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I’m going to talk about the Kamala Harris/Joe Biden debate moment. Be warned, my mood is nasty today.
2 overlapping groups of people may have missed what that moment was about:
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2 overlapping groups of people may have missed what that moment was about:
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1. people who were already supporting Biden and had the very common symptom of not recognizing when someone they support did something problematic
2. People who lack some sensitivity around how racism plays out
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2. People who lack some sensitivity around how racism plays out
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And 3 (sorry forgot this group when I said 2) oops: people who were not paying attention to the news in the weeks before that.
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Background on my opinion about Biden: he came up in a state where to win elections he had to appeal to the same white working class that Bernie was saying we should try to win back - many of whom swing Trump now. This is Biden’s original base.
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back in the 70’s, yeah - he sided with them on busing. A lot of people did. Most politicians did. A lot of Black people did too. It’s not a great solution, but it’s easier and less creepy than forcing people to move house to desegregate, which would also not be constitutional. 5/
We can all argue now about whether busing was good or bad -it did work well in some communities and not others - but that’s actually irrelevant to this story. The political media, which is broadly insensitive about racial issues, deflected to that plenty. 6/
What happened in 2019? What happened was that Biden gave a private speech with the intent to say he can work with the Trump crossover people (he can) and he can get some of their votes (he can). 7/
He cited working successfully with actual segregationists (no being anti-busing does not make you a segregationist). What he worked with them on was anti-busing. 8/
So he was not in fact segregationist but he did make (IMO) a very insensitive remark harkening back to working with segregationists on one of their goals.
Well before the debate, this was a public discussion. 9/
Well before the debate, this was a public discussion. 9/
Several Black leaders said he should apologize, including Cory Booker. Biden, in a not uncharacteristic defensive way, said Booker should apologize to *him* for implying that what he said was racist. Which...10/
At this point, if you’re supporting Biden or if the term ‘race card’ ever comes out your mouth, you probably thought that Biden did nothing wrong, Booker, etc are picking on him using race, and it’s fine for Biden to say Booker should apologize. 11/
But if you are like a lot of the rest of us who pay attention to the news, are tired of the history of racism being talked about like it was just regular decent folks who “disagreed”, understand that white people are in a culture where that’s how they are raised to think, 12/
But also understand that it’s an act of perpetuating racism, as is saying a Black man should apologize for raising it,
you might have felt affronted at this point. 13/
you might have felt affronted at this point. 13/
This is all before the debate. So, when Harris said that she DID NOT think Biden was racist - more on this in a moment - but that what he said was hurtful, I FULLY AGREED, and the very idea that she should feel REMORSEFUL for saying so 14/
Is not only sexist as people have been saying but also racist because it is AGAIN saying a Black person should apologize for talking about harm to Black people. 15/
In the end is Biden racist and did Harris call him racist? The term is complex. There are so many different shades. Biden carries within him racism like white Americans carry within them. Which is - yeah - but not knowingly, not hatefully, not intentionally, but culturally. 16/
and all you white people who call him racist 
you carry it within you too.
So, like “anti-racist” white people do on here every single day, he said something that he did not realize was part of perpetuating racism, because racism is *complicated* 17/
you carry it within you too. So, like “anti-racist” white people do on here every single day, he said something that he did not realize was part of perpetuating racism, because racism is *complicated* 17/
And like anti-racist white people do on here every day, he defended himself instead of listening.
However, I think he’s broadly a good listener, just not in a moment of confrontation. He’s combative that way. 18/
However, I think he’s broadly a good listener, just not in a moment of confrontation. He’s combative that way. 18/
Does his age make it more pronounced? Yes. I think so. Many young people have gotten a lot better at talking about race. Hopefully the next generation will be yet even better, but Trump’s
doing his best to change that. 19/
doing his best to change that. 19/
Did Harris call him racist? No. She knows that most of the white public uses that word with *intent* in mind. And she did not imply or I think infer that he has that intent.
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In sum, she did nothing wrong and people who think it was uppity for her to talk about something hurtful that was said need to look at themselves.
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Also, what Biden said was insensitive and a cultural aspect of racism but people trying to make it that Biden is some big huge racist are just using MY RACE as a weapon for politics and need to STFU with that.
Done.
Done.
Note, this tweet should not be read as saying no white people have hateful intent. All white Americans have it in them because they were raised in the US. Some have hateful intent. Many do not. IMO
