Not long ago I made the mistake of reading Slate's parenting advice column.
I have never done it since.
A woman wrote in concerned about her son. Not, mind you, because her son wishes anyone of any race ill. But because he says he doesn't notice race.
Her son was asked to fill in a blank about race on a college roommate form. She writes:
"Now my sons have graduated, and their closest friends are still a mix of black, Hispanic, and white kids. I have never been concerned about the kids having any issues around race. But one of our sons mentioned recently how irritated he is by the form he has to fill out regarding a college roommate. He has to specify his race, and all of the profiles of potential roommates he views also include race. He says all he cares about is if they are male or female and
what their interests are—he doesn’t care about race. With everything going on in the U.S. now, I’m doing more reading on racism, and if I’m understanding correctly, not caring about race is almost as bad as focusing only on race.
"Should he care what race his friends are? Or is it OK for him to not even care/notice? Is there something we should be doing or talking to our kids about before they go to college, or is it too late? Are they just as racist as someone who only has white friends, or am I worrying about nothing?"
If that isn't enough to make you click the little X, the answer should be.
The advice columnist responded that she doesn't really believe that the parent worries that her child may be racist, and that her letter is a disingenuous pose.
Then she says this:
"Not caring about or noticing race is a privilege reserved for people who are white. Black and brown people in the U.S. do not have that luxury—and not just 'with everything going on' right now, but ever....
"But nonracism is only the first step toward a more just society. Anti-racism requires more of us."
We never find out exactly what the son should be doing on that application form, but we do learn that the whole lot of them are privileged snots who need to be learning at the feet of enlightened people like her.
All right, so we can agree that all normal people reading this realize it's crazy and mean-spirited. The problem is, it's Slate, which means zillions of people see it.
It'd be nice if people telling the truth could attract as many readers.
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Here's how to learn what you need to know in order not to flop.
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The magic link:
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