Reframing Racism is ‘White People Problems’

Being labeled a "racist" should not be the end of the world, nor should it feel like a death sentence.

Image by Inzmam Khan via Pexels

I was one of over 17 million people who watched Oprah's interview with the royal couple, Harry and Meghan. Like Oprah, I too had a visceral reaction when Markle revealed that one of the questions asked about her unborn baby (at the time) concerned his potential skin color. I’m not surprised in the least that someone from the monarchy posed that question. I’m not surprised because the royal court is literally rooted in catastrophic colonialization that exported brutal domination to over 80% percent of the world and continues to reap benefits and resources. What is surprising—but not really—though is the lengths to which white people, like Piers Morgan, will defend and obscure racism.

For anyone unfamiliar with Piers, this clip here will give you a good idea about who he is and where he stands on racism.

Like many white people, Piers has a history of expressing his disbelief surrounding many issues, including sexism, patriarchy, heteronormativity, and racism. He didn't spare his toxic remarks when Markle bravely and honestly revealed the racist and colorist question about her son, Archie. Later interviewed by CNN, Piers staunchly comments, "I don't believe anything that comes out of her mouth. I think the damage is done to the British Monarchy…" Let's be honest, though, the British Monarchy will be fine. The crown has not undergone a physical attack. If Harry can "survive" and recover from his atrocious Nazi Halloween costume, then the Royal family will undoubtedly survive the revealing of their inevitable and unsurprising racism.

Interestingly, the focal point continues to be WHAT was said, rather than WHY it was said in the first place. Though Piers would have you believe otherwise, Meghan and Harry did not "attack" the monarchy. Instead, they pointed to the shading beneath the gold-colored crown: a dull racist-rouge. Still, I think white people, like Piers, need help to handle important issues like racism. In other words, white people need to reframe racism. 

Being labeled a "racist" should not be the end of the world, nor should it feel like a death sentence. Honestly, being called racist pales compared to experiencing racism; George Floyd and countless other Black lives have died because of racism. It appears as though white people have a framing issue that needs refining.

White people have a peculiar way of framing race-related issues—Piers serves as an excellent example. Our framing connects to our white socialization, which occurs in a white supremacist context. This environment falsely illuminates whiteness as virtuous and unracialized or unmarked (Feagin, 2010, The White Racial Frame). A context where discomfort arises when white racism and racist systems are highlighted. And a context where white people are ensnared and paralyzed in our inexperience to engage in race talks critically. Honestly, let's think about our earliest childhood memories. What were we told about racism, if anything? More importantly, what did we hear about other races, and Black people in particular? There's a reason why white people generally become unsettled when racism is pointed to, especially when we're the source of it. However, our fear shouldn't be our designated driver, nor do we need to succumb to that pit in our stomachs.

I offer an alternative and corrective framing. Below are a few go-to words white people often evoke—when called racist or when simply engaging in race-related talks—as well as their reframed counterparts.

For more on this piece please visit medium.com/@joeypierre