Beau Timberland, New Zealand. I just hate being made to feel guilty about things that I had nothing to do with. White people can’t say anything, just have to smile and take the blame for everything and anything!
Guilted to guilt because I’m white.
Angie, Spokane, WA.
White Jewish girl in a bubble
Emily Einhorn, Beachwood, OH. Whenever there is talk about racism, a part of me feels guilty. I have lived in a small suburb my entire life. In this town, people joke you’re either black, Jewish, or Asian. I have never witnessed a racist act and I feel as if I’ve missed out on being a […]
Drop the guilt, and become aware
Danyahel Norris, Houston, TX. When I have a conversation about race or racism with someone white, I tend to get a few common responses. One being the fact that they weren’t even alive for things like slavery and Jim Crow, so they shouldn’t be blamed for it (not that I ever did). Another is the […]
Uncomfortable misplaced white guilt without remedy
Angela Klocke Forbes, Submitted via Twitter: @AKlockeForbes #theracecardproject
I feel guilty, being born white.
Hayley Franklin, Virginia Beach, VA.
My white guilt is all gone.
Caryn Boddie, Littleton, CO. I’m a goodhearted person who has always been extremely sensitive about people being treated unfairly. I’ve always stood up for people to be valued and respected individual to individual. The renewed focus on race is very sad and I’m done with caring. By the way: I wrote this, “Racism is garbage. […]
I responsible for my ancestors mistakes?
Jessica Tressa, Wilkes Barre, PA. I am white, I was born this way and did not get to choose. I am just an average girl no different from anyone else on this planet. Average. So, why am I told that because white people enslaved other people that those descendants have the right to hate me […]
WHITE feminism. I live with contradiction.
Danielle Nelson Winston Salem, NC I’m proud to be a feminist, but I’m not proud of the unspoken privilege that comes with being a white feminist. Fighting privilege with privilege? It’s so contradictory, yet I cannot ignore both these parts of my identity. WHITENESS consumes me every day, every minute, but because it’s so ingrained […]
I’m white; where do I confess?
Anonymous, Annapolis, MD. Shouldn’t blacks learn something about white attitudes. I’m often surprised by what we hear about whites.
Why apologize for being White American
Anonymous, Spoakne, WA.
Tired of being guilty for being white
Brian Wackerly, Andover, KS. Black, white, blue, green, or yellow. It’s 2015 folks- why can’t we just all be Americans? The LEFT wants to label everyone as African American- why am I not labeled as Scottish American or Irish American or Czech American? Exactly. The people who demand to be called African American are no […]
Tired of feeling white guilt
Ben Capaul, WI. My ancestors were Swiss immigrants to Wisconsin in the 1920’s. I’m as white as you can get. My 80 year old grandparents love my black girlfriend. But I get dirty looks and hushed whispers at her all black family gatherings. I always worry that black people will somehow see me as a […]
You aren’t a dissapointment, we are.
Abbey Daykin, Lakeland, FL. We are all people no matter the color or race, and the way we treated you makes me ashamed to say I’m proud to be white, ‘Cause I’m not.
On the subject of white guilt
Kevin, New York, NY. I don’t really understand this whole issue on white guilt, but I think it stems from privilaged elite “European Americans” who feel they have it all and need to clense their conscience somehow and feel guilty. Well I grew up “White” and poor in an all black neighboorhood, took racial abuse […]
White pride? Pride comes from accomplishments!
Melissa, Canada. I think “white pride” and “white guilt” are useless. Proud of who you are? Great! But don’t be proud of something arbitrary, like your white skin. Can’t “help” being born white? That’s too bad. But still take the time to see how your life may be easier than the lives of people who […]
White guilt is not the goal
Dallas Hessman, Corvallis, OR.
Not always proud to be white
Marylou Chicote, Bennington, VT. I need to do more!
Forget your white guilt, start listening.
Peri Hines, Gurnee, IL.
White Guilt Misses the Entire Point
Gabrielle Durrett, Tucson, AZ. As a white person, I frequently feel white guilt whenever the topics of slavery and racism come up. For ages, I felt like I had to come up with excuses of why I shouldn’t feel guilty, the most prominent of which was: “Those were my ancestors, not me.” Well, I still […]
Sometimes I wish I wasn’t white.
Darcia Schweitzer, Columbus, WI. When I feel guilt related to the white privilege I experience, I sometimes wonder if the only way to truly eliminate that guilt would be to have a different racial identity other than white.
Being white makes me feel guilty
Micaela Laurelville, OH My privilege is always at the forefront of my mind. I cry in history class and while reading certain historical books. How does one make up for the past crimes of people that I can’t help but perceive as my ancestors?
What’s with this white guilt?
Kassie Rockford, IL White people bashing other white people for being white? I see, mostly on facebook, these extreme left wing people publicly displaying how white people are the reason for racism, only white people can be racist, all PoC are entirely exempt from any and all forms of racism! Yes, let’s blame whitey. You […]
YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN MY SLAVE!!!
Gene Michael Lipan, TX Tired of being made to feel like I am supposed to be guilty of something. No black alive in America has ever been a slave to anyone; No whites alive in America have ever owned slaves. GET OVER IT!!! STOP MILKING THIS “RACISM RACKET”!!!! NOBODY OWES YOU ANYTHING, least of all, […]
How is this all my fault?
William Tacoma, WA The “white guilt” narrative and the assumption that racism is one-direction in the US is wrongheaded.
