theory

I just posted this reply in Reddit, and I’d love for some other communists, and possibly some BIPOC comrades to let me know if I’m off base or what I need more understanding of.

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The designated racial categories that Europeans came up with during the colonial era obviously don’t exist in reality. Biologically, it’s just completely wrong, there’s more genetic diversity within those designated groups than there is between them.

That being said, these categories still carry tremendous sociological weight, no matter how scientifically invalid, so it’s worth analyzing them in that regard. In this light, we can observe that all “races” besides “white,” were designated as such in order to justify and legitimize the project of colonialism. So even though “black” isn’t a valid biological category, for instance, people designated black by the bourgeoise-colonial ruling class have a shared history and experience that reifies the category, making something like anti-racism or black power movements coherent and legitimate sociological formations, even though the category’s origin is a total fabrication.

Taking this one step further, the category of “white” is just as bullshit as the other races, but this one was not imposed on a group by power, it is the group the ruling class considers itself to be, self designated. So, just like the other groups, the category only exists sociologically, but the shares experience and history isn’t one of oppression and struggle, but rather a history of BEING THE OPPRESSOR. Literally, the only thing “white” designates is superiority to every other race, which was the purpose of the invention of the category, to justify settler colonialism and imperialism. Therefore, it is my conclusion that you can be racist toward “white people,” and it’s cool and good to do so.

Ok ok, let me caveat that last sentence, lol. Most people don’t think of race in these terms, and it’s obviously possible for a totally innocent individual designated “white” to be targeted and victimized for that reason by others who understand race as an essential category. The way in like to put it is taken from Adolph Reed Jr, the University of Pennsylvania professor, “Racism is believing that races exist.” White supremacy is the default form of this, since justifying European colonialism is the origin of the “races,” but if you believe in these categories, you can still be racist no matter in which direction your hate is flowing. However, if you understand the races as strictly sociological fictions, hating the concept of whiteness is honestly unavoidable.

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Thanks in advance for any feedback, comrades!