In his book, “How to Be an Antiracist,” antiracist activist and Boston University professor Ibram X. Kendi states, “The only remedy to racist discrimination is antiracist discrimination. The only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination. The only remedy to present discrimination is future discrimination.”
In other words, Kendi believes that instead of promoting “race-neutral” policies, it’s acceptable and, indeed morally good, to discriminate based on race as long as those you’re discriminating against are white. Sounds a bit racist, doesn’t it?
Unfortunately, the above belief is not relegated to fringe thinkers. The federal bureaucracy, the US military and even Fortune 100 companies have endorsed Kendi’s ideas. And even more concerning is that many in society are embracing the idea that it’s OK to discriminate against white people.
Of course, the above leads to a few critical questions. Namely, should we as a society allow discrimination based on race? And if not, what should we do about the rise in anti-white sentiment?
Rising Anti-White Sentiment
Kendi isn’t the only person who believes that discrimination against whites is acceptable. As I recently wrote, a preeminent view in Critical Race Theory (CRT) is the idea that no white member of society is innocent. Indeed, according to CRT, all white people are “guilty” simply by being born white. If you find that statement problematic, you’re not wrong — it’s a racist statement. But because it’s directed toward white people, many in society accept it.
Indeed, discrimination and outright racism toward whites are more mainstream than you might realize. Take the following examples, not in chronological order:
- In December 2021, the Biden administration issued guidance that prioritizes racial minorities regarding COVID treatments. In response, both Utah and New York said they’d prioritize racial minorities over other high-risk patients.
- In March 2021, Biden’s COVID relief plan, known as “The American Rescue Plan,” earmarked billions of dollars in debt relief for farmers and ranchers. The catch? You have to be Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaskan native, or Asian American or Pacific Islander. White farmers need not apply.
- In May 2021, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot stated that she’d only give interviews “with people of color” on the second anniversary of her inauguration. She later clarified that “people of color” meant Blacks and Latinos.
- In August 2020, 17-year-old white man Kyle Rittenhouse fatally shot two men and wounded another during the Kenosha riots. Rittenhouse said he was defending himself, but the mainstream media (MSM) quickly deemed Rittenhouse guilty of murder, and lawmakers like Rep. Ayanna Pressley dubbed Rittenhouse a “supremacist domestic terrorist” on Twitter. Rittenhouse’s shooting made international headlines for months, and his bail was set at $2 million. However, video evidence clearly showed Rittenhouse told the truth when he said he acted in self-defense. Despite attempts to intimidate the jury into finding Rittenhouse guilty, he was acquitted of all charges. Following the verdict, President Biden said he was “angry and concerned” about Rittenhouse’s acquittal.
- In October 2021, 18-year-old black student Timothy George Simpkins opened fire inside Timberview High School. The shooting left four injured. However, Simpkins’ shooting didn’t get near the attention that Rittenhouse’s did, and even when the mainstream media covered it, they were quick to point out that Simpkins was “bullied” and a “victim.” His bail was set at $75,000. In December 2021, Simpkins was again arrested for an alleged bond violation. This story barely made the local news.
- In October 2018, CNN anchor Don Lemon stated, “the biggest terror threat in this country is white men.”
- In March 2021, Meena Harris, Vice President Kamala’s niece, stated about the Boulder, Colorado shooter, “Violent white men are the greatest terrorist threat to our country.” The shooter was, in fact, not white and actually a left-leaning Muslim.
- Also, in response to the Boulder shooting in March 2021, Deadspin writer Emily Julia DiCaro stated, “Extremely tired of people’s lives depending on whether a white man with an AR-15 is having a good day or not.”
- In November 2021, CNN analyst John Blake wrote a piece titled, “There’s nothing more frightening in America today than an angry white man.”
Imagine if the above statements and policies targeted Blacks or Hispanics. How would MSM and society respond? They’d probably call for the offender’s castigation, and the offending idea struck from polite society. However, because these policies and statements discriminate against white people, the MSM and left-leaning society accepts, and even lauds, these statements, and policies.
Racism is Racism
To try to deflect criticism from his racist statements, Kendi attempts to redefine racism as “a powerful collection of racist policies that lead to racial inequity and are substantiated by racist ideas. Antiracism is a powerful collection of antiracist policies that lead to racial equity and are substantiated by antiracist ideas.”
In other words, racism is anything that’s racist, and antiracism is anything that’s antiracist. In philosophy, this is called circular reasoning, and it’s a logical fallacy that we should outright reject.
Unfortunately, many in society have fallen for Kendi’s logical fallacy and are now acting under the incorrect assumption that they’re antiracists because they’re discriminating against whites instead of Blacks or Hispanics.
However, according to the Oxford Dictionary, the correct definition of racism is “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against a person or people based on their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized.”
This is the historic and appropriate definition of racism. Consequently, when Kendi or anyone in society argues that it’s OK to discriminate against a white person because they are white, they give rise to racist rhetoric and say racism is OK.
Learn from History
America doesn’t have a perfect past when it comes to race. No country does. However, since the Civil War, Republicans have worked on healing past insults and moving forward with a society that doesn’t discriminate based on skin color.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said of every party. Here are just a few examples from “The Inconvenient Truth About the Democratic Party,” by Dr. Carol Swain a retired professor of political science and law at Vanderbilt University and a Black woman:
- President Johnson and the Democratic Party were unified in opposition to the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, the 14th Amendment gave Blacks citizenship, and the 15th Amendment gave Blacks the right to vote.
- Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Democrat, founded the Ku Klux Klan. According to historian Eric Foner (also a Democrat), its purpose was, “In effect, the Klan was a military force serving the interests of the Democratic Party.”
- Southern Democrats passed Jim Crow laws.
- Democratic President Woodrow Wilson re-segregated many federal agencies.
- Democratic senators filibustered against the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Simply put, progressives have a history of racism and trying to divide people based on physical characteristics. And they’re at it again, only this time they’re targeting white people and attempting to disguise their racism as antiracism.
Let’s be clear: Antagonism and discrimination against any person based on what they look like is racism. It doesn’t matter how the mainstream media or left-leaning society tries to spin it. More pointedly, racism is illegal as well as ethically reprehensible. Consequently, our moral obligations are to correctly callout the left’s racist narrative and flat out reject this “accepted” new racism whenever we encounter it.
