Before racism

Banned Histories of Race in America

“If you go far enough back, everything was racist.”

I hear this all the time and I think many people really believe it. This idea normalizes racism, makes it seem inevitable, and gives white supremacy ownership over the concept of time. And, of course, it leaves out that, if you go just a little further back, that racism isn’t there. It’s a little like believing you’re immortal because you haven’t died before. It’s a sampling problem.