For White America, Black Protesters Never Do it Right

[MrScorpio]

By Grizzard
Thursday Nov 12, 2015 10:08 PM EST

In the wake of protests in Baltimore and Ferguson, the prevailing refrain from White America was consistent. While especially contemptible cretins described protesters as animals and used racially-charged language to paint their picture, many white folks from the more reasonable reaches of society bemoaned the violent nature of the black protests.

“But why do they have to light things on fire?” you might have seen. “What good is rioting and looting?” It wasn’t the cause that bothered those detractors, just the methodology marshaled in support of the cause. These were white folks, many of them liberal, who wanted you to believe that if protesters had just conducted themselves with a little bit of that white class, White America might have lent its undying support rather than standing up for the innocent business owners caught in the war zone.

With this in mind, you might have expected White America to respond with glee when a group of black students at the University of Missouri decided to use peaceful means of coercion to get across their points. No, these students weren’t burning cop cars or throwing trash cans through the front window of a storefront. They were creating online coalitions, taking pictures, enlisting the help of college football players, and going on hunger strikes. They were using their right to peaceful assembly to demand answers from a college president who seemed at a loss for how to deal with mounting racial tension on his campus.

They were, in essence, doing precisely what White America had asked of the protesters a few hours away in Ferguson.

Imagine their surprise when they learned that White America had a new complaint. These black students were too sensitive and too demanding. Their peaceful actions, it seems, are ruining college atmospheres which, if you believe White America, are defined by the ability of students to offer race-based hate speech with impunity. In Ferguson and in Baltimore, black protesters showed precisely what’s wrong with America by refusing to act peacefully in the face of centuries of intentional and systematic oppression. In Columbia, Missouri, they were guilty of another misstep — carrying too far the baton of political correctness.

It’s in this that we see confirmation of what many knew in the wake of Baltimore. Those detractors—the people primarily concerned with the poor, oppressed CVS storefronts—were never sincere in their critiques. They never disagreed with only the tactics, and their support could never have been won with a peaceful protest. They were involved only in a game as old as time for White America — the search for the first reasonable distraction.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/11/13/1449360/-For-White-America-Black-Protesters-Never-Do-it-Right

[JustAnotherGen]

1. CVS

It’s in this that we see confirmation of what many knew in the wake of Baltimore. Those detractors—the people primarily concerned with the poor, oppressed CVS storefronts—were never sincere in their critiques. They never disagreed with only the tactics, and their support could never have been won with a peaceful protest. They were involved only in a game as old as time for White America — the search for the first reasonable distraction.

We saw this "concern" at DU last Spring.

[heaven05]

13. thank you for

succinct sanity in your response......very civil of you....

[brer cat]

25. Criminalizing blackness

allows whites to remain in our guilt-free, pain-free bubble, and escape the self-reflection required if we are to address oppression and social inequality. Focus on the "thugs" paints white-out on the pain of the black community. How much more pleasant to sit in our living rooms tut-tutting as we watch the rabble destroy "things" than to stir our beautiful minds to actually look at racial injustice and contemplate the transformation we must make in our own communities.

[oberliner]

2. Absolute BS

Many white Americans stood and stand shoulder to shoulder with the protestors in Missouri and at other universities across the US.

In some cases, those white allies were actually told they were not welcome at some of the actions.

In Baltimore, in Ferguson, and at similar protests around the country, white Americans were actively involved and supportive.

[1StrongBlackMan]

15. LOL...

Many white Americans stood and stand shoulder to shoulder with the protestors in Missouri and at other universities across the US.

Were those "Many", more or fewer than those taking to the internet condemning the protests?

In some cases, those white allies were actually told they were not welcome at some of the actions.

Have you considered WHY these "some cases" were told they were not welcome? That is, if they were ... I have not seen such reports. But, if this, in fact, happened ... I would wager the disinvited "some cases" were not standing with the protesters; but rather, trying to lead the charge ... as so many white liberals attempt to do, mistaking that for being an ally, when actually it makes it all about themselves.

In Baltimore, in Ferguson, and at similar protests around the country, white Americans were actively involved and supportive.

Again, Were those "Many", more or fewer than those taking to the internet, including here on DU, condemning the protests?

[oberliner]

24. In response to your points

1. There are always idiots on the internet saying horrible things. They do not represent "White America" - in fact, there is no such things as a homogenous "white America" any more than there would be for any other group of Americans.

