The Danger of Hate-filled White Boys

“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” ― Mark Twain (Photo by Sikkema)

Buffalo. Another senseless loss of life at the hands of a hate-filled White boy. Another piercing reminder of how dangerous life can be for Black people living and working in the United States in 2022. I’d imagine most psychologists, if one cared to conduct the research, would agree that our long-standing ability as African-Americans to be resilient and not seek revenge in the face of so many white supremacist acts is rather mind boggling. So many family members and friends being lynched and murdered over the years for just being Black is sickening. Will Buffalo be the game changer? I doubt it. What I do know for sure is that Black people’s trust of systems providing us safety from white nationalism is waning and that White boys need serious attention. Now.

Being a race and racism educator provides me with the platform and motivation to examine how our systems and institutions operate to promote advantage for White people. Spending more than eight years (longer than my doctoral studies) learning a racial analysis and the full history of the USA with the Racial Equity Institute has been a blessing. The fundamental concepts shared inspire me to continue on this life long journey of study and activism for racial healing and truth-telling. That is, I hurt when my people experience unnecessary harm and death by cowards, but I am not surprised. This response to the Black body and mind…