A short, simple and irrefutable explanation why there's no such thing as 'white pride'
When it comes to the topic of race, we all have questions. And sometimes, it honestly can be embarrassing to ask perfectly well-intentioned questions lest someone accuse you of being ignorant, or worse, racist, for simply admitting you don't know the answer.
America has a complicated history with race. For as long as we've been a country, our culture, politics and commerce have been structured in a way to deny our nation's past crimes, minimize the structural and systemic racism that still exists and make the entire discussion one that most people would rather simply not have.
For example, have you ever wondered what's really behind the term Black Pride? Is it an uplifting phrase for the Black community or a divisive term? Most people instinctively put the term "White Pride" in a negative context. Is there such a thing as non-racist, racial pride for white people? And while we're at it, what about Asian people, Native Americans, and so on?
Yes, a lot of people raise these questions with bad intent. But if you've ever genuinely wanted an answer, either for yourself or so that you best know how to handle the question when talking to someone with racist views, writer/director Michael McWhorter put together a short, simple and irrefutable video clip explaining why "White Pride" isn't a real thing, why "Black Pride" is and all the little details in between.
"I knew this question was coming and I waited until someone asked nicely to respond," McWhorter says at the beginning of his video. "So, no, there's no such thing as 'White Pride.' In part, because there is no white culture."
Now, "hold on," you might be thinking. Is this another try-hard white guy attacking fellow white people to appear woke? No, what McWhorter says next is one of the most insightful, and inclusive, explanations for anyone who is white, or really anyone who isn't Black, and might be wondering how they can identify with their own cultural heritage in a constructive and meaningful way. Also, as a Southern, white man, McWhortner might be just the perfect messenger for those who have been unable or unwilling to answer the question on their own.
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"You can have pride based on your ethnicity, like Scottish, German, Irish," he says. "You can even have regional pride, like Southern Pride. These things usually apply to your cultural identity, like how you grew up, etc."
OK, hard to argue with that. And a handy explanation for how to positively celebrate your culture as a white person. But what about those who still want to generally "take back" the idea of White Pride or who attack the concept/origins of Black Pride?
"Some people argue, 'well, others have pride.' And no, they don't," he continues. Chicano, Latino pride, Asian pride, those are not colors. The one exception is Black pride. And that's because they've had a unique experience no one else has. Black Americans were robbed of their culture. They don't know where they come from."
McWhorter goes on to explain the basics of the African-American diaspora and how it is different than other cultural heritages or even legacies of racism that other ethic or religious groups have experienced.
And if someone still needs an explanation of why the term itself is unnecessary, problematic and makes almost everyone more than a little uncomfortable, McWhorter reminds us simply that, "White Pride was coined by white supremacists."
So, there you have it. It's perfectly OK to celebrate your heritage without being a racist. And Black pride is an inclusive, uplifting term used to help people whose ancestor had their freedom and their heritage itself stolen from them. It's not that complicated!
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An Irish woman went to the doctor for a routine eye exam. She left with bright neon green eyes.
It's not easy seeing green.
Did she get superpowers?
Going to the eye doctor can be a hassle and a pain. It's not just the routine issues and inconveniences that come along when making a doctor appointment, but sometimes the various devices being used to check your eyes' health feel invasive and uncomfortable. But at least at the end of the appointment, most of us don't look like we're turning into The Incredible Hulk. That wasn't the case for one Irish woman.
Photographer Margerita B. Wargola was just going in for a routine eye exam at the hospital but ended up leaving with her eyes a shocking, bright neon green.
At the doctor's office, the nurse practitioner was prepping Wargola for a test with a machine that Wargola had experienced before. Before the test started, Wargola presumed the nurse had dropped some saline into her eyes, as they were feeling dry. After she blinked, everything went yellow.
Wargola and the nurse initially panicked. Neither knew what was going on as Wargola suddenly had yellow vision and radioactive-looking green eyes. After the initial shock, both realized the issue: the nurse forgot to ask Wargola to remove her contact lenses before putting contrast drops in her eyes for the exam. Wargola and the nurse quickly removed the lenses from her eyes and washed them thoroughly with saline. Fortunately, Wargola's eyes were unharmed. Unfortunately, her contacts were permanently stained and she didn't bring a spare pair.
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Since she has poor vision, Wargola was forced to drive herself home after the eye exam wearing the neon-green contact lenses that make her look like a member of the Green Lantern Corps. She couldn't help but laugh at her predicament and recorded a video explaining it all on social media. Since then, her video has sparked a couple Reddit threads and collected a bunch of comments on Instagram:
“But the REAL question is: do you now have X-Ray vision?”
“You can just say you're a superhero.”
“I would make a few stops on the way home just to freak some people out!”
“I would have lived it up! Grab a coffee, do grocery shopping, walk around a shopping center.”
“This one would pair well with that girl who ate something with turmeric with her invisalign on and walked around Paris smiling at people with seemingly BRIGHT YELLOW TEETH.”
“I would save those for fancy special occasions! WOW!”
“Every time I'd stop I'd turn slowly and stare at the person in the car next to me.”
“Keep them. Tell people what to do. They’ll do your bidding.”
In a follow-up Instagram video, Wargola showed her followers that she was safe at home with normal eyes, showing that the damaged contact lenses were so stained that they turned the saline solution in her contacts case into a bright Gatorade yellow. She wasn't mad at the nurse and, in fact, plans on keeping the lenses to wear on St. Patrick's Day or some other special occasion.
While no harm was done and a good laugh was had, it's still best for doctors, nurses, and patients alike to double-check and ask or tell if contact lenses are being worn before each eye test. If not, there might be more than ultra-green eyes to worry about.