This week, the National Museum of African American History & Culture, a tax-payer funded Smithsonian museum, published an article on their website. The article was published under the “Talking About Race” section of their website and was simply called Whiteness.
The article begins by going through the usual leftist tropes including, “white-dominant culture,” “microaggressions,” “white fragility,” and citing race-baiting New York Times bestselling author, Robin DiAngelo.
One of the more egregious statements in the article is, “Being white does not mean you haven’t experienced hardships or oppression. Being white does mean you have not faced hardships or oppression based on the color of your skin.” This despite anti-white hate crimes being one of the fastest-growing hate crime categories in recent years, and numerous high profile incidents of anti-white attacks such as this.
However, it was not the article itself that has gone viral, but rather an infographic that was attached—thanks to a tweet from Byron York of the Washington Examiner and Fox News.
The infographic, titled Aspects & Assumptions of Whiteness & White Culture in the United States, includes a list of qualities which it links to white culture. Some of these aspects and assumptions include “plan for future,” “respect authority,” and “be polite”.
Many have pointed out that this infographic is a clear example of the left’s identity politics bigotry of low expectations.
This rather nasty set of assumptions delegitimizes the identity of many inspirational Black figures. Must we condemn, one of the most well-known scientists today, Neil deGrasse Tyson’s internalised whiteness because he champions objective, rational linear thinking? Must we condemn the first Black woman to go to space, Dr Mae Jemison, for her ability to plan for the future? Must we condemn Frederick Douglas, the former slave abolitionist who famously taught himself to read, because he was strongly in favour of the written tradition of the United States?
Surely not.
Rather we should celebrate them, because hard work, science, being polite, acting decisively, and planning for the future, along with all the other so-called “aspects of white culture” should be celebrated regardless of skin colour.
The United States, and all Western countries, should encourage everyone in their nation whether born, immigrant, white, black, or brown, etc., that these values are worthy of striving for. Communities which have embraced these values have shown the benefits. This is why the highest earners in the allegedly white privileged and institutionally racist United States of America are Asians.
The things on this list should be aspects and assumptions not just of White culture, but also of every other culture that finds itself in America, and believing that non-Whites are incapable of living up to these aspirations is not just unfactual, but also horribly bigoted.
Keegan Nazzari
Keegan is currently studying a Poli-Sci and Communications degree at The University of Western Australia. He was born and raised in Perth but hopes to relocate to the U.S. after his degree to pursue a career in political media. Other than discussing politics Keegan hopes to inform Americans about the true greatest sport in the world, Aussie Rules football.
The views expressed in this article are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Lone Conservative staff.
@Keegan_Nazzari