swirlspice

“The essence of the “I didn’t own any slaves” story line is that present generations are not responsible for the ills of slavery. This story line [is] used frequently in conjuction with the story line of “The past in the past”… As can be seen, these two story lines [serve] whites as instrument to object to blacks’ demands for compensatory policies. Furthermore, they [help] whites stand on high moral ground when objecting to these policies…

This story line ignores the fact that pro-white polices (“preferential treatment”) in jobs, housing, elections, and access to social space (“No blacks and Mexicans allowed here!”) have had (and continue to have) a positive effect for all those deemed “white.”…Hence, the ”It wasn’t me” approach of this story line does not fit the reality of how racial privilege operated and still operates in America. Although specific whites may not have participated directly in the overt discriminatory practices that injured blacks and other minorities in the past, they all have received unearned privileges by virtue of being regarded as “white” and have benefited form the various incarnations of white supremacy in the United States.” (79)