I can't stop thinking about the white people rage-Tweeting this past week against critical race theory because (they believe) the goal of crt is to make them *feel bad* about and *guilty for* racism. 1/

Setting aside the likely-true scenario that these rage-Tweeters in fact want an excuse to continue feeling racist feelings and acting in racist ways ... (who knows I try to focus on impact rather than intent) 2/

... what struck me in this go-around re: "don't make me or my civil servants think about racism" is the epic entitlement of expecting not to experience certain emotions. 3/

Critical race theory doesn't come with (if only it did!) prescribed actions. It's a way of thinking critically about how structural oppressions intersect and impact us, with an emphasis on racialization. 4/

How you FEEL about that is your own damn business. And how you ACT on those feelings depends on your own moral compass. I personally believe the existence of oppression obligates us all to act to mitigate its harm and work toward a more just and sustainable future. 5/

So I don't feel attacked by the ideas of critical race theory -- they are analytical tools that help me understand better how systems work so that I can hopefully take stock, determine where I can act, and engage according to my own values. 6/

I think encountering critical race theory and experiencing it as primarily about making you *feel bad* is 1) WHOA solipsistic and 2) a very clear tell that your moral compass doesn't include taking responsibility for trying to build a more just and sustainable future. 7/

This isn't a profoundly new analysis of right-wing conservatism in this country, which has been build on not wanting to engage with uncomfortable emotions or cooperative citizenship for decades, but it sure was a wild example of facts not matching up with feelings. 8/8

P.S. I just saw a white person get upset about an article describing someone as white "because whiteness is another word for evil" and it's so reminiscent of the way anti-feminists are the ones who generally think being a man makes you trash.

SAYING YOUR WHITENESS MAKES YOU "EVIL" IS JUST ANOTHER WAY OF ABSOLVING YOUR SELF OF ANY RESPONSIBILITY TO WORK FOR CHANGE while also howling every time someone is mean enough to point out you're white.