Examining White Pride
The concept of white pride has long been a contentious topic, steeped in a history of societal power dynamics and racial inequality. For many, the question of why one cannot proclaim their white pride is a representation of the willful blindness to whiteness.
The idea of White pride may also bring about fears of a dangerous reinforcement of ethno-nationalistic identity. For others, there is the idea that pride in racial identity should be extended to whites and being woefully denied to them.
To truly understand white pride, we must analyze whiteness and delve deeply into its historical roots. We must examine the contemporary manifestations that fuel the existence of whiteness, and explore potential avenues for change. In this post, I will analyze white pride as a concept and shed light on the complexities surrounding whiteness and its impact on our society.
Why say ‘whiteness?’
The suffix “ness” is added to signify a state, condition, or quality. When we say Jewishness, we think of the essence of being Jewish; the characteristics that reveal one’s ethnicity. One’s Blackness is expressed in the way one wears their natural hair, the soul in their step.
Like other groups and cultures, when we discuss white-ness, we are referring to the state or condition of being white, the qualities unique to them that others see, positive and negative. Although being white is a social construct as much as any other social construct, it is very much something that has a life of its own and impact.
Whiteness has gone unquestioned and unexamined for so long that it stays invisible to the untrained eye. Discussing whiteness and white culture is often met with resistance. But ignoring the negative aspects of whiteness only serves to perpetuate systemic racism and the exclusion and marginalization of non-white individuals while allowing white people to maintain a sense of entitlement to silence.
The Origins of the White Identity
Understanding the past is crucial when discussing whiteness today. Some may resist acknowledging the historical violence and oppression of non-whites, particularly the oppression of Black and Indigenous people of color. However, it’s not as simple as overlooking its origins and negative aspects when considering concepts like white identity.
The past is relevant not because we will it out of some need to make white folks feel bad. It’s relevant because it is deeply rooted in a history of power dynamics and systemic privilege. These factors are the underlying cause of today’s sociopolitical and economic inequalities between whites and everyone else.
The concept of white identity was born out of historical processes that placed white individuals at the top of a racial hierarchy. This enabled compliance from lower-ranking whites and an elite that slept more soundly at night for it. This deeply entrenched system perpetuates racial disparities that exist to this day.
The past has significantly influenced present race, ethnicity, culture, and race dynamics. Without understanding what happened, we cannot fully comprehend our current situation. Recognizing and comprehending the historical roots of whiteness is necessary to address the systemic racism and inequality that persist today.
To read more about how the white identity here.
What is White Pride?
Some argue that having pride in the white race is about the preservation of cultural identity and heritage. While this may seem harmless on the surface, in the case of whiteness, it serves as a veil for perpetuating racial hierarchies and promoting exclusionary ideologies. We have yet to witness white individuals collectively celebrating their racial identity without supremacy and domination becoming part of the narrative.
While some might argue that it’s unfair for whites to face social consequences for expressing white pride, individuals outside this group shouldn’t be subjected to ideas promoting white superiority. Moreover, it’s certainly not fair for them to live under the constant threat of unjust laws disproportionately affecting them more than whites or worse, the lingering threat of genocide.
It is this sense of superiority and entitlement, often unacknowledged, that is a fundamental aspect of whiteness. This is not to say that every white individual consciously believes in their racial superiority, but rather, white supremacy has been so deeply ingrained in our society that it often goes unnoticed.
As we’ve seen time and time again, white identity is closely tied to notions of supremacy. It’s never long before it turns into talks of domination and exclusion. And it disregards the struggles and experiences of marginalized communities.
What About Black and Brown Pride?
One of the arguments used in defense of white pride is that Black pride (and brown or Asian pride) is socially acceptable. And if Black pride is acceptable, then white pride should be as well.
Black people didn’t get to pick how they got defined. Black was placed on them. Whether it’s negro, African American, or Black, these are terms that were chosen and used by Europeans to categorize the people of Africa and people with Afrocentric features due to prominent African ancestry.
African Americans lost all connection to their ethnic ancestry not just because of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Once here, the ruling bodies looked down on their cultural practices and forced assimilation into the English American culture. A new culture formed from this and grown on American soil.
The average African American has no cultural ties to Senegal, Cameroon, Congo, or Nigeria (to name a few). Even if they can rely on what DNA testing companies like 23andMe say about their ethnic ancestry, it’s impossible for African Americans as a collective to regain cultural fluency in any one or more of the many different African ethnicities they’re tied to through ancestry.
Being Black and American is based on the shared history and heritage of being Black and American. African Americans are an ethnic group. Choice, unfortunately, is not part of their story. Even in the present day, they are still subject to what the dominant group in the US says about them.
It is necessary for them to establish and express a sense of pride in both their heritage and phenotype in a world in which their identity and phenotype is heavily scrutinized and denigrated. So in essence, you cannot possibly compare ‘white pride’ and Black pride because they are two different things. To pretend otherwise is simply a ploy used to deny the role of White Supremacy in all of this.
What is Black, brown, and “yellow” pride?
Black, brown, and Asian or “yellow” pride are about being proud of your racial identity in spite of whiteness. Ideas of racial superiority are not part of their ethos.
Black, brown and, “yellow,” or Asian pride were born in response to Whiteness. That means the pride in one’s racial identity exists in spite of ideas of white racial superiority. Pride in one’s otherness is something racial and ethnic minorities throughout the West must develop.
Because the fact of the matter is that once we become racialized (and this occurs early on) we are met with notions of White Supremacy and our own racial inferiority as fact. We are then set out on a long journey of combatting those ideas and sometimes even succumbing to those ideas. To get to a place where we assert our racial identities and defend them is an arduous journey.
