with different cultures and maybe learn to appreciate them. We've got to keep this divide going!

36. Don’t assume people of color can’t speak English. - I'm the only idiot who thinks that skin color has a bearing on linguistic skills, so let me project my racism onto you!

46. Don’t touch our fucking hair. - Don't be like these guys!

56. If you have a partner of color or children of color, trust and believe that you can still be racist. You’re not exempt. If anything, you have even more of a duty to examine your behavior for the benefit of your loved ones. - You're racist, even if you aren't racist, you racist!

70. Don’t? Vote? For? Racist? Politicians? Can’t believe I need to say this one but it seems like possibly, maybe, some of y’all did not get this memo. - Don't vote for people I don't like, because everybody I don't like is racist... y'all!

80. If you haven’t seen Get Out, watch Get Out. Understand that the everyday horror is real. - Educate yourself, go consume more pop media! That's how I became so smart.

98. Move past your white guilt. Guilt is an unproductive emotion. Don’t sit there mired in woe, just be better. - By virtue of my skin I am perfect in every way and much better than you filthy white people.

Whoa, dead on. You're the Constance Garnett of SJ.

 

[appaws]

"2. Don’t assume that all people of color share the same views. We are not a monolith."

Goes on to speak to all white people as a monolith with an insulting and mocking tone.

Go fuck yourself author of said article.

Ill think for myself.

This is one of my pet peeves as well. I have the feeling the author of this article would be exactly the type of person who tries to enforce ideological conformity on all people of color.

I was dying to respond to the thread on this at a certain other place, but I have been perma'd so I couldn't. The responses there were hilariously fawning.

I have no white guilt at all, but I don't think I am what they had in mind.

 

[VAL0R]

My little, white, blondish, 7 year old daughter loves Moanna and wants to dress as her for this Halloween. Instead of lecturing whites about cultural appropriation in situations like these, why not look at the glaringly obvious positive instead. See a little white girl who admires a brown skinned fictional heroine and wants to play-imitate her courage and adventures. How can this be anything but good for racial relations, if we have children who have heroes of every color and embrace them the way children do - by drawing, watching and of course impersonating!?

I'm even thinking joining her as Maui, lol. (Obviously we won't do any blackface make-up because that can be racially hurtful.)

 

[LegendOfKage]

My little, white, blondish, 7 year old daughter loves Moanna and wants to dress as her for this Halloween. Instead of lecturing whites about cultural appropriation in situations like these, why not look at the glaringly obvious positive instead. See a little white girl who admires a brown skinned fictional heroine and wants to play-imitate her courage and adventures. How can this be anything but good for racial relations, if we have children who have heroes of every color and embrace them the way children do - by drawing, watching and of course impersonating!?

This reminded me of a fascinating video I saw on the cultural appropriation of dreadlocks. The whole video is great, but I queued up the most interesting part.

 

[ilfait]

This reminded me of a fascinating video I saw on the cultural appropriation of dreadlocks. The whole video is great, but I queued up the most interesting part.

If Vice really wants to have a positive effect on racism and race relations they'll hire people like this guy to write articles.

 

[Cybrwzrd]

The only proper way.

I disagree, much like respect is earned and not given; everyone is shit until they prove otherwise. It feels better to be pleasantly surprised by good people on occasion than to be disappointed by shitty people all the time.

 

[ilfait]

I was seeing a decent amount of support for it on resetera, so I decided to give it a fair chance and read the entire list just in case the OP only cherry picked the worst ones. He didn't.

Is there any way to not see these as contradictory?

9. Regard us as autonomous, unique individuals, not as representatives of our race.

6. Oh, and rest assured that literally no person of color ever wants you to get back from holiday, show off your tan and excitedly exclaim, “Look, I’m almost as dark as you!” Cease and desist.

10. Don’t make embarrassing jokes to try and be “down” with people of color. We’ll laugh at you, not with you.


Some more magical selections:

27. If you go to an art gallery, notice how many works are by people of color. If it's lacking, make some noise, send an email, query the curator. White people shouldn’t have a monopoly on what can be considered art.

61. Don’t make us be the de facto diversity guy at work. Or at least pay us extra to do the labor of diversifying the workplace.

62. Refuse to speak on an all-white panel. Regardless of the topic.

64. If you’re in charge of making curricula, make sure there is work by people of color, especially women of color, on the reading list. And not just in the weeks dedicated to race.

67. Don’t say things like “there are two sides to every story!” or play devil’s advocate when it comes to conversations about race.

68. In those situations, just listen.

72. Remember that Black women are not here to save you from yourselves. You’ve gotta put in the work, too.

83. Don’t refer to things as your “spirit animal” if you’re not Native. There are other ways to express affinity with something.

86. Don’t even think about saying the N word. Even if you’re alone. Even if you’re listening to rap. Even if you’re alone and listening to rap.

87. Similarly, don’t use the word “g*psy” or “p*ki” or “r*dskin” or any other racial slur. Even if you’re repeating what someone else said or reading from a text.

95. Don’t assume, full stop, that you can understand what it's like to experience racism. You can’t. That’s the whole point.


If anyone here can argue for any of these points, please do. I'd be interested to hear it.

 

[Kadayi]

I disagree, much like respect is earned and not given; everyone is shit until they prove otherwise. It feels better to be pleasantly surprised by good people on occasion than to be disappointed by shitty people all the time.

Seems like a pretty cynical way of looking at life. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt and demonstrate their value. However, I'm also acutely aware of the 80/20 rule and know that most likely the majority of people one encounters aren't going to be effective. Knowing that though, I'm ok with doing the necessary sorting to find the diamonds.

 

[Zog]

I disagree, much like respect is earned and not given; everyone is shit until they prove otherwise. It feels better to be pleasantly surprised by good people on occasion than to be disappointed by shitty people all the time.

This is tough talk only, I can't believe you actually treat people like they are shit until they prove otherwise.

 

[Cybrwzrd]

This is tough talk only, I can't believe you actually treat people like they are shit until they prove otherwise.

No, I didn’t say I treat them like shit. I said they are shit. You are making assumptions.

My expectation of people is low, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be nice to them. As Kadayi points out - the 80/20 rule applies.

 

[Mohonky]

98 is....ironic.

Whoa boy, read more of the link. Dont talk about how light skinned a black person is, we're more than able to pass that priviledge judgement ourselves.

Well then......