http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-rather/waterm…
Dear Dan Rather,
I just finished reading your letter on Huff Po. I won’t call it an apology because it wasn’t. It was, like we’ve come to expect as people of color, a defense as to why you are not racist. You talk and talk about your work, all the good you have done, blah blah blah, but in the end dismiss your misspeak. We got it wrong, not you eh?
Now I’m not going to sit here typing and pretend that this show of racism (in the original Chris Matthew’s “watermelon” line) kept me up at night feeling attacked. Obviously on that level it was not a hate crime. It was, however, a show of how embedded and deep seated the divide is between whites and everyone else, and that is a manifestation of racism. I’m Latina, and pissed as hell at you for your racist apology, not the error in choosing expressions.
Your expression of white privilege (stemming from a system of RACISM in our country,) expressed itself without ONE THOUGHT to how your colloquial expression would affect Black people (that’s racism.) White privilege is expressed by assuming all people are just like you (that’s racism)… but ya see, Dan Rather, Black people have a different history. Fried chicken and watermelon are metaphors used to essentialize them as “simple” and “savage” people (but realize that through this they were treated as animals, not people. That’s racism, too.) By using these images regular people were enforcing how different Black people were to whites… creating distance… facilitating abuse… perpetuating of the cycle of asserting the supremacy of whites over Blacks. (Racism.) When you use THAT expression, you invoke that legacy (of racism.) You don’t think white supremacists aren’t laughing at your joke? That’s the point. You weren’t thinking and THAT is racist.
Lastly, I don’t want you to believe for a moment that what I am asking for you do is censor yourself. Nope. I want you to THINK ABOUT the power you have. (First tool in anti-racism: THINK.) This is an opportunity to link a real opportunity to learn something and share that lesson with the world (of white people) who still don’t understand how there is a different history in this country for different people. (Second tool of anti-racism: EDUCATE.)The one you see on TV (Chris Matthews… your words…) is YOUR history, not ours because you removed us from consideration or thought.
Your willingness to silence (through that ridiculous explanation on Huff Po) the emerging need to speak truth is basic racism. History is expressed through us and, as a news anchor, you know the role you play in that. Own it. (Third anti-racism tool: Own it.) What you said was racist. Doing racist things is not something that is dependent on your intention to be racist. (Fourth tool: separate your analysis of racism from your the spirit of your intention.)