These forms of pride serve as a response to marginalization and systemic racism, a celebration of their resilience, and rich cultural heritage. They stand as a counter-narrative to the dominant narrative of white superiority.
Asking why others get to be proud of their racial identities but not white people is a question that is posed to deny the existence of White Supremacy. It also serves to suggest that the negative aspects of whiteness are universal traits. They are not.
Examining the ideology behind white pride
To fully grasp the concept of white pride, we must delve into the ideology that underlies it. At its core, white pride is rooted in the belief in the superiority of the white race. This ideology has its origins in the theories of scientific racism and eugenics, which were used to justify colonialism and the subjugation of non-white populations.
Today, White Supremacy manifests itself in various ways, from organized groups to more subtle forms of systemic racism and discrimination. It often operates under the guise of preserving cultural heritage, but in reality, it perpetuates a sense of entitlement and reinforces racial hierarchies.
I began asking random white people, “What makes you proud to be white?” When people did express feelings of pride in their racial identity, the reasons were the same. Those who proclaim white pride, in my experience, most often believe that white people have done more than any other race. And this gives individuals a sense of pride and empowerment, despite their own socioeconomics and intellectual abilities. This, of course, is White Supremacy. White Supremacy doesn’t always come packaged with swastikas and shaved heads; it lives amongst us yet stays invisible to the naked eye.
Internalized dominance
Domination is another component of whiteness. Internalized dominance is a condition found amongst white folks. It is often expressed in the belief that the white race should maintain power and control over others. We see it expressed in the fears of whites becoming a minority in the US and the resentment expressed more recently as POC become more visible in our media.
This belief system is deeply embedded in the societal structures and is perpetuated by the media, education, and other influential institutions. It is this dominance that fuels the narrative of white superiority and continues to marginalize and oppress non-white communities.
Because of this internalized dominance, we have another element that distinguishes white pride from Black, Asian/yellow, and brown pride.
Is pride in ethnicity equivalent to thinking yours is best?
No. Ask those who aren’t white what makes them proud of their racial or ethnic identity and you’ll hear responses which revolve around heritage and culture. I sometimes hear things that come close to ideas of supremacy like when Latinos insist “their women” are beautiful. However, what isn’t present is the idea that the women are the most beautiful or that being attractive is a trait exclusive to their own group.
What ultimately distinguishes white racial identity is that even well-intentioned white individuals may internalize the notion that white people are more attractive, advanced, and intelligent than others. The fact that not all white people are attractive or highly intelligent is of no relevance to those who have absorbed these ideas. This is a result of a long-standing societal narrative that upholds white beauty standards and intelligence as superior, marginalizing other racial groups in the process.
Competition and rugged individualism are aspects of white American culture. These two elements are some of the most notable and pronounced traits observed by outsiders. Like anyone else, white individuals may assume that everyone else thinks similarly and will conclude that the pride expressed amongst other groups are proclamations of their own supremacy and domination.
What we have as a result are white individuals who feel “persecuted,” which feeds into the racial resentment that is already there.
By articulating these differences and why they exist, we not only answer the question addressed in this post but white individuals can begin to reflect on these insights and enact change amongst themselves.
Development of the white racial identity
Psychologist Janet Helms developed a model of racial identity development for white Americans. This model suggests that white individuals undergo a process of developing a healthy white identity.
Helms’ model outlines six stages: Contact, Disintegration, Reintegration, Pseudo-independence, Immersion/Emersion, and Autonomy. The stages involve moving from a state of obliviousness about racism and privilege to a state of active opposition to racism. These stages are not linear and it’s possible to regress to earlier stages.
When I first began examining the stages of white racial identity development, I was looking at it as progression from racist to anti-racist. For example, in the final autonomy stage, individuals are able to engage in meaningful relationships with people from other cultures.
But upon further examination, I noticed that the ability to accept diversity and develop meaningful cross-cultural relationships coincided with developing a healthy perception of what it means to be white. In fact, the Pseudo-Independence Stage, the individual begins to seek out relationships with other white people who are also actively confronting their own biases and ideas about race.
What I draw from this model is that in earlier stages, white individuals are unlikely to be comfortable with their identity as a white person. This mindset can be seen in how often we see those who express resentment over their inability to express their white pride also express racist ideas and victim blame.
To make progress, white individuals must commit to racial introspection and actively challenge the systemic racism that benefits them. With this understanding, they can build a sense of pride that is rooted in empathy, respect, and justice, rather than superiority and dominance.
Until this happens, white individuals are doomed to a life of harboring resentment and defending their identity through the lens of denial; failing to live comfortably in a society with an ever-changing racial landscape.
Do white people deserve to feel proud?
In reality, white people can celebrate their ethnic ancestry without upsetting others. There are many organizations throughout the US, such as heritage centers, associations, and schools that encourage the exploration and celebration of individual ethnic heritages within the white community.
Only time will tell if whiteness can transcend its racist tendencies. When we see acknowledgment of history, culture, and personal identity without invoking notions of racial superiority, only then can we assert that changes have occurred and white racial identity has become a positive force. Or at the very least, non-threatening.
In all these centuries since European Imperialism, the same ways of thinking and viewing the races exist today. This is not about what white people deserve, it’s about what has not been earned. Trust must be earned. Respect must be earned.
Until then, white individuals can embrace their ethnic ancestry and ethnic identities freely. It is with an earnest hope that leaning into European ethnic ancestry or the white American identity can be done without reinforcing racial hierarchies or promoting supremacy.
With time and truthful dialogues, we can foster racial understanding and work towards a society where racial identity is not a source of division but a celebration of diversity.
