Common red flags in conversations about race ― a thread

“I don’t think that has to do with race”
In a racialized society, systemic racism has affected everything ― education, healthcare, the workforce, housing ― you name it. If you haven’t noticed the role that race plays, you’ve likely been in a position of privilege.

“What about…”
“What aboutism,” as Rachel Cargle says, is often used to deflect blame and shift the conversation away from the oppressed group being discussed. White supremacy is exemplified by society's reluctance to ever give exclusive attention to BIPOC folks.

“Just to play devil’s advocate”
This quickly derails a conversation about race by swerving into loaded hypotheticals. Plus, it seems as if you get a kick out of putting my humanity on trial.

“Agree to disagree”
This doesn’t resolve situations of injustice. “Agree to disagree” is acceptable for preferences and trivialities — my rights and ongoing oppression cannot be reduced to mere opinion.

The four types of white denial of racism highlighted by @sywtta are extremely relevant:
Denial of...
Fact “That’s not true”
Awareness “I had no idea”
Responsibility “It’s not my fault”
Impact “That wasn’t my intention”

I hear these very often. If you find yourself saying one of these things, or if you hear someone else saying these things, take notice. These may be indicators that a productive conversation is turning into a futile debate.

Remember
Tolerating racism is racism.
Anything that makes space for white supremacy is racism.
Being willfully ignorant to racism is racism.
You have a personal responsibility to acknowledge and oppose racism.