General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: No, racism and sexism don't "go both ways" [View all]gollygee
(22,336 posts)First is that I don't think the definition of the word should be built around our comfort, though I do understand that the discomfort is behind discussions like the one in this thread.
The second is that I don't think it's helpful to think of the word "racist" as a noun, like as a person's identity, at least generally. (I'd personally grant an exception to some people.) I think the word "racist" is better used to describe actions than people - things people do that support or perpetuate racism. So all white people are not "racists" but we might all (often accidentally) support and perpetuate racism. That's where the idea of privilege comes from. If we understand that we have privilege and sometimes, without even intending, or necessarily even knowing, support and perpetuate racism, we can be more aware of when it happens and, in those cases, put an end to it. We can't help that we benefit from white supremacy, but if we are aware of that, we can sometimes see when we're benefitting, and hopefully we can do something about it. That's how we can do better.