Lift the burden of injustice
Charles James Martinez, CA Feel the collective guilt of being white, and the responsibility to move forward in my time.
I don’t NEED any white guilt
Tom Canada I honestly think it has no place in modern society.
The whites are still to blame.
Amanda N. Normal, IL I grew up in Texas. I always had people telling me that Caucasian people were better than any other race. Being told that always made me feel guilty. When we learned about the KKK in school I always felt uncomfortable like all of the African Americans were staring at and blaming […]
White Guilt is offensive and condescending.
Anonymous Hong Kong, China I’ve always thought white guilt was condescending and offensive towards people of extra-European origins. Do we really need to see more movies like Avatar and The Help and campaigns like Kony 2012? I’d like for formerly colonized peoples to have more autonomy and be able to speak for themselves.
White woman white privilege white guilt
Anonymous Madison, WI
White guilt is killing American society
Christopher Nook Athens, GA
White guilt doesn’t work on me.
Eric Vonhoussen Richmond, VA Let’s be honest. This website isn’t about anything else, but making white people feel guilty and ashamed to be white. Well, my friends, I’m proud to be white, and proud of my people’s accomplishments. it doesn’t mean I’m racist. ( yes you can be both proud of being white and not […]
Sometimes I’m ashamed to be white.
Rhonda Wiggins Ormond Beach, FL
Reverse Discrimination, White Guilt, Southerner’s Burden
Blue Hamilton Spruce Pine, NC Most of America only want’s to hear what they believe to be true. Sometimes if they listen to what is being said, and not what they think they are hearing, maybe they will realize that they can accept another persons opinion without prejudice.
Ashamed of the power given me.
Patrick Casey, MI. Being a white man, from birth, power was bestowed on me. As I did not earn it, I need to acknowledge the unfairness of this birthright in America, and set about the task of sharing this power with others lower on the pyramid.
I feel guilty because I’m white
Natalie Hogan Shawnee, OK
White guilt when I check hispanic.
Ethan West Jordan, UT
Privilege is not knowing you’re privileged.
Melissa Hansen Dallas, TX
Southern pride and side of guilt.
Jessica Wright Athens, GA I have grown up denouncing my Southern birth and heritage. My parents aren’t Southern and disliked its racist past. As a white girl, who am I?
Still feel guilty for ancestors’ sins.
Sarah Nye Seattle, WA
Young White Male No Race Guilt
Ian McElroy Wiggins, MS I am not responsible for the prejudice of those who came before me. I owe no one for the suffering of those who came before them. If we are going to overcome divisions of race, we must leave it behind. We cannot continue forward while looking back.
Does ‘being white’ make me guilty?
Joshua Prol Brooklyn, NY
I’m white. Am I an oppressor?
Cassie Meyer Helena, MT Genuine comment about white guilt.
Just Wanna Be A Good Person
Elizabeth Simson Durant Portland, OR Facing race and racism is hard for white people like me because we feel guilty and ashamed. We wish we weren’t racist. We don’t mean to be. “We can’t help it.” It shook me up the day I realized that being “good” i.e. being “innocent” is part of my white […]
Feel guilty checking the Caucasian box
Anonymous Ann Arbor, MI
I feel guilty for my privilege.
Alyssa Bunce Poughkeepsie, NY
Feeling guilty for my ivory privilege
Matt Spencer West Hollywood, CA I am well-aware of the privilege that I enjoy growing up white in America. Very rarely does my race cross my mind. My Caucasian race is not how people define or understand me. Men don’t cross the street when I approach them and women don’t clutch their purses. Nobody asks […]
I’m white, must I feel guilty?
Anonymous Cape Cod, MA
Stuck on white guilt. What’s next?
Sarah Kerson Ann Arbor, MI
Race adopting outside Race,…. least racist.
Tod Carey Laguna Woods, CA In my 66 years,.. I don’t recall seeing an Hispanic couple with their adopted Black baby in the baby carriage. I can’t recall ever seeing an Asian couple walking down the street hand in hand with their adopted White child. For the life of me,… I don’t remember ever seeing […]
I didn’t ask to be white!
Molly Hilton Troy, MI If skin color is the simply the product of birth, then why do I inherit the guilt associated with being white? I moved to Detroit at the age of 42. This is the most segregated region in the country. Why? Why are white people so hated here? I try to be […]
Sometimes I feel guilty I’m white
Jenny MN
White shame. Too heavy, needs grace
Mary Lillie North St. Paul, MN
I’m white. Try, but still feel guilty
Anonymous
White guilt defines my life relentlessly.
Virginia Berthy I come from the combination of an old Alabama-Mississippi family and an old Virginia Family. I do not to my knowledge have an ancestor that did not own slaves before it was outlawed. I am told in back rooms of random family discussion that my great-great-great grandfather was the first white sheriff of […]
Whitey guilt do-gooders destroyed black family
Anon Ymous Charlotte, NC “Replaced slavery chains with entitlement chains” As a white with guilt, all I can say is: I’m so sorry, twice…
SOME degree of guilt is assumed.
Jeff Cook Folsom, CA Will have this conversation until resolved.
Stereotypes make me sometimes ashamed white.
Anthony F Castro Valley, CA Student of Ms. Tunik @ Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, CA
I feel guilt for my ancestors
Lindsey Lovel Columbus, OH Submitted via: NPR’s Talk of the Nation
Stuck on white guilt. What’s next?
Sarah Kerson Ann Arbor, MI
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