Those of us who criticize DEI and other activism that passes for "anti-racism" must reject white nationalism. We must be honest about it. If we feel tempted to white nationalism, we must acknowledge to ourselves its appeal and refuse to endorse it. The temptations are ever present, and we mustn't blame others when we choose to give in to those temptations.
"We white people"
In my posts that critique DEI, I often use "we" and "us." In theory, I'm referring to "those of us who are the target audience of DEI trainings." That includes anyone, and especially anyone who is identified as having any unearned advantage (or "privilege") over others. And almost everyone has at least some advantages. In practice, though, the "target audience" is usually white people. That's not necessarily the case, but usually it is.
So when I say "we" and "us," I'm usually referring to "we white people."
Someone might be forgiven for thinking at first blush that I'm signalling an endorsement of white nationalism. Let's remember that too many critiques against DEI and against what passes for "anti-racism" today are a sort of trolling. It often involves, for example, someone repeating Martin Luther King's statement about "content of character" and then leaving the (metaphorical) room.
Though someone might be forgiven for their initial thoughts, critics like you and me should demonstrate by our actions and statements that they're mistaken. We should reject white nationalism. The reason can't be to please anyone else. Instead, the reason is that rejecting white nationalism is the right thing to do.
What do I mean by "white nationalism"
I don't wish to get into the weeds of what I mean by "white nationalism." I don't have a hard and fast definition. But I do have a working definition. It is, I confess, a little vague on the details. Here are the key components of what I'd probably call white nationalism:
- Belief in a "white interest" that we should try to advance.
- Seeking, finding, and employing common ground with others to advance that interest.
- Numbers 2 and 3 are done willfully.
Number 3 is essential. White nationalism is a choice, a decision. We choose it.
Perhaps it's not always a fully conscious decision. Sometimes we lie to ourselves. Those lies may be skin deep or six feet deep. But a lie, in my opinion, is by definition willful. My point isn't to get us to constantly doubt our motivations or (worse!) stand on metaphorical soap boxes and public agonize over our every decision to demonstrate to the world how much we care about racism. The point is to gently urge you to be a little introspective.
What white nationalism is not
A word about what white nationalism is not. It's not an unintentional or quasi-intentional "microaggression." It's not sometimes entertaining and acting on racial stereotypes. It's not opposing critical race theory. It's not opposing policies which supposedly will help secure "social justice" but about which you may reasoned reservations. It's definitely not what activists define as "white supremacy," a word formally used to denote extremist hate groups but now used to denote any system that somehow advantages white persons, even if the advantage is only incidental or several steps removed from any conscious decision or legacy of racism.
Some of those "not white nationalism" features may be mistakes or even deeply wrong. Some may be a component of white nationalism, but I believe they're not sufficient components.
I also accept the notion that we can and often do harm people without intending it. As human beings, we participate in a lot of unnecessary, casual cruelty that barely, if at all, registers in our consciousness. White people in a society where whites usually are on top probably do that to persons of color quite often. We should be sensitive to that probability and be open to changing our actions when that's called for. But such incidental harm is not white nationalism.
Rejecting white nationalism isn't easy
It's easy to say we reject white nationalism. Even in the last five years or so, where bona fide according to Hoyle hate groups have gotten a sometimes sympathetic audience from those in power--even in that circumstance, it's easy to say we reject white nationalism. By my (merely anecdotal) observation, the most common defense offered for these groups is the false claim that they're "not really white nationalists."
But rejecting white nationalism isn't that easy. I firmly believe that someone can sincerely and vigorously reject the kkk, proud boys, and aryan nation (for example) and yet still meet my criteria for white nationalism, which, again, is identifying a "white interest" and willfully doing what we can to advance that interest.
White nationalism is tempting, at least for me.
I feel a certain tribal pull, a sense of belonging, with other white people. Examples:
When someone at a DEI training session says something that is very easy to interpret as "all white people do X," I feel the urge to extrapolate from my reasonable objection to harboring a strong resentment and on some deep level, wanting to defend myself against the attack on "my" race.
