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 privilege and entitlement. As I’ve educated myself more, I’ve come to see that, in fact is, white is NOT good. What makes me a good human being is that I’m authentic, honest, and courageous enough to admit I was raised with a pathological internalized superiority. This isn’t self-hatred, it is self-awareness, and it brings me relief and moves me out of feeling guilty and ashamed to taking responsibility and taking action.
