Recently POC created a hastag on twitter called #ifiwaswhite, to vent about oppression and systematic issues they feel affect them. In response some white people created the hashtag #ifiwasblack because they felt POC were being racist with the original hashtag(I also saw some white people going after specific POC who were using the #ifiwaswhite ht). I've noticed this happen a lot when POC are talking about there issues, and i think it has to do with how most of the time white people and POC are using different definitions of racism.
Most of the time, POC are using the prejudice+institutional power defintion of racism, while white people usually looking at it as prejudice only. Along those lines, many POC feel people like them lack to institutional power to oppress others. Hence why some of them say you can't be racist against white people.
Related to that, unless if they attach a name to there critique usually they're not targeting any specific white people when talking about systematic oppression. They are speaking generally,but i've seen a lot of white people seem to take these statements as personal indictments against THEM,when its really not necessary.
A few days ago i was talking with my white dad(My mom is black and my dad is white) and i started to bring up how white people seem to love bringing up Morgan Freemans now well known quote where he says to stop talking about race they leave out the part where he criticizes black history being
relegated to a month.Before getting into why i think that is i said "i don't mean to be reverse racist" and he said "go ahead". For the record i happen to believe its because that part isn't as comforting to white people,and thus chose to ignore it.
But the reason i bring this up is because he didn't feel offended by a racial critique,and had no problem listening to it. I have been able to pretty regularly discuss racial issues with him,and so i feel a dialogue is possible. But first i feel white people need to stop taking any racial critique as a personal insult. If you know you are not prejudiced towards people of color,then you have no need to be offended by said critiques.
Also, sometimes if a POC of color is responding to something you said negatively most likely they have a problem with a statement you said,and not you as a person. In college one time i used a word that i was informed is offensive to Asian people. After finding this out i apologized to the person i said the term to, and we're still friends. Now i can't promise this will happen every time, but i would venture if you give a apology that feels sincere most POC will let it slide.
So basically, before calling a POC a reverse racist,please think before going with that. Cause most of the time, they are not talking about you. if you know it doesn't apply to you let it go.
