White Lies and Empty Activism
Why the movement needs diversity of thought
It’s interesting how people who are not actively anti-racist in these times love to reference nonviolent ideology when speaking on the current state of affairs. For some reason, they love to drag Martin Luther King Jr. into their nonsense.
The forefathers of the movement each did what they believed was right for the times. Progress was the result of the diversity of thought and approach. Today, while in a heated discussion, I was reminded why problematic white people across generations love to remind us about King.
At first, I couldn’t understand why many who are willingly complicit in the system lean into the messages of equality and a nonviolent approach to civil disobedience while simultaneously ignoring the call to judge a man by the content of his character and not by the color of his skin.
To be frank, it’s the caucasity or audacity (of it all) for me. These days, when politicians and internet trolls name-drop someone as monumental and unproblematic for modern white folk as King while simultaneously being racist or refusing to challenge the status quo, I realize, many are trying to indemnify themselves. It’s actually a perfect plan; they can now present as an ally without ever having to “stir the pot.” After all, there’s not a single…
