Leo Felton

[Josh]

I think the case of Leo Felton reveals more about What a White person is than anything a White person has ever said to me. Specifically how FUNCTION drives the process of racial classification.

At one point Leo Felton (a self described White supremacist with a Black "father") was walking around passing off counterfit $20 bills to fund his racist activities.

Now take a moment to think about the mechanics of form and function.
They may look like $20 dollar bills but the real test comes when he tries to buy a pack of gum with it and get $19.50 in "good money" as change.

In other words, can he pull it off?

Will the money Leo Felton printed on his computer be accepted as "real money".

In many ways his life is a metaphor of this same scenario.


Can he "pull it off?"

Can he function as a White person?


If so,

What are the mechanics?

Josh



http://www.whiteprivilege.com/archives/2003/05/27/the_strange_story_of_leo_felton#002093

[cloudsong]

The psychological baggage of living one's life as a counterfeit twenty dollar bill so to speak as the price of "passing", must be awfully great.

I bet racist whites resent 'passing' because they don't like to think they've been fooled!

Other whites care less who someone says he is or wants to be -- (non-racist whites, obviously).

And all of us are so mixed - I still wonder how/why I'm now 'white' when my maternal great grandmother looked pure Native American. Am I "passing" in some way, I don't know. I find I wish to "pass" for a black person in so many situations in life where I feel rejected by black people. Lately a lot of white people seem to be wishing for more acceptance among black people.

At a lecture I attended on Malcolm X I said, re separatism, "we want you to like us." The author said, "it's not that we don't like you, don't take it personally". I found myself sitting there listening to the lecture feeling so angry that anyone black would want in any way to be separate from us non-racist whites. I was very self-oriented, not seeing it from his perspective that, why should he want to be around us or have us around?

But I found myself wishing I could pass as black. Sounds stupid, I know, but a longing to be accepted in that group and other groups of all black people. Even the little boy there gave everyone a bite of his apple except me?!

cloudsong

[Edward Williams]

cloudsong,

Another story?
_________________
What is the reason YOU were born into a SYSTEM of INJUSTICE if not to replace it with a SYSTEM of JUSTICE?

[cloudsong]

I do not understand why this post of my sharing my feelings as white person, in a situation with a black person, is not helpful information, but I will respect your wishes and not post further stories.

cloudsong

[Edward Williams]

[Dan Freeman]

[cloudsong]

Smallz, the answer to your question is:

By countering white supremacy at every possible moment. Because each moment we don't counter it, we are passive participants in it, just by being white and not working against it.

That's how we fit into the picture.

I'm really sorry I sound cold to you. I'm certainly not a perfect person and I may sound cold or hard here, if so I apologize sincerely Smallz. Can you tell me how I could improve? I sense my philosophy doesn't fit in here. I agree with much but disagree with much. But anyway, I guess I agree with you on this, that racist suspect is maybe a better term than non-racist whites. But it just makes me feel so defensive all the time. But as I white person, that's perhaps how I should feel, but what I want to feel is connecting, love, mutual respect, mutual problem solving... can you feel those things too, and feel you're a suspect too, I guess you can. Also there's so much that black people can help white people with.
cloudsong

[Edward Williams]

A white person that is not a white supremacist (racist), in a SYSTEM of white supremacy (racism), is not able to be a white supremacist (racist)...such as a white person in a coma, a dead white person, a new born white baby, a senile white person, etc.

A white person that does not practice white supremacy (racism), in a SYSTEM of white supremacy (racism), may not be a racist suspect to a white person, but if a non-white person wants to take a logical approach to countering racism (white supremacy), any white person that is able to practice white supremacy (racism), in a SYSTEM of white supremacy (racism), is a racist suspect.

This is the reason YOU, cloudsong, are a racist suspect. It appears you are trying to convince some non-white people that white people, in a SYSTEM of white supremacy (racism), can not be white supremacists (racists), while at the same time, non-white people are being mistreated on the basis of color.

If you want to replace white supremacy (racism) with justice cloudsong, you stop practicing white supremacy (racism) and just stop white people from practicing white supremacy (racism). You don't need to talk to non-white people to do that.
_________________
What is the reason YOU were born into a SYSTEM of INJUSTICE if not to replace it with a SYSTEM of JUSTICE?

[cloudsong]

My thoughts in reply ( may be incorrect, I can only be honest in my thinking and if I'm incorrect, hope that you change my thinking):

I did say to Smallz that I do agree that "racist suspect" may be a better term than "non-racist whites". Also, other places on your forum I have said that I accept being a racist suspect.

I have used both terms," racist suspect", and "non-racist white", for myself, but in this post I will acknowledge that from now on on this forum I will only use "racist suspect".

Second thought - I disagree that talking with non-white people isn't constructive in fighting WS/R (if you are implying that it isn't constructive, by saying you don't need to talk to non-white people). I don't NEED to talk to non-white people, but doing so is helpful and constructive -- and it is natural and promotes love and human connection. I agree that it is even more important to counter racism myself, and to talk to other white people about countering WS/R, and stop them from practicing WS/R. cloudsong

[cloudsong]

p.s. The reason I am willing to change the term about myself from "non-racist white" to "racist suspect" is because I have followed your logic that a white person who is not a white supremacist, has to be working to counter WS/R every minute, else he is passively going along with it.

So for all the minutes which I am not actively working to counter white supremay and racism, in those minutes I cannot call myself a non-racist white, by the logic.

However, in my heart, I am non-racist and will always be non-racist. I just have to more greatly work against WS/R and get my body out of bed more to do countering actions, even more.

cloudsong

[cloudsong]

V-God, this is probably the most important question I will ask you and I should have asked it before -- I need to know if one part of your philsophy here is so completely opposite to mine, because if it is I will realize this isn't the forum for me.

My philosophy is to get white and non-white people together, in addition to everything else white people need to do to counter WS/R. My question for you is, do you believe in separatism between white and non-white people? Do you believe in all of us spending time together, talking together?

Your answer to that will tell me if your philosophy, while I agree with much of it, is something I want to participate in, or is something I should recommend to other white people, white people who share my philosophy of getting all people together to talk and dialogue, as well as fighting white supremacy on our own as well.

I need that information to make a judgment about the appropriateness of my participation here, if you are willing to provide that clarification. cloudsong

[cloudsong]

This is the most important reason I feel we need to get together -- as a white person, alarm bells go off in my head at certain things...

I need to share them. Liike, this new idea to have historically black colleges help in Haiti, in rebuilding...

That could be good, but I think of all the ways it could be a TRAP for black people... I know that many black people think of those ways too, but I as a white person can bring a level of suspiciousness and insight too.

If we aren't together, and aren't communicating together, that won't happen as easily, for white people to warn black people of traps etc.. If I'm not on this forum, and if I'm not in contact with black people, how can I warn them of things?

AND, if we ARE in contact, are you saying, "well just warn us of things but don't try to be our friends?" That doesn't get a very good response from me because it's like using one part of us, then throwing us away.

cloudsong

[James Jones]

Cloudsong (IN AS FEW WORDS AS POSSIBLE),

1. How far should a Non-White person be from a White person to insure that mistreatment does not occur.

2. How close should a Non-White person be to a White person to insure that they will recieve the most help for any help that is needed?

[cloudsong]

[James Jones]