It is a fact that sizable portions of those protesting the racism at Missouri and on other college campuses were students who were white. They are as much a part of White America than a bunch of yahoos on the internet posting hateful crap.

2. I am not arguing either side of whether or not it was justifiable to exclude white allies in this fashion, rather, I am suggesting that often times there are white people who want to be supportive of such actions but are discouraged from doing so for one reason or another.

3. Again, I think it is unfair to let the internet-positing denizens serve as a stand-in for "white America". Obviously there are white racists (and other whites who are generally not supportive of these protests) who post loudly and often on message boards and the like, but out in the real world, there are a great number of white people who are very supportive and so it is unfair to use the blanket term "white America" so generally, in my view.

[randys1]

31. #2, how are whites discouraged from being supportive of the protests?

[oberliner]

68. This sort of thing

https://twitter.com/nettaaaaaaaa/status/664603626891964416

Not saying that such spaces are not justified or important, just saying that some white allies might be turned off by being excluded from those spaces (others, I am sure, completely respect the idea).

[randys1]

69. OMG

[oberliner]

71. Thank you for your thoughtful reply

I hope you can understand how that might turn off potential allies.

[randys1]

72. Dear god, this is hopeless.

[oberliner]

73. One should always have hope

Not everyone is as far along the journey. Have patience for those who haven't caught up yet.

[randys1]

74. Beat the holy living hell out of your neighbor for 200 years, she then asks

if she can have the corner of the building you have been beating her and her friends in senseless all these years so she can heal with a few others, and you are insulted.

[oberliner]

75. I am not insulted

I am suggesting why some white allies might be turned off.

Things that are clear as day to you might not be as clear to everyone.

We are talking about very young people here who may have only a narrow or limited understanding of the history and the context.

You wanted to know why I thought some white people might be dissuaded from the protests, and I am trying to explain why I think some of them might feel unwelcome (unjustified as that feeling may be).

[72DejaVu]

76. If that turns you off, how strong of an ally are you?

Consider what you're saying: is your comfort level more important than theirs?

[cherokeeprogressive]

43. "more or fewer than those taking to the internet" What a silly comparison.

BILLIONS of people have access to the Internet. How many people have access to Baltimore and Ferguson?

[WestCoastLib]

55. Too put it another way...

A larger percentage of whites in the Baltimore and Ferguson area supported the black protesters than whites with internet access condemned them.

[1StrongBlackMan]

78. I don't think ...

that statement even held true for DU ... let alone the internet. n/t

[malaise]

3. These are the same folks who cheer on wars on other people

at home and abroad and celebrate bombs as if they were fireworks as they slaughter others.
They do not even understand their own contradictions except that anything that protects the perpetuation of their privileges at home or abroad is A OK.

[heaven05]

12. +1

in a nutshell

[romanic]

4. Well I'm not white

and I think some of the methods done by BLM and by college activists is counter-productive and borderline fascist. Hell just look at what happened in Darmouth a couple days ago where protestors were calling white students "fucks" and "bitches" and telling the students of color in the library that they were "traitors". That's not going to get anyone on your side or engage in any type of change.

And in regards to the rioting, I said it last time and I will say many times before; I'm sick of seeing black neighborhoods that are already ravaged by poverty bearing the brunt of more destruction for nothing. I'm sure many that still live in Ferguson and the riot-stricken areas of Bmore could say the same thing. Then again I doubt the people who rioted or BLM or the college students give a shit anymore because the "cause" trumps the people that would benefit from the cause.

[JustAnotherGen]

8. It made the National News right?

Good, bad, indifferent America has engaged in alienating behavior. We are alienated. Our black youth - are extremely alienated.

When alienated - this is what you get.

I'm using the word 'alienate' because I've seen it used by white posters at DU the past few days to describe how these actions and words make them feel on a personal level. There have been these outpouring of emotions posts that I don't understand. I'm trying to though.

They are shocked at the words, the signs, the actions - we had a DUer try to get a SOP lock on an op in the AfAm group this past week because someone posted a comedian's video where she uses laughter and humor to show how it " feels" when non blacks speak over blacks to explain to us why/what we should be feeling. The video thread is still on the main page. In the thread you can see where I posted the Alert to Group Hosts Content.


Our very language and laughter at the nightmare the country is for us is now an affront to America.

That's an alienating concept.

And I agree on destruction in black neighborhoods - but BLM pre dates Ferguson - it started with a teenager named Trayvon.

This isn't going away any time soon.


