Gordon:
>> I think the way one would get White people to renounce
>> Whiteness would be show them that there was something better
>> than Whiteness. The only way I can think of doing this is
>> to go to the underlying class war, which I think resonates
>> and drives the construction of Whiteness.
Christopher B. Hajib-Niles:
> i don't think you mean that we can avoid racial
> discussions and go straight to 'class' but that there
> is a need to show the destructive link between whiteness
> and capitalism in order to develop new solidarities, yes?
> or no?
The only category of people I know of who exhibit a living rejection of the class war are marginal types like punk rockers, anarchists, Earth Firsters and the like. When I look at these people, among other things I notice an absence of racial and gender exclusion or preference. More than half of the groups I have observed are female, persons of Asian and African ancestry are in evidence. There is little internal structure, so there are few offices and privileges to compete for.
Nevertheless, they do not seem to be unaware of racial problems; two of NYC Food Not Bombs's regulars were arrested as a result of participating in the protests which resulted from the acquittal of Amadou Diallo's killers. I don't know how they theorized their presence; I've never asked, lest my cynicism, pessimism and decadence cloud the clear righteousness of their actions. But I keep my ears and eyes open. I think they're people from whom I can learn something even if I lack their courage and commitment.
So we have people who are attacking class in a fundamental way and this seems to result in an abjuration of or at least emergence from Whiteness. It's true they could still go to law school; I'm just talking about where they are _now_.
We also observe high-school kids who go around in what could be called racial drag. This might have some subversive effect.
By contrast the praxes of academics, mediasters, and liberal and radical politicos around race do not seem to accomplish anything, at least not beyond the requirements of liberalism (that is, we'll go on constructing race and Whiteness but we won't write laws or regulations about it, or if we do they'll be very fair). My conclusion is that attacking class and its productions -- in the street -- is what does anything. Of course my evidence is completely anecdotal and, as I say, very marginal. I still have little idea how to approach the huddled masses in the aisles of Wal-Mart.