To hate rich white people...


EmeyeX's avatar
My best friend is black and I am really sick of him complaining about rich white people. He hates rich white people because of what thier ancestors have done in the past. When i try to explain to him that there is no reason to hate someone for something that they themselves have nothing to do with, he pulls out the "well your not black so you don't understand" card. Which is something I can't really argue against (I'm black and spanish). But I asked my dad (who is black) if he thinks a black person has a right to hate rich white people for that reason, and he says no.

I guess the part that really annoys me is that he is fitting the sterotype of those black people that blame white people for all thier troubles. I feel that he is just as ignorant as a racist white person for being racist himself. He is actually really smart and a level headed person, but I don't see how someone who is intellectual can think this way. I even asked him if a rich white family invited him over to dinner and were nice and considerate to him, would he still walk out of the house thinking "fuck them"...and he said yes...because of what thier ancetors did. In the end, I decided it's something that we just disagree upon.

But my problem is how do you put up with a racist who is typically crying about how rich white people are the primary reason for all thier troubles? I mean he is not only making black people look bad, but he is not helping out his own situations in life by blaming others.
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shogun3540's avatar
slap his black ass in the face and say "IF YOU'RE ANGRY WITH SOMEONE, MAKE SRE THEY DID SOMETHING WRONG TO YOU, NOT SOMETHING SOMEONE DID 200 YEARS AGO!!!"
Kazali's avatar
Whoo boy. My knee jerk reaction is that you need new friends. :roll:

Unfortunately, it is very unlikely that anything you say or do will be able to change his beliefs. At this point, he has his blinders on. I think you need to tally the pros and cons of continuing this relationship, because if you're internalizing his negativity it'll only cause you more trouble down the road, and you don't deserve it.

I would be outright with him: "Look, dude, I understand your point, but you're being disrespectful/ignorant/an asshole, and you're about to lose a friend over it. There are just as many racist, ignorant black people as there are white people." Will that change his views? Probably not, but it might make him realize what his callousness may cost him.
StrawberryGumiho's avatar
For a person to be truly ignorant of racism, they'd have to be incapable of experiencing it. He is a racist, he is directing racism at another race. Thus, by default that race is capable of experiencing and understanding the consequences of racism. Racism isn't something that affects only one race or only minority races. It can come from and be directed at ANY race. And until that is acknowledged racism will ALWAYS be around.

Heck, I've had someone tell me that because I was white that my ancestors could never have experienced tormoil, slavery or mistreatment and that whites don't have the emotional capacity to understand or suffer from it if they did. Never mind the fact my heritage is largely Germanic, Saxon, Irish and Native American (Cherokee & Sioux). And when faced with the plights of other races, I've had someone say that it wasn't as bad because they (Asians, Native Americans, ect) could pass as white. Unfortunately stupidity and ignorance has no limitations.

I'd ask him though, does he ate other blacks? Does he hate Africans? Because African tribes actively participated in slavery and were the primary source of slaves for Colonial and American Slave trade. African tribes were enslaving each other and selling each other to white slave traders. It was actually very uncommon for white slave traders to actively capture and obtain slaves through their own means when they could pay various tribes to do it for them cheaply or in trade for goods.

And just about every race & culture has participated in slave trade during their history... Some still do. That includes Blacks, Asians, Europeans, ect. And as a result, blacks aren't the only ones to have been victimized by the practice and whites aren't the only ones to have victimized others by the practice. And not all whites have ancestors that practiced slavery in early America. Some come from poor ancestry that couldn't afford slavery and many likely have early Colonial and American ancesters that were indentured servants (fancy title for white slaves tricked into servitude under a work for travel & keep contract)

