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White Fragility, Racism & The Dismissal of The Black Experience by Calvin Eaton
A few months ago a local white realtor real estate agent on Facebook argued with me and dismissed my sharing of decades of recorded facts that there was no way any realtor is engaging in racist practices in present day. She was vehement in her denial. Flat out told me I was wrong.
White fragility allows many white people to dismiss, ignore, and disregard the acknowledgement of a racist present day in all areas of life and business merely because something said by a black person or other underrepresented person isn’t their individual lived experience. Since whiteness is the standard of lived experience they refuse to acknowledge any one else’s perspective or truth as valid. It doesn’t require all white people, just a few. This is how whitewashing of history continues. The recorded narrative is intentionally written in favor of upholding whiteness, forgiving white supremacy, and maintaining racism.
White fragility allows many white people to dismiss, ignore, and disregard the acknowledgement of a racist present day in all areas of life.
What we see in terms of segregation and housing in Long Island isn’t isolated there but is the reality in cities all across the nation especially Rochester. It is the result of decades of racist government sanctioned, backed, condoned, and Supreme Court approve de jure segregation and blatant designed racism that continues in 2019. Any denial is more than shameful, it is tragic and unforgivable.
** This blog is adapted from a post originally shared on Facebook
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From Newsday:
In one of the most concentrated investigations of discrimination by real estate agents in the half century since enactment of America’s landmark fair housing law, Newsday found evidence of widespread separate and unequal treatment of minority potential homebuyers and minority communities on Long Island
Click here to read more about Newsday’s three year investigation into racist practices by Long Island realtors
About Calvin Eaton
(he/his/him) Calvin Eaton aka theglutenfreechef (www.theglutenfreechefblog.com) Calvin Eaton is a community educator, digital content creator, and social entrepreneur, whose area of expertise includes antiracism, inclusion, equity, curriculum writing, and higher education. In 2016 Mr. Eaton founded 540WMain, Inc.a grassroots non-profit community education and event space (www.540westmain.org) with a commitment to enrich the Susan B. Anthony Preservation district as well as connect greater Rochester to the neighborhood through antiracism, arts & culture, and wellness education.
Resources
- Washington Forced Segregation on the Nation, Reason.com
- A Sociologist Examines the “White Fragility” That Prevents White Americans from Confronting Racism
- The Racism Right Before Our Eyes, New York Times
- What Happens When Black People Search for Suburban Homes, New York Times
- How America’s real estate brokers still use practices that reinforce racial segregation, Scholars.org
540WMain, Inc. 