What White People Like

I was born and grew up in the U.S. Half my ancestors were forcibly brought here as African slaves. My remaining ancestors were indigenous people living here when the colonists arrived. In all my 50-plus years, I’ve been extremely happy not to be white. (The concept of “white” is a social, not a racial, construct, but that’s a conversation for later.)

My joy in not being white has acquired new energy lately due to a bizarre trend that I’ve noticed: The frequency that I overhear conversations, among whites, regarding their properties’ “amenities.” They loudly and with great detail boast about their houses as financial assets rather than homes.

News flash, white people: You have these “assets” because your ancestors exploited mine through genocide, enslavement and theft. And, if you’re a white person whose ancestors weren’t the actual “ring leaders,” you rode their coattails and also benefited by condition of white skin.

It’s usually Baby Boomer progressives having these money-oriented, egocentric dialogues. It’s revealing that these people are so identified with the materialism of their structures. And their boastful tones infer that they equate their property’s market value with their own worth. It reinforces the soulless, empty reality of being white.

Ramona Wise

Eugene