Poor Little White Boy Fights The Power

[Nichlemn]

His essay touched a nerve.

Good. Who writes like that?! I've talked to traditionalist Catholic Chesterton fanboys with less overwrought ears for English prose.

I read the essay with comments like this in mind, and really there's nothing overwrought about it. The quotation in the NY Times article gives a misleading impression.

As for the topic at hand, "check your privilege" is a pretty stupid phrase in most of the contexts it is used. There's nothing wrong with evaluating what privilege you may have and how that might affect your worldview, but as the core of a response to someone expressing a viewpoint, it's not a reasonable argument unless the other's persons argument specifically appeals to their own experiences. Otherwise, it's borderline ad hominem - "Oh, you just don't get it because you're X".

[Nichlemn]

Are we supposed to find those tweets offensive?

Yes? Well the first one less so; that's just funny because he's one of the stereotypical "not letting white people use the n-word is the real racism" idiots.

Anyone who says "n" is a racist, regardless of their race.

Are you a racist for saying it here?

Obviously not, you're using it for a meta-reference. It's kind of similar when blacks use the word. It's not generally intended to be demeaning, when it so often is when used by white people. That's not to say blacks have some kind of exclusive "n-word privileges", it would depend on the context. If a rich black businessman said something like "there are too many ns working for me", he'd probably get in almost as much trouble than if he were white, because in that context it would imply a degree of contempt similar to its historical usage.

[Nichlemn]

Are we supposed to find those tweets offensive?

Yes? Well the first one less so; that's just funny because he's one of the stereotypical "not letting white people use the n-word is the real racism" idiots.

Anyone who says "n" is a racist, regardless of their race.

Are you a racist for saying it here?

Obviously not, you're using it for a meta-reference. It's kind of similar when blacks use the word. It's not generally intended to be demeaning, when it so often is when used by white people. That's not to say blacks have some kind of exclusive "n-word privileges", it would depend on the context. If a rich black businessman said something like "there are too many ns working for me", he'd probably get in almost as much trouble than if he were white, because in that context it would imply a degree of contempt similar to its historical usage.

What, that makes no sense. I'm not calling anyone it. I'm just listing it. It's demeaning to many, an instance of the "ghetto mentality" that holds black people back in this country. Context is irrelevant. It's a word no one should use. It's self-internalised racism, the colonisation of the mind at work! If Oleseun goes to school, does his homework, gets a good college degree, he is somehow no better than the "n----r" who dropped out and is a bum because they are still black? See, this is colonial logic at work! The self-internalised racism, that it is not the black man's place to be educated, to be well spoken, to be working in a good job! Those things are not "black", you see! Success=white! Do you see it, the colonisation of the mind at work?

The solution to the "problem" of "white privilege" is to extend this privilege to all, not to deprive others of it.

The idea behind black usage of the word is to "reclaim" it, to rob it of its oppressive context. That doesn't mean that blacks can't use it in a demeaning way, which is bad, yes.