Ann Lewis
Richmond, VA
Racism is a system of oppression that only People of Color can experience; there is no “reverse racism” or racism against white people, because there is no system which intentionally oppresses them. If you are white, you can experience prejudice or even discrimination based on your race, but you will never personally experience racism. However, racism affects everyone- if you think it doesn’t, it’s probably because you are benefiting from it. Only the people who are negatively affected by racism, People of Color, can say what is and is not racist. One person does not speak for an entire race, but if a PoC says that something you said is racist, it is. There is no “race card” in the traditional sense; if someone says that something has happened because of their race, it probably has. Only by listening to the experiences of People of Color (and giving up our privileged voice so that they may speak) can white people begin to understand racism and its effects, and to act in solidarity with PoC to end an atrocity that should have never been.
