Dyson: One of the Greatest Privileges of Being White Is to Encounter Police and Live to Tell About It

ERIC DYSON One of ░░░░░░░░ greatest privileges of being ░░░░░░░░ in this country is ░░░░░░░░ encounter a police person ░░░░░░░░ the street and live ░░░░░░░░ tell about it When ░░░░░░░░ people say Let s ░░░░░░░░ rid of political correctness ░░░░░░░░ s a shorthand for ░░░░░░░░ me keep on being ░░░░░░░░ the way I was ░░░░░░░░ As the great philosopher ░░░░░░░░ Carter said You was ░░░░░░░░ you was before you ░░░░░░░░ here player and you ░░░░░░░░ change but that s ░░░░░░░░ the top layer When ░░░░░░░░ think about the collective ░░░░░░░░ fragility of many white ░░░░░░░░ you know black people ░░░░░░░░ people red yellow people ░░░░░░░░ know what we do ░░░░░░░░ m going to break ░░░░░░░░ secret to you We ░░░░░░░░ very cautious and careful ░░░░░░░░ how you might interpret ░░░░░░░░ because you re very ░░░░░░░░ your feelings might get ░░░░░░░░ You have had 44 ░░░░░░░░ 45 presidents Most CEOs ░░░░░░░░ American Fortune 500 companies ░░░░░░░░ been white Where are ░░░░░░░░ tears of white America ░░░░░░░░ from To be white ░░░░░░░░ to be seen as ░░░░░░░░ m just a human ░░░░░░░░ I m just an ░░░░░░░░ Why can t you ░░░░░░░░ do the same So ░░░░░░░░ white brothers and sisters ░░░░░░░░ t understand they possess ░░░░░░░░ race When you hear ░░░░░░░░ what do we think ░░░░░░░░ that must be the ░░░░░░░░ We don t think ░░░░░░░░ I possess a masculinity ░░░░░░░░ often it s a ░░░░░░░░ masculinity Many white brothers ░░░░░░░░ sisters when they hear ░░░░░░░░ issue of race they ░░░░░░░░ the other They never ░░░░░░░░ themselves It was the ░░░░░░░░ late Gore Vidal who ░░░░░░░░ We live in the ░░░░░░░░ States of amnesia So ░░░░░░░░ is obsessed with history ░░░░░░░░ what It s a ░░░░░░░░ of the Civil War ░░░░░░░░ battle that was lost ░░░░░░░░ the South But when ░░░░░░░░ s about black history ░░░░░░░░ don t you people ░░░░░░░░ over that Stop obsessing ░░░░░░░░ slavery Stop talking about ░░░░░░░░ Stop speaking about historical ░░░░░░░░ Talk about what s ░░░░░░░░ on now When it ░░░░░░░░ America look great claps ░░░░░░░░ When it doesn t ░░░░░░░░ out of my face ░░░░░░░░ living in the past ░░░░░░░░ role is for many ░░░░░░░░ a paid pest That ░░░░░░░░ what I do I ░░░░░░░░ a professor So I ░░░░░░░░ paid to think about ░░░░░░░░ that is pestiferous I ░░░░░░░░ to use humor I ░░░░░░░░ to use self deprecation ░░░░░░░░ the ultimate goal is ░░░░░░░░ same Can we challenge ░░░░░░░░ forces of unconscious white ░░░░░░░░ and implicit bias to ░░░░░░░░ out of the closet ░░░░░░░░ to be held accountable ░░░░░░░░ s my job One ░░░░░░░░ my white students after ░░░░░░░░ a book that horrendously ░░░░░░░░ the tragedies and horrors ░░░░░░░░ white violence against black ░░░░░░░░ said For the first ░░░░░░░░ in my life I ░░░░░░░░ ashamed to be white ░░░░░░░░ didn t want him ░░░░░░░░ get stuck in a ░░░░░░░░ of misery and guilt ░░░░░░░░ white guilt ultimately will ░░░░░░░░ fix anything You re ░░░░░░░░ to get into circles ░░░░░░░░ I will never get ░░░░░░░░ You re going to ░░░░░░░░ home to Thanksgiving Go ░░░░░░░░ and talk to granny ░░░░░░░░ before you eat the ░░░░░░░░ or the stuffing or ░░░░░░░░ pumpkin pie But after ░░░░░░░░ then say to her ░░░░░░░░ know what I have ░░░░░░░░ black and brown and ░░░░░░░░ and yellow friends and ░░░░░░░░ s not what you ░░░░░░░░ Or say to your ░░░░░░░░ and your uncle This ░░░░░░░░ not how it goes ░░░░░░░░ And when we do ░░░░░░░░ we can get rid ░░░░░░░░ the amnesia that has ░░░░░░░░ a white grappling with ░░░░░░░░ own problems and issues ░░░░░░░░ tell the truth about ░░░░░░░░ in America My name ░░░░░░░░ Michael Eric Dyson And ░░░░░░░░ is my Brief But ░░░░░░░░ Challenge to White America.”