To his credit, Brokaw apologized for his comments...kinda. In a series of Monday tweets, the newsman tried to whitesplain his way out of ridicule by issuing an “all lives matter” version of an apology, reminding the Twittersphere about that time he covered Cesar Chavez.

Advertisement
Advertisement

The former anchor kept apologizing by explaining that he wasn’t racist while still insisting that he was right, until someone, likely a friend, stepped in, ripped the phone out of his hand, and said, “Nah, chief. This ain’t it.”

Advertisement

NBC would later call Brokaw’s comments “inaccurate” and “inappropriate,” but that wasn’t the whitest part of this hullaballoo. The bad part was when Brokaw’s white liberal colleagues exited Narnia, stomped onto Twitter, and leaped to his defense by assuring the melanated population that Old Man Brokaw doesn’t have a racist bone in his body.

Advertisement

Can’t you see the white magic? They said he wasn’t racist, and it was so. Even more telling: They actually believe it to be true.

After the initial outrage, the topic splintered into conversations about the validity of immigration statistics, racism, Hispanic assimilation, and more. There was only one topic that was never addressed because it simply disappeared into the ether:

White supremacy.


America is a magic trick.

Even though many white people are wrong when they assume that hate is a necessary component of racism, Tom Brokaw’s statement probably had no lasting impact on the lives of immigrants. No one thinks Brokaw hates Mexicans or is a secret member of the Ku Klux Klan. His defenders don’t even seem to understand that he can say something racist and still not be a racist. But in his brief moment of honesty, Tom Brokaw didn’t perpetuate racism...

Advertisement

He gave away the secret of white magic.

What this entire discussion is really about is the belief that the fiction of whiteness is something one should aspire to. That belief is called white supremacy.

Advertisement

Let’s be clear: There is no immigration crisis in America.

Both sides of the political spectrum agree that there is a need for comprehensive immigration reform, but the immigration burden is lesser this year than it was last year. And it was lesser last year than the year before. The number of immigrants crossing the southern border is decreasing. Immigrants lower crime. Immigrants boost wages.

Advertisement

And though the entire crisis is a false apparition, the culture in which Brokaw and his ilk insist that the Hispanic population assimilate into is really whiteness. White supremacy is the assumption that speaking one language, the language of whiteness, is better than speaking two languages, like people in most countries in the civilized world.

White supremacy is being proud of the culture in Texas but having disdain for the country 20 miles south of it. White supremacy is finding a French accent sexy but a Mexican accent worthy of eradicating. White supremacy is recognizing that America ain’t shit but an elixir whose necessary ingredients are stolen land and kidnapped people, but believing that it is the pinch of white salt that gives the potion its powers.

Advertisement

But here’s the most interesting thing of all.

Every bit of data shows that white people are the least-assimilated group of people in this country. Most white people only have white friends. White people are more likely to only live around white people. White parents don’t want their children attending diverse schools.

Advertisement

Tom Brokaw doesn’t hate black people or Hispanics. I bet he likes fried chicken and eats burritos. He just wants more people like him. He is white, so instead of calling it “identity politics,” we call it “economic anxiety.” We call it “assimilation,” not “whitewashing.” Call it “political analysis.” Call it sage advice. Just don’t call Tom Brokaw racist because what he said was not racism. It was a different and more spectacular abracadabra...

White supremacy.

But then, I was a magic nerd. I’ve said it before:

There is no such thing as magic...

Just tricks.