reacting negatively to these changes because they feel a sense of attachment or identification with their racial group with being White and they are worried about their group status and about its ability to maintain power, to hold onto privileges in a country that’s becoming rapidly diverse” (Center, 2019). She suggests that one group of White people is eager for this country to become more diverse. Others are not eager for African Americans to become a more significant share of the population or achieve greater political, economic, and social equality because they think that when people of color do this, it comes at the expense of their group power (Center, 219). Whiteness refers to the construction of the White race, White culture, and the system of privileges and advantages afforded to White people in the U.S. (and across the globe) through government policies, media portrayal, decision- making power within our corporations, schools, judicial systems, and so on. As an ideology, Whiteness is comprised of a belief in White supremacy, White culture, and White privilege (Kirkpatrick, 2020). To claim to be “just human” and thus outside of the race is one of the most powerful and pervasive manifestations of Whiteness. Whiteness theory does incorporate White privilege. White privilege is the societal and institutional benefits granted to individuals based on the color of their skin. Peggy MacIntosh, one of the most iconic pioneers of White privilege, states, “I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group.” McIntosh created a list of how her White privilege benefits her in her article “White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack.” Racism is present and unavoidable in the traditions, the carefully (if indirectly) schooled blind spots, the laws, the architecture, the history texts, and the customs of our daily lives. Moreover, it will remain there unless we intentionally find it, oppose it, and root it out; it is all too easy to keep putting that effort off to another day. Racism and Antiracism We can be led to believe that racism is only about individual mindsets and actions, yet racist policies also contribute to our polarization. While individual choices are damaging, racist ideas in policy have a widespread impact by threatening the equity of our systems and the fairness of our institutions. To create an equal society, we must commit to making unbiased choices and being antiracist in all aspects of our lives. Being antiracist is fighting against racism. Thus, the first step is learning what racism and antiracism are, what it means to be antiracist, and how to take action (Hoffower, 2020). Defining antiracism can be a difficult task, given that most individuals do not possess a firm grasp on what racism is. White discourse on racism has historically relied on the part of the dictionary definition that says one must believe a particular race is superior or inferior to be racist. Under this definition, someone is racist, for example, if, in one-to-one interactions, they intentionally mistreat someone or deny them an opportunity (a job or promotion, housing, a seat at a restaurant) based on their race. Under this definition, someone is racist if they use slanderous terms to refer to another race. In the past, Merriam-Webster defined racism as “a belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.” Nevertheless, because of public criticism, they revised the definition of racism to include other variables. Signifying the more significant cultural shift felt around the U.S., Merriam-Webster will now include systemic oppression in its latest definition of racism. The dictionary, which has long served as a gatekeeper
Staying conscious of privilege requires standing up to “White fragility.” Professor Robin DiAngelo (2006) brought the concept of White fragility into public awareness in White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism. She describes it as a manifestation of an internalized White superiority, a method of regaining and maintaining control in discussions about race (Raypole, 2022). White fragility stems, in large part, from an incomplete understanding of racism, according to DiAngelo. Plenty of well-meaning people consider racism terrible and wrong, a word to whisper in a hushed tone and avoid implying at all costs (Raypole, 2022). They might define racism as consisting of the following: ● Actively disliking people of color ● Wishing (or doing) them harm ● Considering them inferior However, racism goes beyond individual thoughts or feelings of prejudice and discrimination. It also involves the following:
● Systemic oppression ● Denial of resources ● Lack of safe spaces ● Unequal opportunities at school and work
According to DiAngelo, society is structured to prevent White people from experiencing racial discomfort, which generally results in White people not having difficult conversations about race - exactly the behavior that produces and reproduces White supremacy. DiAngelo posits that “White progressives cause the most daily damage to people of color.” DiAngelo explains that White individuals must develop their racial stamina to have difficult conversations about race and listen to people of color’s voices that used to remain silent when White supremacy is exposed (Raypole, 2022). of the English lexicon, made plans for the update after Kennedy Mitchum - an African American female-emailed editors frustrated about the current definition’s inadequacy. Mitchum, who hails from Florissant, Missouri, a city just north of Ferguson, wanted the dictionary to provide a more detailed definition that explains systemic oppression. She grew tired of having conversations about racial injustice to have people point to the dictionary to defend why they are not racist. In its revision of the definition of racism, Merriam- Webster will attempt to show how racism is not just about discrimination or prejudice from one person to another but also about how long-standing institutions and laws and regulations buttress notions of supremacy and inferiority between the races. Moreover, the new definition may help us better see how White people benefit from racism since systemic oppression is ingrained in the fabric of American society. Merriam-Webster’s (2022) current/revised definition of racism reads as follows: “A belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. a. the systemic oppression of a racial group to the social, economic, and political advantage of another. b. a political or social system founded on racism and designed to execute its principles.” Racism is both a system of advantage (for White people) and a system of oppression (for people of color). The system was created to concentrate social and institutional power among those designated as “White” and to exclude all others from
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