“You must be a tool for the white man if you believe anything in this country isn’t about race!” “You’re just another useless Uncle Tom when it comes to the plight of Black people.” Yes, lately I’ve had these comments and worse directed towards me on social media as my perspective isn’t always black and white and tensions between those who oppose any explanation except the one of race, begins to rise. The kumbaya vibes are being replaced with a very standoffish, aggressive mantra; “This shit ain’t working…Fuck DEI, it’s dead!”
If you’re not filled with enough rage and screaming about white supremacy 24/7, “You’re not Black enough and you’re not fighting hard enough.” Suddenly you can’t be pro-Black and you sure as hell can’t be a real activist if your message on social media isn’t filled with anger, blame and hate. Most days I’m sitting here shaking my head at some of the fake and misdirected outrage I’m seeing. I swear this world sometimes feels like a sordid entanglement worse than that of August Alsina and Jada Pinkett Smith.
In the digital age, the spread of misinformation is horrific and trolling has increased, which has widened the division among everyday people. With many claiming to be anti-racists and DEI experts, I’m discovering that most are frauds, while a few are good people with good intentions, but are frustrated, misunderstood and mis-educated. Unfortunately, division in western society has been built on the social construct of race, leading many to believe that the oppression of Blacks in American is one dimensional and only about the color of our skin. What we are failing to realizing is this is a feint- a maneuver designed to distract us from the real problem.
“You can’t have capitalism without racism!” – Malcolm X
Unfortunately, race is only one element of oppression, a mechanism used to support the real issue, capitalism. Robin D.G. Kelley, history professor at UCLA and the author of Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination, shares that race is not the root of oppression as we’ve been taught to believe over the years. Instead, capitalism is the real villain and the source of our oppression. In order for capitalism to work effectively there must be some type of division or differentiation and this is where race enters the picture. Race draws a clear line in the sand, which then makes room for a second element called classism- the prejudice against or in favor of people belonging to a particular social class. These differences help shape the structure of division which is needed to sustain the capitalist machine.
“Classism is the systemic oppression of subordinate class groups to advantage and strengthen the dominant class groups. It is the systematic assignment of characteristics of worth and ability based on social class.” – Class Action
Capitalism only works when something of value is being kept away from certain groups of people. For Blacks, some of these valuables consist of economic freedom, equality and inclusion, which have been stripped away by the inhumane acts of slavery, the Homestead Act of 1862, Jim Crow laws, redlining, voter suppression, medical apartheid, unequal wages, drugs, crime, and police brutality. Throughout the years, these events in history and unfair treatments have led us to believe our suffering is only about race, when it’s really so much more.
Equality and inclusion are valuable to Blacks because if obtained, our quality of life will improve drastically, making us less dependent on capitalist structures and harder for systemic and institutional racism to exist. If we are able to receive promotions and living wages, this allows us to buy homes and property in higher value neighborhoods with school districts that are better funded because of the distribution of tax dollars. If we are able to tap into the high value of property and obtain a quality education for our children, this gives us an advantage when it comes to creating generational wealth that can be passed down and finally remove us from this ongoing state of oppression. Unfortunately, that goes against the fundamental beliefs of capitalism which this country was built on.
Race creates the barrier and classism the division which makes equality and inclusion damn near impossible to obtain and keeps us spinning like hamsters on a wheel. When we think about it, race in the context of capitalism has no tangible value. It is just one of many variants used by the wealthy to keep one of many groups from obtaining that which has value and in a constant state of trying to achieve value.
So how do we stop the division and begin to focus on the root of the problem? First, we need to understand the structure of capitalism and that everyone who does not have wealth and power are pawns – and that includes non-Black people too. Secondly, we need to comprehend that when we exclude others based on race, it doesn’t help any of us if we are not currently benefiting from capitalism. The idea that “Black people need to just be for Black people,” and not allow for allyship or solidarity will only continue to set us back and continue to fuel the division that capitalism needs to survive (Kelley, 2021). Lastly, we have to see past the distractions. It isn’t always going to be about race. Most of the time it’s about money and power- those that have, keeping the have not’s out.
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Dr. Carey Yazeed is a behavioral scientist who specializes in psychological safety in the workplace. In addition to being a sought after speaker, she is also the author of Shut’em Down: Black Women, Racism, and Corporate America, Everyday Struggle: How Toxic Workplaces Impact Black Women (both were bestsellers on Amazon in the category of business conflict), and Unbreak My Soul: How Black Women Can Begin To Heal From Workplace Trauma. Dr. Yazeed is currently available for media interviews and to facilitate corporate trainings. Click here to learn more.