When I encounter a (by my observation) very privileged person who mocks groups coded as white, such as "evangelicals," I feel and entertain a certain defensiveness that goes beyond my inclination to want to defend people of faith. (True, not all evangelicals are white. But in my social, family, and professional circles, people seem to mean "white evangelicals" when they make fun of "evangelicals.")
And last, but not least--and perhaps most important--I feel a temptation to be cruel to other people for the sake of cruelty. As Gandalf told Frodo: "There is such a thing as malice and revenge."
Those feelings are mostly visceral. You probably can't blame me for having them. We don't choose what we feel, at least not in any simple, direct way. But you can blame me for choosing to entertain the resentments and acting on them.
Now, maybe none of that applies to you. Maybe you don't face those temptations or maybe you find it easier than I do to reject the temptations when they occur. I'm not going to insist that you have the same experiences and sentiments as I. In that case, rejecting white nationalism will come easier for you.
But if what I say rings true to you, you may want to try to be more aware of when you're tempted to choose white nationalism. Or at least be aware that it's a choice that needs to be actively rejected and never embraced.
Word to the wise
I state in my introduction that we must acknowledge "to ourselves" the appeal of white nationalism. I mean that in two ways.
First: beware of judging others
We should put our own house in order before discerning white nationalism in others. But sometimes we are called to judge--though I prefer the word "discern"--whether someone is making a white nationalist commitment.
In those cases, we must recognize that we cannot truly see what's inside another person. When we discern anything about anybody, we do so with imperfect knowledge. We have to balance a number of things.
Sometimes we must act. We might have to choose whether to end a friendship, "call out" a relative, participate in a protest, or vote a certain way. When we do, we have to balance what we know, what we don't know, and what we can't know. We have to balance competing goods and competing evils. We have to anticipate unintended or unwanted consequences.
Second: beware of being too open about the temptations
Few people will accept your public acknowledgment of "the temptations to white nationalism" with much compassion.
That's likely true even if you're in a DEI training session and are invited to contribute to a discussion dedicated to addressing your own internal racism. If you say anything other than, "and sometimes, I'm racist, too," be prepared to be accused of making the discussion all about you or denying others' lived experiences. Or you may be told that "you have valid feelings, but this isn't the place or time to discuss them," with the understanding that there will never be a place or time to discuss them.
Or....maybe that won't happen. And maybe you'll encounter people really and truly willing to engage in a discussion. But you'll be taking a risk.
In that vein, also try to remember that it really isn't all about you. It may be unfair that you're put into that situation and falsely encouraged to speak your truth, but that's sometimes just the way things are.
And frankly, while the faults and shortcomings of DEI trainings and much of what today passes for anti-racist activism are many, the trainings and activism exist because of real problems and real, felt fears. Or if you think the problems are not as pressing as they're made out to be, many, many people sincerely believe they are pressing. Our internal angst, while also real and even pressing, might not always be the most important issue on the table.
A note to my anti-racist friends
Some of what I say in this blog post is implicitly critical of decisions you or others have made in your DEI and anti-racism advocacy.
And frankly, I do fear that your eagerness to "call out," to "challenge," to "name," and to "mark" whiteness gives us a strong incentive to choose some form of white nationalism. The incentive--the temptation--is strong because adopting white nationalism then feels like a defensive posture in the face of attack. Your actions may encourage outcomes you don't wish to encourage. I advise you to heed your own admonition that something can cause harm even if the harm is unintended.
That said, I accept and insist that those of us who are tempted to choose white nationalism are responsible for our choices. I urge you to reconsider your tactics, but I don't hold you responsible for my choices.
Sendoff
We must reject white nationalism because rejecting white nationalism is the right thing to do. The fact that it's so tempting to embrace white nationalism is not an excuse. We must never let our objections to DEI or to anti-racist activism to deter us from that commitment.
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