So how can get non black Americans who are disturbed by ALL of it to understand that. It's the new normal. And they have to accept it. Don't have o like it or agree with it - but have to accept that the anger from sustained relentless alienation is there.


Tell us how to help them accept it. Help us to help come to terms with it . . .

[mountain grammy]

19. "This isn't going away anytime soon "

true, and it shouldn't... Well said.

[Scuba]

5. K&R

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

6. As a white American...

It's not about the skin colour.

“But why do they have to light things on fire?” you might have seen. “What good is rioting and looting?”

I say the same damn things about drunken crowds of white people after football games.

Any damn yahoo setting cars or buildings on fire is not 'being a protester' (unless, I guess, they're protesting that specific car or building, ie, it's not some random car or building) - they're being a criminal. They may ALSO be a protester, but that action is separate. It's like, I don't know, starting a war of aggression against Iraq, in protest of a bunch of Saudis committing an injustice against your country.

I have absolutely no problems with what the bulk of protesters as 'Mizzou' did, and give them kudos for both their methods and their actual effectiveness. Indeed, the specific protester with whom I DO have problems at that protest appeared to be a white woman.

[TipTok]

7. Might as well just set stuff on fire then...

What a load...

[1StrongBlackMan]

18. I'm so glad that is the point you took away from the OP ...

I suspect YOU are the type of person/mentality the OP is referencing.

[JustAnotherGen]

21. Not all of it

Maybe he meant Confederate Memorials? Don't want to put words in the poster's mouth.

[randys1]

33. Yes!!! Set fire to confederate memorials!!!

[randys1]

32. Go find a brick wall, hit your head against it 76 times, this will give you more insight

than talking to certain folks.

[heaven05]

9. per title and substance of OP

TRUE!!!!! I see the whiners and 'splainers' have arrived. Expected, noted, dismissed.

[JustAnotherGen]

22. You remember it too!

Cool!

[DinahMoeHum]

10. "Nothing-But-The-Best-For-The-Oppressed" strikes again.

among white folks.

(sigh!)

[BumRushDaShow]

11. HUGE f'in K&R

It's a power thing. Whether racist cretin "conservative" or tone deaf so-called "liberal". Few are willing to give up the "divine right" that white privilege incurs to -

1.) Set the "rules" of engagement
2.) Define others
3.) Control the narrative
4.) Rewrite history
5.) Develop systems, processes, and procedures that are inherently designed to maintain the "authority" to carry out #1 - 4

[heaven05]

14. +100

[ismnotwasm]

16. K&R

A lot of truth from you much respect from me

[blackspade]

17. White America needs to wake the fuck up.

Great article.

[mountain grammy]

20. K & R

[giftedgirl77]

23. White America is so redundant it's actually gotten painful &

pitiful.

[randys1]

34. The complexion for the protection of the collection

I would quote what Paul said about the ultimate way to resolve white racism, but it would get me banned.

He is quite a rabble rouser

[giftedgirl77]

51. I'm actually surprised this hasn't been locked with the

backward ass shit that goes down on here.

[Solly Mack]

26. K&R

[Octafish]

27. A real tell.

Soon as someone opens their mouth on the subject of civil rights or equal rights or democracy, one knows where they're coming from. The more educated ones can make the words longer, but what's in their heart sounds clear as a bell.

[Nye Bevan]

28. I'll just say that I concur with President Obama on this.

President Obama, who started his career in politics as a community organizer, said Monday that protests in the wake of grand jury decisions not to indict white police officers in the deaths of unarmed black men are a necessary step.

“As long as they’re peaceful, I think they’re necessary,” Obama said during an interview that aired on BET Monday. “When they turn violent then they turn counterproductive.”

http://time.com/3624627/president-obama-says-eric-garner-ferguson-protests-necessary/

[randys1]

35. No, a President is going to say "as long as they're violent, I think they're necessary"

sigh

[Nye Bevan]

37. Here's someone else I concur with:

The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral,
begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy.
Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.
Through violence you may murder the liar,
but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth.
Through violence you may murder the hater,
but you do not murder hate.
In fact, violence merely increases hate.
So it goes.
Returning violence for violence multiplies violence,
adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness:
only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

[randys1]

38. LOL

Oh god, this cant get any better.

[Nye Bevan]

39. Thanks!

[randys1]

40. No, no, thank you...you have no idea why it is funny, but it really is, and I am going to

take mercy on you and say no more.

