The question itself is profoundly lacking in empathy, writes Sisonke Msimang. Racism is more than prejudice – it occurs when prejudice is accompanied by power
‘Sometimes a question is not just a question. Sometimes, a question is not innocent’, writes Sisonke Msimang. Composite: ediebloom/Guardian Design
Am I being racist by saying people of colour can be racist? Isn’t racism towards white people a thing?
Sisonke Msimang
The question itself is profoundly lacking in empathy, writes Sisonke Msimang. Racism is more than prejudice – it occurs when prejudice is accompanied by power
Dear Ms Understanding, So, my friend and I got into an argument earlier today. I’m white and she’s black, and I was explaining how I think it’s upsetting that a lot of people of colour say it’s impossible to be racist towards white people, since “you can’t oppress the oppressor”. I feel like having a specific opinion on someone purely based on their skin colour is wrong, no matter who’s judging and who’s being judged. But she was basically saying that white people were the ones who enslaved black people and so it makes sense that they’d hate them. But, again, I think that makes no sense, because we’re past that. I was telling her that I think we should remember those days, but move on from them and better ourselves because of it. Read more on the original article : https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/nov/18/am-i-being-racist-by-saying-people-of-colour-can-be-racist-isnt-racism-towards-white-people-a-thing