Why Whites Can’t ‘Get Over’ Color

Diversity Inc’s “Ask a White Guy” Column has a wonderful response to people who are still lost in the fog of white privilege. Below is an excerpt of the letter that trigerred a journey down the United States’s legacy of white supremacy and racism. Click on the link for the full exchange. 

Anonymous writes:

I am a white female and I can tell you that I don’t talk about blacks for fear I will be called a racist or be called to the table, especially in the workplace, for discrimination. We (whites), at my company, are not allowed to talk about blacks or any other ethnic group because we would get fired. I will say that whites are very sensitive now because we are discriminated against. Blacks can have the NAACP, BET (Black Entertainment Television), Black History Month, United Negro College Fund, etc. If white people were to start something like the before mentioned there would be a huge uproar…

The “White Guy” responds:

Your demand that we “Get over the color!” is an expression of white privilege. It’s only possible to “get over” it if you are in the majority culture. Assuming you’re white, YOU can “get over the color!” but it’s simply not possible for people of color to get over who they are, what that means and the damage our society has purposefully done over the centuries by color.