Lonnae O’Neal: A lot of white folks could use a racial primer (Washington Post barf alert)

Washington Post ^ | May 10, 2015 | Lonnae O'Neal

[Zakeet]

It can be exhausting trying to bring white people up to a basic racial literacy.

Many don’t even know what they don’t know about privilege and history, and often either don’t take responsibility for their own education or expect you to educate them.

And I wish there were a racial primer out there somewhere — mandatory reading — with five or 10 basic facts about housing, education, criminal justice and employment. Or maybe a simple overview so that before we enter into meaningful conversations around issues that are front and center before our nation, I don’t have to go person to person trying to convince a large population of citizenry that the world isn’t flat.

It’s part of what feels like an ahistoric privilege some whites sometimes exercise. They treat foundational stories of how they’ve amassed wealth and power as pre-political, ignoring the violent, deeply discriminatory sides of the balance sheet. They see their experiences as normative, and anything else a deviation.

[Zakeet]

It is exhausting trying to bring you tax-paying conservative crackers up to a basic racial literacy regarding your white privilege.

[Paladin2]

Primer? Why not get the whole cartridge?

[Louis Foxwell]

What she means by privilege is the product of accepting personal responsibility and working to support one’s family.

[Da Coyote]

Shove it up your Obamaholes, WaPo.

Your race card is expired, tattered, and covered in shi...er...Obamastuff.

We no longer give a sh**...actually, we never did.

[Dutchboy88]

Blacks should begin their primer by not calling themselves African-Americans. Americans would be fine. And, if they really want E Pluribus UNUM (out of many, one), then stop trying to form a “sub-culture” within the US, or altering the current culture of the US. I’m listening if they are.

[11th_VA]

Every racial, ethic group (Irish, Chinese, Japanese, Latins, etc) can point to some past oppression. The thing is, successful ethic groups choose to focus on the future and NOT the past. In fact, I know of no white people that identify with skin color, though they may refer to their ethnic heritage - This always puzzles me.

Though I do know some African American kids that have come from rough inner city backgrounds and have successfully made it in the professional world. All of them tell me the secret to their success was 'hard work' and they usually had a good mom pushing them to stay in school.

[dp0622]

that was GREAT!!! Didn’t MLK want color blindness? they insult his legacy Constantly

[Lumper20]

Excuses and more excuses for law breaking.

[The Toll]

She tryin to be white!

[Maceman]

Who knew Lonnae is white?

Meanwhile, I think that a bunch of racist black people need a primer on racism too. Let's start with New Black Panther Party leaders Michelle Williams and King Samir Shabazz, who want to Bomb Nurseries To Kill White Babies

[Tax-chick]

I read the article, hoping it might include some sense. It does not.

Perhaps the author should write about her own “light-skin privilege.” The only thing obviously black about her is her silly name, and her mother (shown with another of her articles) is even whiter.

[sport]

If we had a Government instead of the people’s choice, that threat would have them in jail awaiting trial by now. But, the people have what they wanted.

[MortMan]

It can be exhausting trying to bring white people up to a basic racial literacy.

Lying to informed people SHOULD be exhausting!

[Dr. Thorne]

Here's a racial primer for Lonnae:

1. Pull up your pants
2. Stay in school
3. Get a job
4. Don't do drugs
5. Don't break the law
6. Keep your fly up and your legs together
7. Stop listening to thug music
8. Stop blaming whites for your degrading lifestyle

[BenLurkin]

Reading her nonsensical screed — convinced me that she is a total airhead.

[KC_Conspirator]

This woman is your classic liberal bigot. Setting low exceptions and excusing bad behavior.

Her arguments are sophomoric. "I got mine" means "stealing" and "robbing". Because you bought a property in the city does not mean they are stealing. And no, most people do not inherit their stuff as she claims.

[mrsmel]

I don’t need a black supremacist to teach me anything, and who asked this twit? I know all I need to know from crime statistics and the percentage of “entitlement” money which goes to blacks, per capita. She and all of her ilk can kiss my azz.

[Paladin2]

", that Georgetown used to be half black, "

I suspect that Georgetown started out being owned by whites.

[mrsmel]

As a white reactionary conservative, I do identify with my skin color. It is necessary in this age, as whites are footing the bill for own genocide.

[Paladin2]

History did not start at the end of WWII....