And not only is your "friend" a racist, he is a race purist too since he actively disassociates you from part of your heritage due to you being mixed. That would be like someone telling me I'm not white because of my Native heritage (despite being fair skinned, blond and all. Some members of my family its more obvious with, the only thing that hints at it for me is my flat profile and high cheek bones that is a lot like my great grandmother's.). Then again, if someone asked me if I was Native American or if I understood the hardships of that part of my ancestral heritage I'd say no. Because I didn't experience if first hand, I can't even begin to imagine the extent of their suffering. And I was not raised within that culture, so I have not experienced what some tribes still struggle with today. Same goes for what my other ancestors may have faced. But I know hate won't improve it, it won't improve anything. And its wrong and disrespectful of him to use the hardships of his ancestors as an excuse for his hatred and poor behavior. If he really cared about what they went through, he'd work toward improving things and he'd be against racism rather than proud of it.
Armonah's avatar
"But my problem is how do you put up with a racist who is typically crying about how rich white people are the primary reason for all thier troubles? I mean he is not only making black people look bad, but he is not helping out his own situations in life by blaming others."

He needs to learn to tell the difference between racist people and a racist system. Racism still exists, and there's nothing wrong to have strong feelings against that, but to direct it at white people as a whole isn't going to be very effective if he wants to do something about it. I mean, honestly, what does he think hating on white people is going to achieve? Balance it out? Because that's just not how it works.

Instead, approach it from an angle that white people nowadays hate racism as much as he does, and while they might be ignorant of it, they're potential allies in this battle against racism. You could point him to Tim Wise's website, who is a white anti-racism activist.

And if he doesn't see the difference between a system and the people inside it, hold him accountable for the war in Iraq or something. After all, he's an American, and America started that war where tens of thousands civilians were killed. Oh what's that, you're against the war? Well then why didn't you stop it?

Basically, guilt by association is dumb.
ConstantVariation's avatar
I could hate on British people for what they did to my country, but I choose not to. It was so long ago, and they never did anything to me. I visited London for a few weeks, and they were very nice and patient helping me find directions and kept cheerful conversations.

I think his problem is that he hasn't had much contact with "rich, white people" and have not seen their good or positive sides.
Zedasiria-DeRazz's avatar
Yes, some people won't just let it go, they live in the past and can't accept people of different sex and color change towards the years. My advice, ignore it. BUT if it's constant then leave that friend and accept him as an acquaintance.
dafrek's avatar
I had a white "friend" who got crazy once he knew his ex-girlfriend slept with a black dude.
He knew she had several lovers since they broke up 2 years ago(!!) but the black one was too much for him, my friend denied his ex's existence.
I can't understand his logic.
But he thinks he's not racist(like most of the people who posted on this thread), he actually thinks he's open minded and all.
But he reveals when he faces a crisis.

=> I tell you this story to get to my point : your friend is not totally dumb, he's not totally wrong. He probably has many reasons to ask himself some questions.

Maybe he lacks words to explain them, that's why he points the wealthyness of some white people. But it's not only about this.
StrawberryGumiho's avatar
I know a guy freaked about that very same thing with his wife. I think he was insecure about his size and performance. He was one of those types of guys that needed constant re-assurance and I guess the stereotype about size made him totally insecure.. And his insecurities ultimately killed the relationship and they divorced. (he kept asking for details and reassurances regarding comparisons between himself and the other man for example. Non-stop.)

But seriously, the friend IS totally wrong. He is no better than the guy that got upset about his girlfriend having sex with a guy of a different race. You can't point at one racist and say "This/that is wrong" and then point at another racist and say "Well... Thats ok, I'm sure he has a good reason to hate others. I'm sure its not just that he is a racist." That is just stupid.
dafrek's avatar
I'm a mixed black/white too, so I can understand YOU.
As a third culture kid with mixed skin, I see the race issue in a distorted way compared to the rest of the world since my parents are black and white.
I always thought I could be friend with everybody black or white, but with experience I realized that black people AND white people don't see the world as neutral as I do.

I 've met some white people who never had the chance to really be around black people as children, and the opposite aswell.
They fear the unknown and once they grown up it's hard to change their mind, it becomes visceral.

