I’ll just leave this here. And this. These two just sprang instantly to mind. There are many others. Come on man, you read articles on race? Here? And you’ve not seen ANYONE…ANYWHERE claiming that all white people are ANYTHING? You, my friend, are not paying attention.

And no, normative culture is not "whiteness"!! My issue this entire time has been why are you so eager to describe the culture you live in as whiteness? Would you feel more authentically black if you went to work in a Dashiki? Would you feel happier if your meetings were scheduled according to the position of the sun? Do you feel as if you're succumbing to "whiteness" when you're asked to think rationally or understand cause and effect? Are we only authentically black if we're living on the savannah? Is this culture not your culture too??

There are conversations to be had of course. For example, are dreadlocks "unprofessional"? No. I don't think so. But most workplaces, "workplace culture" if you will, tend to look down on them (though actually, in 2021, you'd probably find yourself in a lawsuit if you tried to prevent somebody from wearing them. I hope so). Anyway, my point is, try getting a job in Japan or China with dreadlocks! Is this whiteness? Or could we agree that would be a stupid thing to call it in that context? I don't think we disagree about the idea of a culture that controls our lives. I'm just saying that controls everybody's lives.

Some women call it "the patriarchy", even though it also controls men's lives. You seem to be advocating calling it "whiteness", even though it also controls white people's lives. I'm not saying that it affects everybody equally. Obviously not. I'm just saying giving it stupid nicknames makes talking about it harder. And tempts people to silo of their issues into their own little bubbles instead of recognising that the dominant culture we live in screws over pretty much everybody. Racism is a real issue. I think it's clear that I understand that. But class and poverty issues have a far bigger impact on most of our lives in 2021.

As I thought we'd agree with the help of our good friend Chad, the question is whether the "diametrically different conversations" we're having with our children are based in fact. Whether our conclusions are correct. And whether the solutions we propose are effective. I'm not trying to play games. I'm just pushing for precision. Screaming into the wind isn't going to make anything better. Certainly not for our children. Even if it feels cathartic.