white allies
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Could Barbie Be the White Ally Capable of Helping Kids Better Understand Racism?
One of the more unfortunate but often obligatory aspects of raising Black children is “The Talk”—that painful yet often inevitable moment when Black parents and caregivers feel compelled to kill a little of their children’s innocence for the sake of their own protection. But how do well-meaning white parents prepare their children to recognize racism…
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If You Ever Wanted to See White-on-White Crime, Check Out These Reactions to NASCAR's Confederate Flag Ban
Have you ever taken a pacifier from a baby? They lose their shit; kicking and screaming bloody murder until you shove it back in their mouth to calm them down. Well, white supremacy is White America’s binky, and without the comforts that it affords, there are some very upset people coming to grips with the…
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No, Serena Williams Didn't Convince Alexis Ohanian to Leave Reddit—but Daughter Alexis Olympia Helped
We’ve long known that Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian rides hard for wife Serena Williams; he’s almost always to be found in the stands at his wife’s matches or front row at her runway shows, loudly cheering her on, and his steadfast support has made him one of our favorite hype-men on social media. But when…
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'We Have to Do More': Champion Ally Megan Rapinoe Thanked Kaepernick, Tarana Burke and Black Lives Matter in 'Woman of the Year' Speech
If you follow The Root on a regular basis, you know white women warrant a surprising amount of our coverage. This is not because this is a site for or about white women (quite to the contrary). It’s because some white women’s interactions with and responses to blackness have consistently proven dangerous to the people…
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Ain’t I a Woman? The Unbearable Whiteness of Allies
Before I even start this, I know that I have to give the usual disclaimers because even though it should be implied at this point, someone will undoubtedly need that extra spoonful of validation and reassurance, so here we go: Yes, I know not all white women. I know not all white people. Yet, Thursday…
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How to Use Your White Privilege the Right Way
When bigotry abounds, it’s easy to get frustrated and want to give up (particularly on white people), but every now and then, someone steps up and demonstrates how one can use white privilege the right way—to right the wrongs of racism and demand that white people to do better. Celebs like Anne Hathaway, Matt McGorry…
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This Is How You Use Your Privilege, Part 2: ‘Your Silence Is Your Discrimination,’ Says Jessica Chastain
“When you know better, you do better,” or so the saying goes. Sometimes—most times—it takes someone with privilege to enact change for everyone else. In January, actress Jessica Chastain made headlines when she advocated for equal pay for fellow actress and friend Octavia Spencer, addressing the persistently deep pay disparity for women of color. As…
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The Root’s Clapback Mailbag: Apologetically Black Friday
A few days ago, during a meeting, I asked The Root staff for more mailbag material. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be hate mail,” I said. “It could be anything worth responding to.” In my head, I was sure that readers had reached out to our writers for a number of reasons. Maybe they tweeted…
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Please Stop Inviting Everybody to the Damn Cookout
Look, I know blackness is the gift that keeps on giving. I know how awesome we are, and can understand why sweet potato pie tops pumpkin pie, that we effortlessly create and inform pop culture, and why folks set aside their good sense and pride to get next to us or be like us. And…
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How to Respond to White Folks Who Ask How They Can ‘Help’
It could all be so simple. Though eradicating racial hateration should be an intraracial undertaking, undoing centuries of Olympic-level oppression and curing chronic multigenerational Caucasian terribleness is frequently placed on our to-do lists, along with setting trends and keeping the Electric Slide alive and sacred. A shame. Your co-worker’s favorite decadently mediocre second-rate diva Lady…