Three Things To Keep in Mind When Thinking About Whiteness in America
After former Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd, the country erupted, and a laser-sharp focus was directed toward DEI efforts and discussions about anti-Blackness and structural racism in America. Although many of these efforts and conversations were sparked by good intentions, experts in DEI have noticed a continued resistance among some whites when openly discussing whiteness in America. Some argue that the opposition behind talking about whiteness is partially rooted in a lack of understanding and knowledge among American whites. Here are three critical facts on whiteness to keep in mind when thinking about what whiteness is and what it is not.
1. Whiteness does not refer to white people.
Although it might seem condescending to make this distinction, DEI experts have shared experiences with whites conflating discussions about whiteness as an attack against all white people. Conflating the two as synonymous can further trigger defensiveness when discussing whiteness in America and is not helpful in the expansion of knowledge and in developing allies in the fight against racism. According to whiteness scholars, whiteness refers to the construction of the white race, white culture, and the system of privileges and advantages given to white people in the U.S. through government policies.
2. Whiteness has existed since the country’s inception, but its history is not precisely known.
Historians who study race and ethnic history in America argue that whiteness has a history of multiplicity, and its construction has changed over time to accommodate the demands of social change. As the country has become increasingly more diverse, whiteness has shifted and continuously remade to counter efforts toward racial equity and to ultimately maintain power, privilege, and access to resources such as land ownership, wealth, healthcare access, advanced educational and employment opportunities, and government representation.
3. Whiteness as a construct is bigger than you and me.
Because the concept of whiteness is so ambiguous, some struggle to make sense of what it is and how it impacts not only people of color but also white Americans. In a Los Angeles Times article, whiteness is described as being on a “toggle switch between bland nothingness and racist hatred.” Although there is no right or wrong way to interpret how whiteness has been constructed — collectively — race scholars agree that whiteness insulates the inequitable distribution of wealth, income, and power. Whiteness also informs scientific bodies of knowledge, norms, ideologies, beliefs, and particular practices that have been constructed throughout American history.
It is important to note that many of the ideologies, norms, and practices that are informed by whiteness shape how we think about race, what we see when we see specific physical features, how we build racial identities, and how others see us. That said, there is a reciprocal relationship between whiteness and American culture. Ultimately, whiteness is both shaped and maintained by social institutions such as the legal system, the prison industrial complex, the education system, healthcare, and housing,