Education is the key. It's too late for adults
RobStrand's avatar
Tell him he doesn't understand. "What he born during the time of slavery? What he born during the Civil Right movement?"

He has no idea how good he has it.
moxiee's avatar
People that say that know they are the racist but I think it's there way to make themselves feel better about it. You should show him this thread.
EmeyeX's avatar
I read him some of the replies on this thread when I started it, pretending I did a "yahoo ask search" for "Why do black people still complain about white people". There was another friend who was with us when I read him some of the replys. I read him one in particular from a black guy on this thread and my friend just said he sounds like a "Uncle Ruckus ass nigga" (from the boondocks) so it was hard to get him to understand with someone sitting next to him taking his side. The only other reply I got from him was "Well you gotta hate something"
moxiee's avatar
He's wrong! No one has to hate anything. He's just doing it because his friend was there? Then he's a follower.
Senuku's avatar
Ah, racist black people. There's one in my class. He's really annoying. I had to sit between him and a racist (more of a jokingly racist) white kid in class last year. Their conversation would go like this.

Student 1: Wonder bread
student 2: chocolate milk
student 1: paper
student 2: coal
me: shut up.
student 1: vanilla
student 2: Night sky

every single day.
Solum-Ipsum's avatar
Why not tell the last sentence in his face? Black people were enslaved because white people saw them more as dexterous animals than real human beings, and by their technological advantage they could overthrow them more easily. Yes, it's easy to point fingers, but if a black person wants to prove their adaequacy to a white fundies in power, he has to learn self discipline, something that distinguishes people from animals (and that's not related to race). Until he does so, he's not much better than the skinheads kicking the homeless black guy in the alley.
Armonah's avatar
:confused:

I'm really not sure what you're getting at. He has to prove he's more than an animal or he's just as bad as the nazi's from Malcolm X?
Solum-Ipsum's avatar
I think I meant that becoming a better person than those you hate is a better goal than to just whine and point fingers, thinking that you're better while you're still not in the position to have the actual freedom to be better.
Armonah's avatar
That makes a lot of sense. Thanks for clearing that up :thumbsup:
Solum-Ipsum's avatar
:D I'm glad if I could help.
veronicarockstrom's avatar
What a racist little prick. I've met people like him before, I'm not rich, but they just assume my great granddaddy enslaved their great grandaddy...

Like, fuck off, I'm fourth generation Swede, we came to America in 1918. NOBODY IN MY FAMILY EVER OWNED A SLAVE YOU DUMBSHIT.
Elmida's avatar
One day when he matures and grows up he'll realize what a dickwaffle he's being. If he'd know anything about historical awareness he'd know that you can't feel either pride nor shame for something someone else did, let alone what a country/people did when they were living in a completely different world.
da1withdalongestname's avatar
Makes sense, I believe you should tell him to lay off history books & get something else for him to read.

I personally hate the British & the French :lol: (no, not really, not that much) for taking away my country's foreign sovereignty & put the monarchy in disgrace by taking away territories rightfully ours (which never been returned to this very day I might add), inciting racism in the region & sparking religious intolerant to all of it's colonies (Colonizing process always include the divide & conquer tactic, you guys are bunch of pricks!). For some reason, when I read historical books of my neighboring countries, they seemed to hate my country so much. Honestly, my blood still boils whenever I read The White Man's Burden, it's so arrogant & offensive in so many ways.

Since both of you are in the US, tough luck. All I can say is for you to get him away from history books or around people or things that give him that mindset.

PS. I don't hate the French & the British really, just don't talk to me or ask me history during the late 19th century.
RandomRobskii's avatar
At the end of the day, I'm fairly sure the white people of today did not put his ancestors into slavery. I don't know why he's got sand in his vagina over the past. It happened, I get it, but it's not happening now, and it's not us that did it.
It's shit like this that annoys me when people say only white people can be racist. :roll:
CrimeRoyale's avatar
Tell him it doesn't fucking matter. It's just colors he's throwing such a bitch fit over.

And tell him a half white, half black guy said that.