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'Everything is racist these days' because white supremacy is as American as apple pie

'Everything is racist these days' because white supremacy is as American as apple pie
Screenshot via Puzzle Warehouse

I see so many people complain about how "everything is racist these days" and "people just blame white supremacy for everything."

Yeah. You know why? Because racism and white supremacy actually are infused and embedded into almost everything in our country. We're just finally starting to acknowledge it.

And by "we," I mean white folks.

(To be clear, when I talk about white supremacy, I'm not just talking about the extremist/Neo-Nazi/KKK hate groups. I'm referring to the notion, conscious or unconscious, that white people are preferable, better, more deserving, or otherwise superior to non-white people—a notion that was widely accepted among white people throughout American history.)

The vast majority of people of color in America already know this to be true and have always known it to be true. White Americans, by and large, have been ignorant, oblivious, or in denial about how America's legacy of white supremacy impacts us.

There's a reason for this:


We cannot separate our most celebrated history from white supremacy in any sort of honest way. And that's really uncomfortable for a lot of us.

We can't get away from the fact that white supremacy built this country. Our founders wrote racism into the Constitution. Our economy relied on the violent oppression of people of color for centuries. That is our history.

The fact is that those great men—and yes, they were great in many ways—who established our republic were mostly overt or passive white supremacists. Even beloved Abraham Lincoln, opposer of slavery and father of the Emancipation Proclamation, thought the white race was superior and didn't believe in equal rights for black people.

That sucks. We like the feeling of pride and patriotism that comes with what we were taught in school. We love hearing about the brave souls who fled tyranny and founded a new nation built on liberty, freedom, and the idea that "all men are created equal." We like that simple story.

The fact that slavery directly flew in the face of liberty and freedom, and the fact that what they really meant was "all white men are created equal," feels gross now. Icky. Yuck. So we ignore it. We downplay our foundation of white supremacy. We say "that was in the past, it doesn't matter now."

But here's the thing: it does matter now. Because practically every socioeconomic disparity between whites and minorities in this country can be traced back to white supremacist policies and practices.

We could talk about the psychological and economic effects of hundreds of years of slavery, and we definitely should. But we don't even have to go back that far. Modern history offers plenty of examples of white supremacist laws, policies, and practices. I'm talking about stuff that happened during my parents' lifetime. (Both of my parents are still living, and they aren't even that old.)

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Segregation, redlining, public housing policies, unjust lending practices, etc. were all based in white supremacy and happened during current Americans' lifetimes. And they still impact non-white communities today. (Some excellent reading on that here.)

And that's just the big stuff that impacts groups of people. We haven't even gotten into the how white supremacy affects us all as individuals.

Think about this: When kids of all races look at a poster of U.S. presidents in their classrooms, they see a sea of white faces with one lone face of color. That means something.

Screenshot via Puzzle Warehouse

It means the power in this country has always been held by white men. That's our reality. But it didn't just naturally happen that way. White men purposely and systematically maintained that power and withheld it from others. (That is is not an attack on white men, by the way, just well-documented history.)

The message Americans get from an early age, simply by looking at a poster of our presidents, is that white = power. (Also male = power, but that's a whole other discussion.) Throughout our education, we are presented with this visual representation of historical white supremacy, which also serves to reinforce the notion of white supremacy. Weird, right?

We don't directly teach white supremacy; it is learned subconsciously. And we obviously can't change history, but we can certainly change how it's taught. If we don't purposefully address the racism woven into America's fabric—if we don't bring it up and talk about it and directly counter it—the notion that white = power just keeps being reinforced by the dominant narrative of history.

Some say we're talking about race and racism too much these days. They point to our single non-white president as evidence that racism is over. But all his lone face did was bring the racism that white folks imagined had disappeared after the Civil Rights Movement back into the light. It forced us to look at it. It forced us to talk about it.

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The constant racist attacks on that president should have made it obvious that racism wasn't dead. The rise in blatant white supremacist activity as a reaction to his election should have been a clue that we're not past it.

