Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor

The act of oppressing or expressing hatred towards Black people is anti-Blackness. This manifests in various ways, and has specific—though differing—implications when directed at a Black woman, man, or child. 

Emotional labor is the managing of someone else’s feelings or emotions as part of a job. In this context, it is meant to refer to the assumption that BIPOC will soothe or comfort people with white privilege before, during, or after antiracist education/work.

BIPOC is an acronym that stands for “Black, Indigenous, People of Color.” As of 2020, it is the most politically correct way to refer to this specific group of people. 

BIWOC is an acronym that stands for “Black, Indigenous, Women of Color.” BIWOC’s struggles differ from BIPOC, as BIWOC have largely been ignored from the overarching conversation about women’s rights.

Gaslighting is psychological manipulation which makes a victim distrust their memory, judgement, and sanity. This term is taken from the 1938 British play “Gas light,” in which a husband repeatedly dims the lights in the house in order to manipulate his wife.

Feminist legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw first termed the concept intersectionality, which refers to how an individual’s identities—sex, race, ability, religion, etc.—all co-exist, forming complex experiences of oppression.

Misogynoir is a form of misogyny experienced specifically by Black women, and was coined by African American activist, writer, and scholar Moya Bailey. Misogynoir is the intersection of both racism and sexism Black women experience. 

Also known as “allyship theater” or “performative allyship,” optical allyship is when a person with white privilege focuses on appearing to be an ally to BIPOC rather than actively doing the necessary work to become an antiracist ally.

Race-based color blindness encompasses the idea that a person with white privilege does not “see” the color of another person’s skin; this is regularly intended to indicate they do not (overtly) discriminate on the basis of race.

Tokenism is the using of a BIPOC to give the appearance that a community, organization, brand, or institution is diverse without actually doing antiracist work. BIPOC used as token are considered symbols rather than valued members of the group or community.

Tone policing is the act of silencing BIPOC by those with white privilege, specifically by focusing on the tone the BIPOC uses to communicate. Tone policing can be both spoken or unspoken and thought by those with white privilege.

White apathy is a particular kind of indifference experienced by those with white privilege, in which the idea of antiracism work feels overwhelming, exhausting, or impossible, leading them detach, disregard, or ignore antiracist work and initiatives. 

White centering is placing white people, voices, narratives, and social norms at the center of what a society considers “normal” or “standard.” BIPOC and black-centered art, culture, music, celebrations, and stories are then more easily dismissed as “other” and not as important or worthwhile. 

White exceptionalism is a perfectionist attitude towards white supremacy in which white people strive to be “one of the good ones” who is not racist, typically without engaging in antiracist education and work.

White feminism centers the struggles of white women at the expense of BIWOC, often asking BIWOC to forsake issues pertaining to racial oppression (in other words, choosing between fighting for equality as women versus equality for black people).

White fragility is a feeling of distress and defensiveness some white people exhibit when confronted with their complicity in white supremacy. This can manifest in a variety of behaviors, including falling silent, crying, yelling, and arguing with BIPOC.

Originally coined by Peggy McIntosh in 1988, white privilege is a set of benefits, securities, rewards, and excuses white people can access without thinking about it that BIPOC cannot. People with white privilege are often unaware of these benefits as “privileges” that others do not hold.

White saviorism is the belief that BIPOC are poor, helpless, uneducated, and/or in need of saving from people with white privilege. Missionary trips or a white person expressing desire to adopt a Black child are examples of white saviorism.

White silent is when people with white privilege stay silent when confronted by racist actions, behaviors, or language due to fear or distress with the idea of raising their voice to counteract racism in the moment.  

White superiority is the idea that those with white (or white passing) skin are somehow better or more worthy than BIPOC.