Via Alas, A Blog. Someone I know recently wondered aloud why hip white anti-racists love Tim Wise so much. It's a good question; after all, he's not saying anything black people haven't been saying for longer. I think it really just comes down to not being able to dismiss him as self-serving. Not that any hip white anti-racists would intentionally or consciously do such a thing to a black speaker, but having someone with privilege speak against it to others who have it is meaningful in its own way. Black people are expected to know that white people have social power. And just as no serious critic can fault black people gathering and speaking to these issues, it's hard not to find value in seeing white people gathering to speak against white privilege for a change, rather than simply gathering to wield it.
In any case, you can't say the man doesn't know what he's talking about.
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