What's the issue with "White Power"?

[KCfromNC]

What is the big deal about a white person saying “White Power”?

Nothing at all. Be sure to tell everyone you meet you support the White Power movement. Send some e-mails at work telling your coworkers the same. I'm sure they'll be happy to learn more about it.

 

[Velaut]

But that critique would also apply to those who shout "black power."

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!!

Yes, IF you are oblivious to or completely insensitive to the connotation of those expressions, the associated history & actual meaning. IF you take it out of the context their used in. That would be naive.

But no, it is not symmetric. Both terms are absolutely not equal or even similar.
Both terms are associated with white supremacy where whites are considered superior to others and blacks are considered inferior.
"White power" defends that.
"Black power" opposes that. Raises awareness that blacks deserve emancipation, deserve the same. Balance.

 

[Rajni]

imho:

If the joy of the Lord is one's strength, then "God Power", or maybe
"Divine Joy Power" would be more accurate. At the end of the day,
color, ethnicity, and nationality have nothing to do with it. Besides,
I believe those elements are changed from one incarnation to the next
like socks. No point in identifying too strongly with what amounts to
an organically-generated costume.

"Pride" really should be replaced with "Gratitude".

-

 

[durangodawood]

What's the issue with "White Power"?

Do they teach American history in schools anymore???

 

[Chesterton]

Raises awareness that blacks deserve emancipation, deserve the same. Balance.

Emancipation? Did you not get the news? It was in all the papers.

 

[Aldebaran]

Hi aldebaran,

Well, the proclamation of 'white power' is a familiar chant of skin heads, neo-Nazis and members of the KKK. If that doesn't give you pause as to why a lot of people think it's a 'bad' identifier, I'm guessing you just choose to ignore the issue, or you are ideologically aligned with one or more of those groups.

To pump one's fist and declare 'white power' sends the message that 'white people' are, in the matter of race, more powerful. For those who need to declare power, let's go with 'people power'. Let's all stand on the corner and declare 'people power'. Let our chant be that 'people' are more powerful.



White power is a slur against any race that isn't white. There's no problem with anyone being somewhat proud of their heritage, although even that should never come at the expense of someone else's heritage. Personally, I'm not particularly big on heritage, but I do realize that a lot of folks are. Question: what is 'white' power? When you say that to identify your heritage, as you say you would be using it, please explain what 'white' describes as a heritage? Then, if you wouldn't mind, explain what 'power' means for that heritage?

Let's go with 'people power'.

God bless,
In Christ, ted

I agree with your point about "people power" instead of "white power" just as I subscribe to the idea that "All lives matter" as opposed to "Black lives matter". However, the proclamation that all lives matter doesn't usually get a favorable response from those who aren't black.

 

[Aldebaran]

Are you kidding me?

Assuming you're asking a serious question, there are at least two things that make it a big deal.

1. Regardless of what you may mean when you say "white power", your audience will hear "white power" as an assertion that it's good for white people to continue to dominate non-white people, and for white people to be able to hurt non-white people without getting in trouble for it.

Or perhaps the idea is that white people feel that they shouldn't be the target of racist accusations. White people should have the power to be recognized as human beings with equal rights as opposed to a race that must be content with being targeted by people of any other skin color with threats, racist chants, accusations and even loss of employment for not agreeing to basically plead guilty to any racial accusations made against them.

2. "White" isn't really an ethnic or national identity. There's not really "white" food, "white" holidays, a "white" language, in the same way that there's Italian food, American holidays, a Welsh language. Celebrate your actual ethnicity or nationality instead of celebrating whiteness. Celebrate being American or Canadian; celebrate that your family came from Sweden or Germany or Ireland and brought their customs with them. They should have the power and the right to speak up without being silenced through intimidation.

Then would you be in favor of Black history month? We'll start by addressing that, and then we can work our way down the list of the many other black-named events and organizations that are recognized by a skin color. After all, there's no "black food", etc.

 

[Aldebaran]

Because it's historically associated with violent racist and white supremacist groups like the KKK. Just like there's nothing inherently wrong with the words "Sieg Heil" (German for "Hail Victory"), except it's considered offensive due to its link to the Nazi party.

I would think this would be obvious.

