Written by Elizabeth MartÃnez (info below is from this site: soaw.org)
What is White Supremacy?
White Supremacy is an historically based, institutionally perpetuated system of exploitation and oppression of continents, nations, and peoples of color by white peoples and nations of the European continent, for the purpose of maintaining and defending a system of wealth, power, and privilege.
What does it mean to say it is a system?
The most common mistake people make when they talk about racism is to think it is a collection of prejudices and individual acts of discrimination. They do not see that it is a system, a web of interlocking, reinforcing institutions: economic, military, legal, educational, religious, and cultural. As a system, racism affects every aspect of life in a country.
By not seeing that racism is systemic (part of a system), people often personalize or individualize racist acts. For example, they will reduce racist police behavior to "a few bad apples" who need to be removed, rather than seeing it exists in police departments all over the country and is basic to the society. This mistake has real consequences: refusing to see police brutality as part of a system, and that the system needs to be changed, means that the brutality will continue.
(continue to get more informed about this: soaw.org)
Suggested Daily Practice:
I recently went to an event in Boston where Carl Williams from ACLU spoke. Carl, my activist sister, and two others received a Drylongso award from CCI for being "ordinary people doing extraordinary things." Carl suggested we practice recognizing 'the water that we swim in' by saying "White Supremacy" every day.
-DG
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