'It's good white people whose holiday is going to be ruined the most.' (photo: H Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images)
23 November 16
You're a good white person if you reject the stuff President Pussygrabber stands for, including dismantling Social Security and Medicare despite his campaign promise not to.
moment of silence, please, for all the Good White Millennials.
Thanksgiving is going to be rough for many of them
this year as it means a migration back to the suburbs to sit around a
table with old, Trump-supporting relatives. There will be awkward
conversations about politics; voices may be raised. They will be a long
way away from Brooklyn and it will be extremely difficult to enjoy the
non-artisanal food.
Oh, don’t get me wrong – Thanksgiving is going to be
tough for everyone forced to fraternize with the political enemy, no
matter what color they are. But the only race that Trump got a majority of votes from was white people;
58% of white voters voted for Trump, while only 8% of black voters did.
So you see, white people are statistically more likely to have a Trump
supporter in the family; it’s good white people whose holiday is going
to be ruined the most.
Fortunately, many people are sparing a thought for
good white people, and media outlets have churned out a heartening
number of helpful “survival guides”. Vogue, for example, suggests
simply ignoring all that nasty politics stuff – perhaps even having a
fun game where anyone who brings up politics is subject to a $20 fine,
with all proceeds going to charity, of course!
Despite the plethora of good suggestions out there, I
feel like we could do more. As a committed ally of Good White People (I
count many among my best friends), I would like to ask: what can people
of color can do to help our oppressed white friends through this
difficult time?
Is there, for example, something we can wear to show
our support as you prepare to suffer through an awkward family meal?
After Trump’s victory, a number of people wore safety pins
to demonstrate their solidarity for minorities who were terrified about
their future in an America where the incoming president has been
endorsed by the KKK.
Good white people selflessly ruined their clothes to help protect us; can we think of a similar gesture of solidarity?
Here’s another thought: perhaps allies of color might
like to consider organizing #notallwhitepeople Thanksgiving parties so
that good white people can be together in a safe space over the
holidays.
Trump’s victory unleashed a worrying surge of
anger from some people of color who felt let down that a majority of
white people had looked at Trump’s racism and thought, nah, not a
deal-breaker. This anger meant that some of them ignorantly lumped white
people together, treating them as a monolithic racial entity rather
than individuals with their own thoughts, feelings and political views.
This was upsetting to many good white people who felt forced to remind
the world: #notallwhitepeople.
Let’s reassure good white people that we
understand and we appreciate their exceptionalism.
If all else fails and your good white friends are
still feeling down, then cheer them up by explaining that, actually,
white supremacy is kinda hot right now; it may well be the new kale. I
mean, did you see that glossy profile of “dapper white nationalist”
Richard Spencer in Mother Jones?
He’s a virulent racist, sure, but his tastefully
tailored suits are to die for. Fascism may be quite upsetting, but
fashion is always something to be thankful for.
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