Littered on Twitter are comments from white people who admit to feeling the shame of the racism of other white people. That’s convenient. I imagine many ashamed white people committed or stood by during these crimes against humanity in the 17th century up to the present. Their shame did little to undo the persecution, oppression, and savage abuse of power white people wielded down to Black people.
If you believe in God, what will you say when God asks what you did to help Black people who were oppressed and persecuted by the white people in your country? Or what did you do to help Palestinians murdered and homes occupied by Israeli Jews? How did your ancestors benefit from breaking treaties with Native Americans? I guess many white people will respond, “I felt ashamed.”
At that point, I hope God will say I am ashamed of you! You were given the power to do much more, but you chose to be passive and benefit from the abuses.
Don’t feel shame! Use your white power to do your part to counter these crimes against humanity! The universe is watching and knows what you did.
Dunno, Angela. I sense nothing wrong with feeling shame, remorse…and a resolve to do better for those among us who need/demand uplifting and total relief from tyranny. Who knows what direction we’ll be led into along life’s path? As a 21yo GI who improbably had been put on orders to learn, for one year, the Arabic language and its people’s culture, I was immediately drawn into the struggle for justice and human rights for the Palestinians. They have been, alongside my Japan-born wife, my adopted people and my OCD life passion ever since.
Doesn’t this “big picture” spread across more than one stratum? I am outraged every time I encounter a person of color (politician, clergy, media, academic…) dismissing the Palestinians’ cause and siding with the racist oppressor, colonial-persecutor-apartheid Zionists of Israel. I don’t know such a person’s background, so I try to get beyond outrage and do my own thing, but It’s just not fair….
…Bob
Lots of white people feel shame and claim they’re devout Christians but do nothing. Shame alone is empty, particularly when they continue to support systemic racism, racist policies or policies that give billions to Israel to manufacture and buy arms to not only commit genocide of Palestinians but wreak havoc in the Middle East. At the same time, the Israelis mobs slime in and occupy territories in the Middle East. Being forced to read Anne Frank more than once, then observing the Israelis arrogance in thinking they have a right to exist, not the Palestinians or Black people, made me feel connected to the Palestinians.