Racism is white supremacy
White supremacy is a specific brand of racism that cannot be grouped into the same category as other types. Racism originates within this tradition. Therefore, the dictionary definition we choose to use is irrelevant. Racism describes a centuries-old belief in white domination. The same ideology that led to a thriving international slave trade, Jim Crow, the brutal murder of Emmett Till and thousands more murdered for the colour of their skin. White supremacy stands alone in its role in historical atrocities and present inequalities. Proponents include New York Times columnist Jamelle Boule and Time Political Correspondent Vera Bergengruen.
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The Argument
The United States was founded on white supremacy and the belief that white people had to colonize and civilize the unknown, its people included. As the power structure currently exists in the US, white people are still the majority in positions of power and there is a constant push from majority white groups (political and religious)
[1] to maintain this system for fear of being outnumbered by minorities. From the beginning of slavery laws to current issues regarding access to equal education, the white majority in the US has strived to maintain a dominant status as the power wielder and lawmaker.[2]
White supremacists have been found to infiltrate the military and police forces with little to no repercussions, and incidents of domestic terrorism carried out by white people have rarely resulted in the equivalent show of force that is used on unarmed black people.[2] This is a clear example of America’s desire to uphold white supremacy despite egregious offenses against the citizenry while demonizing racial minorities who did little to nothing to deserve being murdered by law enforcement.
Counter arguments
Racism exists in every society in the world. If racism is defined as the oppression of one group over another on the basis of believed racial superiority, then racism is not exclusively the domain of white people or whiteness, but of any group in power who can oppress another group based on that power imbalance.[3]
Proponents
Premises
Rejecting the premises
References
- https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/trump-s-white-evangelical-supporters-long-imagined-values-less-diverse-ncna905106?icid=related
- https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/hidden-plain-sight-racism-white-supremacy-and-far-right-militancy-law
- https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/india/the-dark-face-of-indian-racism-1.61161168