Racism, Our Lady of Faërie, Narnia and More: My Most Popular Posts Since Joining Patheos Catholic

Am I Racist? A Primer on Race, Racism, and White Privilege for My Fellow “White” Americans

“I want to have a hard and frank conversation with you today. I want to talk about race and racism. Some may, and somewhat correctly, assume that it is wrong for me to discuss the issues of race and racism. After all, I am a white man, and am often portrayed as the bogeyman. But here’s the thing, sometimes I am the bogeyman, and sometimes the bogeyman knows best what makes the bogeyman the bogeyman and can tell others when they’re being bogeymen. So, let me start by saying: I am not trying to determine for anyone, people of color, women, other minorities, what constitutes a racist act. I am not trying to define what makes an action or belief racist for you. What I do want to do is have a frank conversation with my fellow whites, men and women, about what these words have meant and what they have come to mean. Only in this way, by having common definitions, can we move forward and work to overcome the breakdowns in relations between people.”