Racism lives, not because we talk about it too much, but because we still haven't talked about it enough.

But it's uncomfortable. And it's hard. White folks largely don't like to look at or talk about how much white supremacy has impacted us because it means that we have a role and responsibility in dismantling it. It's far easier to pretend it doesn't exist. It's far easier to say, "That's just white guilt," or "I don't see color" or "The law says we're all equal now," and ignore the fact that there are people alive who used whites-only drinking fountains. It's easier to pretend that the Civil Rights Act changed everyone's hearts, despite the fact that a good portion of the country (and lawmakers) opposed it.

The roots of white supremacy are still enmeshed in our society, in our politics, and in our daily lived experiences as Americans. We may have cut the weed off at the surface by enacting laws against discrimination, but we have never dug deep enough to actually uproot the racism and white supremacy that has dominated our culture for centuries. To pretend that isn't true is simply dishonest.

So yeah, the reason "everything is racist these days" is because we're finally having the conversations we always should have had—about how racism manifests in both overt and subtle ways, how most race-related issues in America actually do go back to white supremacy, and how we can go about mending what was broken over centuries.

You can rant about everything being about race. You can keep trying to deny that white supremacy is a much more abiding influence on our society than is generally acknowledged.

But these needed conversations are going to keep on chugging along. Hop on the train or move off the tracks.

Planet

Easy (and free!) ways to save the ocean

The ocean is the heart of our planet. It needs our help to be healthy.

Ocean Wise

Volunteers at a local shoreline cleanup

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The ocean covers over 71% of the Earth’s surface and serves as our planet’s heart. Ocean currents circulate vital heat, moisture, and nutrients around the globe to influence and regulate our climate, similar to the human circulatory system. Cool, right?

Our ocean systems provide us with everything from fresh oxygen to fresh food. We need it to survive and thrive—and when the ocean struggles to function healthfully, the whole world is affected.

Pollution, overfishing, and climate change are the three biggest challenges preventing the ocean from doing its job, and it needs our help now more than ever. Humans created the problem; now humans are responsible for solving it.

#BeOceanWise is a global rallying cry to do what you can for the ocean, because we need the ocean and the ocean needs us. If you’re wondering how—or if—you can make a difference, the answer is a resounding YES. There are a myriad of ways you can help, even if you don’t live near a body of water. For example, you can focus on reducing the amount of plastic you purchase for yourself or your family.

Another easy way to help clean up our oceans is to be aware of what’s known as the “dirty dozen.” Every year, scientists release an updated list of the most-found litter scattered along shorelines. The biggest culprit? Single-use beverage and food items such as foam cups, straws, bottle caps, and cigarette butts. If you can’t cut single-use plastic out of your life completely, we understand. Just make sure to correctly recycle plastic when you are finished using it. A staggering 3 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans annually. Imagine the difference we could make if everyone recycled!

The 2022 "Dirty Dozen" ListOcean Wise

If you live near a shoreline, help clean it up! Organize or join an effort to take action and make a positive impact in your community alongside your friends, family, or colleagues. You can also tag @oceanwise on social if you spot a beach that needs some love. The location will be added to Ocean Wise’s system so you can submit data on the litter found during future Shoreline Cleanups. This data helps Ocean Wise work with businesses and governments to stop plastic pollution at its source. In Canada, Ocean Wise data helped inform a federal ban on unnecessary single-use plastics. Small but important actions like these greatly help reduce the litter that ends up in our ocean.

Ocean Wise, a conservation organization on a mission to restore and protect our oceans, is focused on empowering and educating everyone from individuals to governments on how to protect our waters. They are making conservation happen through five big initiatives: monitoring and protecting whales, fighting climate change and restoring biodiversity, innovating for a plastic-free ocean, protecting and restoring fish stocks, and finally, educating and empowering youth. The non-profit believes that in order to rebuild a resilient and vibrant ocean within the next ten years, everyone needs to take action.

