Photo credit: KIMBERLY PAYNE HAWK ON FACEBOOK
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines white nationalist as – “one of a group of militant whites who espouse white supremacy and advocate enforced racial segregation.”
According to a “Trend Watch” article on Merriam-Webster’s official website, white nationalist and white supremacist were among their top searches on August 12, 2017, the same day many of these specific groups (it was originally expected to host almost 6,000 alt-right activists) and counter-protesters clashed in the city of Charlottesville, Virginia.
The term white nationalist is not to be confused with nationalist, which is defined as “a member of a political party or group advocating national independence or strong national government.” Many make the mistake of intertwining the two definitions – of blurring the line between being a proud American and having a feeling of white superiority.
Make no mistake about it. The protesters marching to fight “white oppression” are not American. They do not embody what the United States of America should be about. And they are the farthest thing from oppressed.
First it’s important to address the question of…”What the heck is going on in Virginia right now?”
This “Unite the Right” rally held in Charlottesville was initially organized by self-proclaimed “pro-white” activist Jason Kessler in response to the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee (a confederate general in the Civil War…you know, the war where the south (confederacy) decided to leave America in an effort to defend the inhumane views on slavery, and then ultimately lost? Yeah, that one?) from a park in the city.
This rally quickly became more than just a statue (surprise, surprise), attracting hate groups such as the KKK, neo-Nazis, and radical white nationalists (remember that word? See above.)
It’s 2017. The presence of groups that stand for such blatant hatred is hard to comprehend, but they are there, racist opinions and all, and opinions of their opposed be damned. These groups of course come with a history of racial violence and intimidation. The threat of this violence (which seemed inevitable to many) caused Charlottesville to attempt to marginalize and strike down this rally, but because of another thin line, the one between the constitutional right to free speech, and hate speech, the American Civil Liberties Union defended the groups’ right to “speak their mind.”
Needless to say, things did not stay peaceful. People have been hurt, and a 32-year-old woman was killed when a radical white nationalist plowed his car into a crowd of counter-protestors. Two state troopers were killed in a helicopter crash sent to oversee the chaos. The Governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe, even declared a state of emergency. But this article isn’t going to be a recap of every detail of the chaos in Virginia. It’s about this so-called white-oppression these groups feel they face, the complete refusal of some to straight forwardly condemn these hate groups and acknowledge them for what they truly are, and the white-hot glaring issue of white privilege seen in just this rally alone.
There have been many comments addressing the “issue” of “white oppression”. These are put in quotes, because of course, they are ridiculous concepts. The best way to possibly put this ludicrous notion in perspective is thanks to a thread by Twitter user Julius Goat (@JuliusGoat).
Many people are trying to play devil’s advocate. “Well, what if this was the BLM (Black Lives Matter) movement? The left would have no problem with it.”
Playing devil’s advocate in this situation is inexcusable, and these words drip with ignorance and hypocrisy.
The same people fighting so hard for their “right to express the oppression they feel they face” are the same ones that condemn Colin Kaepernick for his silent and peaceful protests. They are the same ones that claim the situations that the BLM movement fights so hard against, like the wrongful deaths of Philando Castille, Eric Garner, Alton Sterling, and so many others, could be different had the victims in question just “done some things differently.”
Those words and ideologies embody white privilege.
Imagine if the roles were reversed. Imagine if Black Lives Matter protesters marched through a college campus and city, with torches ablaze, guns proudly held high, riot gear in tow, screaming mantras known to violent groups (for some reference, a chant heard frequently at the Charlottesville marches was “blood and soil”, a well known Nazi slogan.)
They would not have had the same outcome or treatment. This is the pinnacle of white privilege. These people showed up with torches and guns, and made it home alive. Philando Castille didn’t even have a gun in his hand or a hateful word for the officer that stopped him.
President Donald Trump has faced criticism since his campaign for not directly disavowing these white nationalists and other hate groups. His statement in regards to the Charlottesville violence condemned hate and violence on both sides, called for unity in America, yet still failed to address the core issue many Americans have been pushing for since his presidency began – the condemnation of the racist and bigoted groups often associated with supporting Trump’s radical seeming policies and ideas.
One of Trump’s staunchest white nationalist supporters and former KKK Imperial Wizard David Duke took to Twitter yesterday to call out the President.
And as hard as it is to say this, Duke is right. Not all Trump supporters are white nationalists, but most white nationalists support Trump. Is the President afraid to directly condemn them because as Duke stated, he knows they are a huge majority of his support? It seems to be that way.
If people are committing acts of violence and racial intimidation in your name you need to speak out immediately against this, instead of just walking out of the room, or calling for an end to violence on “both sides.” Mr. President, you are our leader. But more importantly, you are THEIR leader. They take your name, logos, and sayings and use it to fuel an inexcusable agenda.
We need the President’s condemnation to show these groups that they are not a welcome or accepted presence in America, even to the leader they feel will help back their cause. And this refusal to condemn them directly is acceptance by omission, and must be stopped. These people feel empowered, and nobody can deny the reasons why.
These are regular civilians who are not afraid to show their faces when screaming out their messages unashamedly.
This isn’t an issue that will go away on it’s own.
It starts with acknowledging that with your white skin tone, comes a privilege not everyone has. I am a white woman. While I do face certain societal issues because of my gender, never once have I had to fear for my life, or fear for my rights because of the color of my skin. It’s a privilege I have to be grateful for, because I see how its absence affects my friends and loved ones of color and other ethnicities.
It starts with standing in solidarity with those that are truly oppressed. Be an ally all of the time, not just when it’s convenient or easy. Speak out when you see or hear racist rhetoric around you. Don’t let it just pass by. Don’t pick and choose the battles you defend. This is an issue that always needs addressed. And for the love of all that is good in this world, just because an issue (i.e. racism) doesn’t affect you directly, DOESN’T MEAN THAT IT DOES NOT EXIST. This is an argument I see on social media daily and this is a huge part of the problem. Remember, acknowledging these issues with race are just the first of many steps in fighting it.
We have to get the conversation started, people. That conversation has to then pour into our everyday lives. Our conversations, our politics, the way we live. Nothing will change if we don’t take some sort of stand. This means raising our voices. This means really staying informed about all of your political candidates, both local and national. This means getting out and actually voting an informed vote. The current political climate didn’t have to be this way. Your votes truly do make a difference.
We are all human. When it’s all said and done, there is nothing that makes one group of people more inherently superior than the other.
Be sick, be angry, and yearn for change. The days of “can’t we all just love each other and get along” while remaining otherwise are far behind us. Try. This is so much bigger than our own privileged comfort.
America is great because of its diversity of people and many different cultures. Let’s not perpetuate the idea that it’s not.
Photo credit: reappropriate.co
The opinions expressed in this article are that of the author’s, and not reflective of all Her Campus Media.