Activism of Convenience
/The Confederate Flag, White Privilege, and Social Justice
Source: CNN.com
The Confederate battle flag has become increasingly unpopular after the racially motivated shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, which left nine members of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church dead. The Confederate flag was hardly the only racist symbol the killer embraced, but the flag has become the primary target of public outrage since the attack. As an English major and composition instructor, I am very familiar with the power language and symbols wield. Their power is real and often insidious. Identifying the Confederate battle flag as a symbol of hate and racism is important, and I am appreciative that we are having this conversation, but I believe that in many cases the backlash against the flag has been activism of convenience.
The Confederate flag is certainly cherished by many people, but they constitute a subculture. The majority of Americans and dominant American society have no substantial attachment to the flag, so removing the flag from statehouses or store shelves requires little sacrifice. It is among the least controversial steps a public figure or company could take to combat racism. Again, it is not a meaningless gesture, and some have certainly gone to greater lengths than others to enact change. But this activism of convenience is illustrated well in a quote from Annin Flagmakers: America’s oldest existing manufacturer of flags. As paraphrased in an article on NJ.com, “The Confederate flag represents only a small portion of the company's business.” Some financial and PR risks are likely involved in making such a decision, but most American companies and citizens have very little stake in the future of the Confederate flag.
When we take on social justice issues on the basis of convenience and focus our energies on the lowest stake issues, we can still enact change, but it is less powerful than taking on root causes. There has been no shortage of finger-pointing and social-media activism playing out on online:
A Facebook exchange with the governor of South Carolina (Source)
While posts like this one touch on more uncomfortable truths than taking down flags, laying blame along ideological lines offers another escape from responsibility. I am not speaking in favor of white guilt, self-loathing, or censorship, but I do feel we need to have an honest, critical dialogue that does not end at a flag. I believe there is a productive middle ground between white guilt and avoiding responsibility for systemic oppression in our country, and the overemphasis on the Confederate flag risks distracting us from more meaningful and uncomfortable work.
White supremacy was constructed by white people. It was designed and perpetuated for their benefit. As such, it should be the responsibility of white people to confront it. Even those of us who have never remotely supported any white supremacist organization have at least a responsibility to speak against overtly racist sentiments, particularly when we encounter them directly. However, if you’re like me, you’re unlikely to run into or consort with the blatant, old-fashioned white supremacy perpetuated by people like Dylan Roof, but you may regularly benefit from white privilege, which helps keep systemic oppression both alive and silent.
Dr. Robin DiAngelo uses the term “white fragility” to describe the discomfort and resistance many feel when discussing white privilege (you can find her full article here). Discussing white privilege, particularly when it comes from a person of color, can feel like an attack. After all, I did have to do a lot of hard work to be where I am today, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have help and advantageous conditions in which to do that work. But this is exactly why our country’s dominant discourse and media should not let this discussion end with how we should react to the Confederate flag. Those in positions of power and privilege – whether politicians, prominent media figures, or those who enjoy more small-scale privilege – are particularly qualified to contribute to meaningful discussion on systemic racism. As a white male, I can make my discussion of these issues less of an attack when I am willing to acknowledge my privilege without discrediting the work I’ve also needed to do throughout my life. As a white male, I get to talk about white privilege in terms of “we”: I’m in this uncomfortable position with you; I know it can feel demeaning to acknowledge our own privilege. But I also know we can be self-critical and take responsibility for the system that supports us without throwing ourselves into a spiral of self-loathing.
Language and icons are powerful, and flags are among the most pervasive and powerful symbols. We need to confront these symbols, particularly when they are embraced as part of such a high-profile act of violence. However, we cannot let this discussion end there; we cannot practice only activism of convenience. The popularity of the Confederate flag is a symptom of a larger system and we must treat it as such. It is our duty to critically examine forces like revisionist history (in its many forms) and the double standard that treats acts committed by white criminals as lone-wolf anomalies while treating criminals of color (or even victims) and indicative of problems that define an entire group of people. These critical discussions will be controversial and uncomfortable, but if we mean to enact change and justice, these inconvenient actions are necessary.
Works Consulted
DiAngelo, Robin. “White Fragility.” International Journal of Critical Pedagogy 3.3 (2011): 54-70. University of North Carolina Greensboro. Web. 4 July 2015.
---. “Why It’s so Hard to Talk to White People About Racism.” Huffington Post, 30 April 2015. Web. 4 July 2015.
Feinberg, Ashley. “White Men Wave Their Butts in the Air for the Confederacy.” Gawker, 30 June 2015. Web. 4 July 2015.
Haley, Nikki. “Facebook post.” Facebook, 17 June 2015. Web. 4 July 2015.
Holley, Peter and DeNeel L. Brown. “Woman Takes Down Confederate Flag in Front of South Carolina Statehouse.” Washington Post, 27 June 2015. Web. 4 July 2015.
Loewen, James W. "Why Do People Believe Myths about the Confederacy? Because Our Textbooks and Monuments are Wrong." Washington Post, 1 July 2015. Web. 4 July 2015.
Marzanec, Pam. "Facebook comment." Facebook, 27 Sept 2014. Web. 4 July 2015.
O’Brien, Kathleen. “N.J. Flagmaker Halts Production of the Confederate Flag.” NJ.com, 23 June 2015. Web. 4 July 2015.
Schmidt, Michael S. “Charleston Suspect Was in Contact with Supremacists, Officials Say.” New York Times, 3 July 2015. Web. 4 July 2015.
Tumulty, Karen and Lyndsey Layton. “Changes in AP History Trigger a Culture Class in Colorado.” Washington Post, 5 October 2014. Web. 4 July 2015.
Wing, Nick. “When the Media Treats White Suspects and Killers Better than Black Victims.” Huffington Post, 14 August 2014. Web. 4 July 2015.
