Overcoming White Surprise

“The scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect a true America.” These words of President-Elect Biden in the aftermath of the insurrection reminded me of Saturday Night Live lampooning the shock of segments of White America following the election of our 45th President. As boldly noted by Eddie Glaude Jr., Biden’s statement while aspirational, is a lie. Our inability to confront basic truths about US history and our personal histories living in this land continues to produce severe consequences.

In recent times we have witnessed numerous acts of racial trauma, some garnering worldwide attention, others falling under the radar. With each of these comes a range of responses, from activists immersed in the work over decades providing leadership, to the “newly disturbed”, who struggle to put their feelings into meaningful action.

In the midst of this is White surprise, or what Portia Hunt refers to as "White befuddlement", the sentiment that "we can’t believe” this is happening after all the “progress” we have made. I don’t doubt the sincerity of those I have encountered who make such statements, and I realize that this is yet another way that we get stuck. “This is awful” reinforces a belief that “they are awful,” that oppression is exclusively the result of the work of evil-doers. When our analysis ends there, the status quo remains; however, when we harness the energy from these moments of despair and outrage to opportunities for reflection and action, we build the movement for justice.

Each of us has a role to play in this process. We need to turn to books like Caste, by Isabel Wilkerson and The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander for historical context; websites like Dismantling Racism to get clarity on ever evolving language. We need time for introspection, space for interaction with others who share our passion for justice; courage to raise these issues in our families, social networks, communities and places of employment; and accountability partners to check us when we revert to unconscious habits of White supremacy.

With this horror, there is cause for hope. A history of oppression begets a herstory/theirstory of resistance. We need to connect to these legacies, past and present, to pull us out of surprise and into collective action.