While one might think the term “whiteness” refers to skin color. In the social justice literature it actually equates to a form of property. Taking it a step further, just as the left continuously tells us that race is a social construct, so is the idea of whiteness. Regarding whiteness, critical theorist and diversity trainer Robin Diangelo writes in her book White Fragility (page 25):
“Instead of the typical focus on how racism hurts people of color, to examine whiteness is to focus on how racism elevates white people.”
Diangelo further declares whiteness can be thought of as the “resultant material advantage of being defined as white in society.” Therefore, whiteness does not refer solely to skin color and has been used as a political weapon against people who do not fit into the identity politics groupings that are so beloved on the left. For example, who can forget the ridiculous claim that Larry Elder is the black face of white supremacy? The left has also been known to include Asian Americans in the category of white, resulting in numerous universities rejecting highly qualified student applications. Thankfully, the US Supreme Court struck down these constitutional violations in the Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard case.
The left is involved in a continuous effort to create their vision of an idealistic utopian society. Whether they realize it or not, all of these efforts move the population farther down the socialism road towards communism. One continuing hurdle the left must overcome is creating public support for their collectivist ideas, and the idea of whiteness plays a key role. In the leftist rhetoric of Diangelo and her comrades, examples of ideology (White Fragility p.21) such as ”individualism, the superiority of capitalism as an economic system and democracy as a political system, consumerism as a desirable lifestyle, and meritocracy” — basically core American beliefs and ideals — are considered negative ideas that are unconsciously socialized upon Americans and contribute to the scourge of whiteness. By casting American values in a negative light through association with the contrived social construct of whiteness, leftist activists keep chipping away at what they believe is an unjust social order.
There is evidence of this at all levels of academia, as well as in non-profit organizations, and government departments. At Texas State University a student writing for the school newspaper wrote an eye-popping article titled “Your DNA is an Abomination.” In it he wrote, “white death will mean liberation for all.” In defending his piece, he claimed that the article was not racist because “racist attitudes come from a position of power.” He further said, “Until then, remember this: I hate you because you shouldn’t exist. You are both the dominant apparatus on the planet and the void in which all other cultures, upon meeting you, die.” This student has adopted Marxist Critical Theory beliefs that have gained prominence throughout the American school system since the late 1980s. In his article, he used the dominant culture, oppressor/oppressed framework, and saw everything through a racial identity group standpoint. In fact, he had no consideration for individuals or humanity, called for the death of an entire race, and was proud of his hatred towards white people which he conflates with the concept of whiteness.
The foundation for this level of hate that began in universities is being laid in high school classrooms across the country. Public education has embedded critical theory and antiracist teachings into nearly every grade level and subject. In the Detroit Public Schools Community District, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti admitted the district’s curriculum is “deeply using critical race theory.” Why is this so concerning to many parents? Well, just read for yourself what Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic wrote in the introduction to their 2001 book, Critical Race Theory: An Introduction:
As you can imagine, the property of whiteness is an important theme throughout Delgado and Stefancic’s book. We find it unconscionable that a movement that “questions the very foundations of the liberal order, including equality theory, legal reasoning, Enlightenment rationalism, and neutral principles of constitutional law” would gain any kind of traction in the most free, generous, and diverse country in the world. Yet, here we are, with neo-Marxist ideas like CRT and whiteness continuing to make inroads into our schools and communities. In Ottawa County, local organizations such as the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance, and the Momentum Center, are partnering with local school districts to sponsor clubs such as Calling All Colors, and the “Antiracism Task Force.” See the Momentum Center’s resource page for a list of antiracist books, podcasts, and videos.
Restore Ottawa has published numerous articles that detail ways in which the concepts of whiteness and critical race theory have infiltrated Grand Haven Area Public Schools.
LEDA/Detroit Town Hall on Critical Race Theory (including GHAPS curriculum director)
Learning for Justice: A Southern Poverty Law Center Curriculum being used at GHAPS
Critical Race Theory and Antiracism in Grand Haven Area Public Schools
The student group Calling All Colors led by the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance created a presentation that was given to high school students during their Academy class. Some of the slides included in the presentation are shown below.
To summarize, the idea of whiteness equates to a form of social capital which privileges those classified as white with certain unjust status and rights, while the traditional definition of racism (i.e., individual prejudice used to discriminate against another) has been expanded to be a systemic problem within all of our institutions. Expanding the idea of whiteness, children are being taught to recognize the dominant culture based on immutable identity characteristics, and that white, Christian, straight men are the identities that hold the most power, and those who hold power oppress those who do not hold power. As the slides show, children are learning that light-skinned individuals cannot be victims of racism, because racism requires power and institutions behind it. Individuals who are white have inherent power, regardless of their individual circumstances and the curveballs that life throws at them, and are by default in the oppressor category. Likewise, dark-skinned individuals are oppressed by default. There is no room for individuality in this framework. It is a collectivist viewpoint and an individual’s position within the hierarchy depends on his/her group identity characteristics.
Through this convoluted way of thinking that redefines the idea of racism, and uses the term whiteness to refer to a form of capitalistic property, American society is slowly being destabilized. The education system has a significant role in shaping present and future society, and it is extremely important for the public at large to understand what children are learning with our tax dollars. If some academics at the University of North Carolina and Wake Forest University get their way, these topics could be coming to a kindergarten near you.