White Talk Summary

In the article, White Talk, by Alice McIntyre, there is an overarching theme of racism stemming from the idea of white talk. There are several stories, accompanied by reflection from the author supporting the idea that white people try to throw blame on others or distance themselves from the belief of racism. As the text suggests, it is one of the greatest fears of a white person to be labeled as racist and, we as a race, like to come up with excuses to explain that we are exempt from this term and we could never be racist based on certain actions that we perform. White talk is, as defined in the article, “...talk that serves to insulate white people from examining their/our individual and collective roles in the perpetuation of racism.” Briefly, …show more content…
They speak of assimilation and how people of color need to act a certain way to be successful, forcing them to change their views and beliefs to conform with societal norms. The stories author states, “They (white people) attempted to consolidate their self-interest and their concern for people of color under the canopy of inclusion, failing to recognize the fallacy of such a system when that system is grounded in racial hierarchy.” In summary, this quotation states that white people called their tactics of forced change inclusion, when in reality they failed to see that what they were doing was forcing assimilation onto those who were different. They also failed to recognize the need of stable and separate clubs or communities that allow these marginalized people a chance to voice their opinions and ideas in a equal playing field. Considering this, and relating back to the original definition of white talk, this story talks about white people distancing themselves from the problem of unequal opportunities and putting the blame on these already marginalized …show more content…
I believe that it is important to not fall into the stereotypes that are written for others and always consider a person's history when regarding an individual's actions. After reading this I understand that I need to be more considerate or aware of others when I am interacting with them, as well as, disregarding the views of society on that individual. Along with this, I need to better understand someone's situation and history before coming to a conclusion about them or forming an opinion. I know that there is almost always some information that I am not aware of that should help influence my opinion of them. Through this article , I have gained many new ideas on how to better approach situations that could be racist or ideas on how to deter racism in my own life and with the people around me. One example of an idea is to always check my speech to make sure I am not promoting white talk or falling into its