[Nye Bevan]

41. LOL, I love that! (nt)

[NaturalHigh]

65. I notice that you have nothing of substance to say about it.

Nice work with the DU emojis, though.

[heaven05]

47. I bet you do

concurrence noted and dismissed.

[randys1]

66. I tried to cut them a break and not openly make fun of them, but they are making it

difficult

[JustAnotherGen]

67. In the words of MLK . . .

I can't wait to see The Revenant This Christmas!

[gollygee]

70. More from MLK, since you're such a fan.

In a speech at the American Psychology Associations' annual convention in Washington, DC, in September 1967:

Urban riots must now be recognized as durable social phenomena. They may be deplored, but they are there and should be understood. Urban riots are a special form of violence. They are not insurrections. The rioters are not seeking to seize territory or to attain control of institutions. They are mainly intended to shock the white community. They are a distorted form of social protest. The looting which is their principal feature serves many functions. It enables the most enraged and deprived Negro to take hold of consumer goods with the ease the white man does by using his purse. Often the Negro does not even want what he takes; he wants the experience of taking. But most of all, alienated from society and knowing that this society cherishes property above people, he is shocking it by abusing property rights. There are thus elements of emotional catharsis in the violent act. This may explain why most cities in which riots have occurred have not had a repetition, even though the causative conditions remain. It is also noteworthy that the amount of physical harm done to white people other than police is infinitesimal and in Detroit whites and Negroes looted in unity.

A profound judgment of today's riots was expressed by Victor Hugo a century ago. He said, 'If a soul is left in the darkness, sins will be committed. The guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but he who causes the darkness.'

The policymakers of the white society have caused the darkness; they create discrimination; they structured slums; and they perpetuate unemployment, ignorance and poverty. It is incontestable and deplorable that Negroes have committed crimes; but they are derivative crimes. They are born of the greater crimes of the white society. When we ask Negroes to abide by the law, let us also demand that the white man abide by law in the ghettos. Day-in and day-out he violates welfare laws to deprive the poor of their meager allotments; he flagrantly violates building codes and regulations; his police make a mockery of law; and he violates laws on equal employment and education and the provisions for civic services. The slums are the handiwork of a vicious system of the white society; Negroes live in them but do not make them any more than a prisoner makes a prison. Let us say boldly that if the violations of law by the white man in the slums over the years were calculated and compared with the law-breaking of a few days of riots, the hardened criminal would be the white man. These are often difficult things to say but I have come to see more and more that it is necessary to utter the truth in order to deal with the great problems that we face in our society.

[Comrade Grumpy]

29. White America said that, did it? Or was it a handful of commentators?

I grow weary of this racialist shit.

[randys1]

36. Now it is 'RACIALIST" HMMM, new one

[bravenak]

42. Racialist. I bet we blacks are MUCH MORE WEARY OF RACISM than you are of hearing about it.

Feel better soon. I'm rooting for you to overcome this tragedy of hearing these 'racialist' things.

I know that your suffering is FAR FAR greater than all of us put together.

Your pain is so great, I shall think about it all day, how hard it is for you to HEAR about the 'racialist' things WE EXPERIENCE.


Feel so bad for you. To hear such things. Your poor beautiful mind.

[randys1]

44. Do you think flowers would help?

[bravenak]

45. That and candy.

We should be empathetic in his time of deep need.

[freshwest]

62. I prefer 'extra dark' chocolate candy, myself. Dark humor alert: I'm dying for it here!

On second thought, it's colder tonight. So hot cocoa with maybe cinnamon, dark chocolate and Mexican vanilla.



Thanks for the inspiration!

[heaven05]

49. big smile here

well, said.

[bravenak]

50. We are such kind souls.

[Comrade Grumpy]

56. That's okay. I pretty much just ignore you.

[bravenak]

57. Ditto

[heaven05]

48. Please, continue

to...........

[1StrongBlackMan]

61. "Racialist"???

The only place I have seen that term was on white supremacist sites ... where they argue they aren't "racists", they're "racialists".

[MrScorpio]

63. Good observation! nt

[randys1]

30. To quote my friend "BA FUCKING ZINGA"

No shit, lets repeat this a few thousand times please

Imagine their surprise when they learned that White America had a new complaint. These black students were too sensitive and too demanding. Their peaceful actions, it seems, are ruining college atmospheres which, if you believe White America, are defined by the ability of students to offer race-based hate speech with impunity.