Become an Ocean Wise ally and share your knowledge with others. The more people who know how badly the ocean needs our help, the better! Now is a great time to commit to being a part of something bigger and get our oceans healthy again.

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Researchers dumped tons of coffee waste into a forest. This is what it looks like now.

30 dump truck loads and two years later, the forest looks totally different.

One of the biggest problems with coffee production is that it generates an incredible amount of waste. Once coffee beans are separated from cherries, about 45% of the entire biomass is discarded.

So for every pound of roasted coffee we enjoy, an equivalent amount of coffee pulp is discarded into massive landfills across the globe. That means that approximately 10 million tons of coffee pulp is discarded into the environment every year.

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All images provided by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

Collins after being selected by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

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A changemaker is anyone who takes creative action to solve an ongoing problem—be it in one’s own community or throughout the world.

And when it comes to creating positive change, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective can hold just as much power as years of experience. That’s why, every year, Prudential Emerging Visionaries celebrates young people for their innovative solutions to financial and societal challenges in their communities.

This national program awards 25 young leaders (ages 14-18) up to $15,000 to devote to their passion projects. Additionally, winners receive a trip to Prudential’s headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, where they receive coaching, skills development, and networking opportunities with mentors to help take their innovative solutions to the next level.

For 18-year-old Sydnie Collins, one of the 2023 winners, this meant being able to take her podcast, “Perfect Timing,” to the next level.

Since 2020, the Maryland-based teen has provided a safe platform that promotes youth positivity by giving young people the space to celebrate their achievements and combat mental health stigmas. The idea came during the height of Covid-19, when Collins recalled social media “becoming a dark space flooded with news,” which greatly affected her own anxiety and depression.

Knowing that she couldn’t be the only one feeling this way, “Perfect Timing” seemed like a valuable way to give back to her community. Over the course of 109 episodes, Collins has interviewed a wide range of guests—from other young influencers to celebrities, from innovators to nonprofit leaders—all to remind Gen Z that “their dreams are tangible.”

That mission statement has since evolved beyond creating inspiring content and has expanded to hosting events and speaking publicly at summits and workshops. One of Collins’ favorite moments so far has been raising $7,000 to take 200 underserved girls to see “The Little Mermaid” on its opening weekend, to “let them know they are enough” and that there’s an “older sister” in their corner.

Of course, as with most new projects, funding for “Perfect Timing” has come entirely out of Collins’ pocket. Thankfully, the funding she earned from being selected as a Prudential Emerging Visionary is going toward upgraded recording equipment, the support of expert producers, and skill-building classes to help her become a better host and public speaker. She’ll even be able to lease an office space that allows for a live audience.

Plus, after meeting with the 24 other Prudential Emerging Visionaries and her Prudential employee coach, who is helping her develop specific action steps to connect with her target audience, Collins has more confidence in a “grander path” for her work.

“I learned that my network could extend to multiple spaces beyond my realm of podcasting and journalism when industry leaders are willing to share their expertise, time, and financial support,” she told Upworthy. “It only takes one person to change, and two people to expand that change.”

Prudential Emerging Visionaries is currently seeking applicants for 2024. Winners may receive up to $15,000 in awards and an all-expenses-paid trip to Prudential’s headquarters with a parent or guardian, as well as ongoing coaching and skills development to grow their projects.

If you or someone you know between the ages of 14 -18 not only displays a bold vision for the future but is taking action to bring that vision to life, click here to learn more. Applications are due by Nov. 2, 2023.
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The United Nations created 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 to help us focus our efforts on vital areas of concern, including poverty, gender equality, education, food security, health, climate and more. And every year since then, changemakers have arisen to meet those goals in various ways. Some of these changemakers are already leaders on the world stage, from heads of state to global celebrities. But others are grassroots activists doing incredible work on the ground to move us toward meeting our SDG targets by the 2030 deadline.

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