I read two interesting articles about whitelash in the NYT two weeks ago. One of them addressed a resolution about welcoming people of all races in a Wisconsin town; the other was about a black farmer who receives money from a federal program supporting minorities in a rural community. In the first article, the town was preparing to vote down the resolution, because the white residents considered any suggestion that the community was racist to be a form of racism; in the second, white farmers were grumbling about the unfairness of funds targeted for minorities.
How do we deal with these attitudes? Don’t bother talking about slavery, because it is too remote, and the distant relatives of slave owners don’t feel any responsibility. Don’t talk about white privilege, because most white people struggle to get by, and don’t feel privileged. Talk about the issues experienced by black people as problems to be solved, not guilt to be expunged. In other words, social potholes that need to be filled in the normal course of business.