Imagine their surprise when they learned that White America had a new complaint. These black students were too sensitive and too demanding. Their peaceful actions, it seems, are ruining college atmospheres which, if you believe White America, are defined by the ability of students to offer race-based hate speech with impunity.

Imagine their surprise when they learned that White America had a new complaint. These black students were too sensitive and too demanding. Their peaceful actions, it seems, are ruining college atmospheres which, if you believe White America, are defined by the ability of students to offer race-based hate speech with impunity.

Imagine their surprise when they learned that White America had a new complaint. These black students were too sensitive and too demanding. Their peaceful actions, it seems, are ruining college atmospheres which, if you believe White America, are defined by the ability of students to offer race-based hate speech with impunity.

Imagine their surprise when they learned that White America had a new complaint. These black students were too sensitive and too demanding. Their peaceful actions, it seems, are ruining college atmospheres which, if you believe White America, are defined by the ability of students to offer race-based hate speech with impunity.

Imagine their surprise when they learned that White America had a new complaint. These black students were too sensitive and too demanding. Their peaceful actions, it seems, are ruining college atmospheres which, if you believe White America, are defined by the ability of students to offer race-based hate speech with impunity.

[Blue_Tires]

46. kick for truth

[hughee99]

52. So after months of having people say that the actions of a few Baltimore protesters,

or the comments of a few activists associated with the #blm movement are NOT representative of an entire demographic of people (and they're 100% right about that), I'm now hearing what "white America" thinks based on the comments of a few pundits and anonymous internet posters.

I'm a little confused, but I think I'm starting to understand how this works: It is wrong to interpret the comments or actions of a group of people to be indicative of an entire demographic... unless it helps you make your point.

[bettyellen]

53. Women get a lot of "helpful suggestions" too. I feel ya.

[Rex]

54. .

[Bluenorthwest]

58. Of course, just as straight America always, always finds fault with LGBT protesters.

It's sort of how it is for minority protesters. The majority takes issue.

[loyalsister]

59. Salon did a good job of trying to capture some of the controversy as well

People have been so quick to try to turn this story around to be about them with what they see as less gray area rather than to explore important questions. For example, "WHY don't these black protesters trust the media?"
I know from first hand accounts... they don't feel safe. Ferguson happened just a little over 100 miles away. The cop would wanted to lionize Darren Wilson on the anniversary of the day Mike Brown was shot lives here in Columbia. There have been numerous threats since this protest started- some criminally prosecutable. People really want to command the protesters (who have been threatened) to automatically assume that people with media credentials have good intentions when they try to infiltrate the spaces where the protesters are trying to gather?

This “unbearable whiteness of liberal media” is precisely why the Black student protesters asked journalists to please “respect” them as well as their space by leaving them alone, at least long enough to collect their thoughts. When Sable-Smith repeatedly asked for a statement, the students replied, again and again, joyfully: “To God be the Glory.” He did not understand that response.

Journalist Tracie Powell runs the website All Digitocracy.org, which works to support journalists of color while raising awareness of structural racism in the media. Powell is concerned about the treatment of Tai, the student photographer, but her gut instinct was that the refusal of the protesters to admit the press was, more accurately, their refusal to feed the biases of White journalism. “For me, the overwhelming impression was that they didn’t trust the White reporters suddenly trying to cover the story.” In conversation with me, she noted that these reporters had already shown themselves to be ranging from indifferent to outright hostile to the concerns outlined by Black students on campus, and “parachute journalism”–jumping in to a big story and then leaving–would give activists no reason to trust them. Her instincts are confirmed from various tweets from student protesters on campus, including one from #ConcernedStudent1950: “It’s typically white media who don’t understand the importance of respecting black spaces.”

http://www.salon.com/2015/11/10/missouri_activists_vs_the_press_is_still_a_story_about_race_this_is_what_happens_when_black_students_cant_trust_the_media/

[TBF]

60. I have been arguing with a bunch of authoritarians in another thread -

who are determined to place restrictions so that folks are only protesting in a manner that does not offend their delicate sensibilities.

I think many people do not understand the first amendment, and the very few exemptions to it.

[Heidi]

64. Kick, kick, kick!

[guillaumeb]

77. When you write about "that white class",

talking of course about the reasonable way that white people handle themselves, I thought about some less than reasonable behavior.

Like lynching,
like slavery,
like genocide against various peoples of color,
and other classy white behavior.

There has been much talk at DU and in the real world about the phrase "black lives matter". My feeling is that if black lives actually did matter to white America, there would be no need for the slogan.