Why Individualism Fails as an Excuse for White Supremacy
And Why It’s Maladaptive
The idea that we're all completely independent actors, free from history or systems, is baked into American culture. Think of the "self-made man" myth or the way we're taught that hard work alone decides success. But this hyper-individualism becomes dangerous when white Americans use it to avoid facing how white supremacy works—not just through personal prejudice, but through laws, money, and power.
How Individualism Lets Us Off the Hook
After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, many white Americans responded with some version of: "I'm not racist, so this isn't about me." But this misses the point. White supremacy isn't just about what's in people's hearts, it's in things like:
Housing: Until 1968, redlining (government-backed discrimination in home loans) locked Black families out of homeownership, creating today's racial wealth gap.
Education: Schools in poor, non-white districts still get less funding in many states, a direct result of systemic choices, not individual ones.
Criminal Justice: Studies show Black drivers are pulled over more often than white ones, even though they're less likely to have contraband.
These aren't random accidents. They're patterns built into how America works. When we say, "I didn't do any of that," we're pretending these systems don't still shape lives today.
Why Denial Backfires
At first, distancing yourself from racism might feel easier. But it actually makes things worse, for everyone.
It Traps Us in Denial
Research like Robin DiAngelo's work on white fragility shows that when white people are confronted with racism, they often shut down, not because they're bad people, but because individualism trains us to see any criticism as a personal attack. This makes real conversations about race nearly impossible.
It Breaks Trust
Imagine telling a friend about a racist experience, only to hear, "Well, I don't see color." That response, meant to sound neutral, actually dismisses their reality. Sociologist Eduardo Bonilla-Silva calls this "colorblind racism," where avoiding race talk ends up maintaining inequality.
It Blocks Progress
The GI Bill after WWII helped white veterans buy homes and go to college, while Black veterans were often excluded. Today, that created generations of unequal wealth. But if we say, "That was then, I had nothing to do with it," we ignore how those advantages and disadvantages still play out.
It Keeps Us Stuck
During the Civil Rights Movement, many white moderates said they agreed with equality "in theory" but criticized protests as "too disruptive." Martin Luther King Jr. called this the "white moderate's" failure, preferring order over justice. The same pattern repeats today when people focus on being "not racist" instead of actively opposing racism.
A Better Way: From Guilt to Responsibility
The alternative isn't guilt, it's responsibility. For example:
Housing: Supporting policies like affordable housing in well-funded school districts, since where you live still shapes opportunity.
Work: Backing programs that train and hire marginalized workers, because "just work hard" doesn't fix hiring biases.
Daily Life: Calling out racist "jokes" instead of staying silent to keep the peace.
Individualism might feel safe, but it's a lonely, stagnant way to live. Letting go of it doesn't mean blaming ourselves for history, but being part of fixing what's still broken.
Whiteness Isn’t Monolithic
While systemic racism disproportionately harms Black and Indigenous communities, class and ethnicity also shape privilege. Poor European Americans have been pitted against people of color (e.g., "welfare queen" rhetoric), while white-passing groups (e.g., Jewish, Arab, or Latino Americans) may face discrimination despite perceived "whiteness."
The Myth of the "Self-Made Man"
Individualism isn’t just a liberal or conservative issue, it’s a national blind spot. Even some libertarians critique corporate welfare while ignoring how systemic racism benefits wealthy whites. The truth? No one succeeds purely on merit public infrastructure, inherited wealth, and policy choices shape every American’s trajectory.
Reparations Are About Repair, Not Guilt
When reparations are dismissed with "I didn’t own slaves," the focus shifts from ongoing harm (e.g., stolen land, discriminatory lending) to personal innocence. Programs like Evanston, IL’s housing reparations show how repair can happen locally without blanket guilt.
Success Stories Show Change Is Possible
Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-56): Collective action dismantled segregation in public transit.
Recent Reforms: Cities like Camden, NJ, rebuilt their police department with community oversight, reducing violence.
Systemic change requires systemic thinking. These resources help bridge the gap between "I’m not racist" and "I’m actively anti-racist."
Books
1. "White Fragility" by Robin DiAngelo: Explores why white people struggle to talk about racism and how individualism shields”
Books
1. "White Fragility" by Robin DiAngelo: Explores why white people struggle to talk about racism and how individualism shields systemic complicity.
2. "The Color of Law" by Richard Rothstein: Details how government policies (like redlining) created racial segregation and wealth gaps.
3. "How to Be an Antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi: Challenges the myth of neutrality and reframes racism as a structural issue.
4. "Racism Without Racists" by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva: Examines "colorblind" rhetoric and how it sustains inequality.
5. "The Sum of Us" by Heather McGhee: Shows how racism harms everyone, including white Americans, by undermining public goods.
Articles & Essays
6. "The Case for Reparations" by Ta-Nehisi Coates (The Atlantic): Traces housing discrimination’s role in racial wealth disparities.
7. "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" by Peggy McIntosh: A foundational essay on systemic advantages.
8. "MLK’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’: Critiques white moderates who prioritize comfort over justice.
Videos & Documentaries
9. "13th" (Netflix): Explores the racial bias in the U.S. prison system.
10. "Segregated by Design" (YouTube): Animated short on redlining’s lasting effects.
11. "The Myth of Individualism" (The Atlantic/PBS): Debunks the "self-made" narrative.
Podcasts
12. "Seeing White" (Scene on Radio): A deep dive into whiteness and systemic racism.
13. "Code Switch" (NPR): Covers race, identity, and systemic inequities.
Organizations & Tools
14. PolicyLink: Advocates for equitable housing, education, and economic policies.
15. Color of Change: Campaigns against racial injustice in media, policing, and politics.
16. The Racial Equity Institute: Workshops on systemic racism’s structural roots.
Action Steps
17. Audit Your Local Policies: Research school funding, zoning laws, and policing in your area.
18. Support Reparations Initiatives: Explore local/state efforts (e.g., Evanston, IL’s housing reparations).
19. Practice Call-In Culture: Use resources like "Calling In vs. Calling Out" by Loretta Ross to address bias constructively.