Do you think we'll someday see all the chants and slogans being shouted by BLM protesters associated with the violence, chaos and destruction of a truly awful time in USA history? That is, do you think that 50 years from now, a black person saying, "No Justice, No Peace" will be seen as a racist thing from back when black people resorted to violence and destruction and put a giant stain on their reputation?

 

[Aldebaran]

White power = white supremacy, which is simply not good.

And "Black Power" = ?

 

[Aldebaran]

If my wife comes to me in obvious pain and asks "Do you love me?" an answer of "I love everyone." would be truthful but hurtful and cruel in the moment.

If a co-worker comes to me iupset and says "My father just died." an answer of "Everyone's parents die." would be truthful but hurtful and cruel in the moment.

So when a friend speaks up in a time of obvious pain and hurt and says "Black lives matter." an answer of "All lives matter." would be truthful but hurtful and cruel in the moment.

~~~ Doug Williford

You posted this recently before.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

What is the big deal about a white person saying “White Power”? Is it wrong for a person to be proud of their skin color or heritage? Is it really any different than a black person being proud of being black, or a Native American being proud of their heritage? Would it be somehow more acceptable if the white person said, “White Privilege”, as some are often fond of calling it? I could understand if we were talking about a slanderous term against a particular race or skin color, but “White Power” isn’t a slur against any other race. It’s simply a reference to their own race.

It is quite common these days for people to be interested in where they came from and how their ancestors lived and what country they came from, which is why services for ancestor tracking have become popular. Knowing one’s roots often gives a person a sense of pride in knowing where they came from. If it’s socially acceptable for those of “racial minorities” to do so, is it any less acceptable for those who come from a Caucasian background to do the same?

I'd just ask, "Why does a white Christian need to identify with white power?" What biblical goal should this speech act achieve for a Christian? Anything of any substantial Christian substance?

 

[Aldebaran]

That's because white people are already ahead in western society. Starting an organization to advocate for white people is like starting a charity to help millionaires.

If white people are so far ahead, then why don't they have the same free speech rights as those who are black?

 

[Aldebaran]

That's because white people are already ahead in western society. Starting an organization to advocate for white people is like starting a charity to help millionaires.

You mean groups or organizations that are there exclusively for white people--and aren't labeled as racist?

 

[Aldebaran]

I'd just ask, "Why does a white Christian need to identify with white power?" What biblical goal should this speech act achieve for a Christian? Anything of any substantial Christian substance?

I was asking about the term in general.

 

[JackRT]

And "Black Power" = ?

Equally not good.

 

[Aldebaran]

Equally not good.

Unfortunately, the "Black Power" people on facebook don't agree. They obviously don't believe in equality like they say they do. It would be nice if that fact would see the light of day more often:

"To put it simply, Black Power isn’t racism, it’s for the social and political empowerment of black people."
"Why is it that a Black Power page is okay but a White Power page would be racist?" | Facebook

 

[JackRT]

To equate "Black Lives Matter" to "Black Power" is a major mistake.

 

[Aldebaran]

To equate "Black Lives Matter" to "Black Power" is a major mistake.

Did you click the link I provided? It was "Black Lives Matter" that claims "Black Power" isn't so bad.

 

[public hermit]

And "Black Power" = ?

"Black power" is the cry of those who are tired of suffering and who are resisting the oppressor's knee on their neck. That doesn't mean they are by default virtuous, for the oppressed can always become the oppressor, given the right set of circumstances. Nonethless, the two phrases are not equivalent. Not today, at least. What we should be striving for is a society in which neither phrase is heard, and it occurs to no one to speak them.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I was asking about the term in general.

Well, since the Bible teaches there's ONLY ONE RACE--the human race--then to differentiate ourselves in lines that are purely physical ignores the whole spiritual and moral plane, where differences actually matter.

Skin pigmentation matters not, biblically and realistically speaking, but those white folks who want this concept to be touted among themselves and in society at large usually do so for political reasons, mainly those pseudo reasons having to do with mythical notions that white people are automatically superior. So, the term "White Power" has less to do with the actual hue of a person's skin than it does the supposed "social and cultural climate" that a racist white person might prefer to live in and to see remain dominate.

From a Christian perspective, the whole term "White Power" is needless.