Are You Guilty? Perspectives on Whiteness and Responsibility
It’s a complicated question. If you’re white, chances are you’ve been deemed guilty. However, it seems that simply being white isn’t the only factor anymore. If you believe in God, think that Christ saves sinners, or uphold traditional views on morality and marriage, your race feels almost secondary. You’re still considered guilty.
Guilty of what, exactly? You might find yourself blamed for historical injustices, current inequalities, and even potential future “crimes” that might be concocted by those who view race as a vehicle for blame. This narrative has been propagated by figures like Ibram X. Kendi and Robin DiAngelo, who have shaped the discourse around race, often to the tune of significant funding from educational institutions. At places like Arizona State University, where I teach, courses focus on the concept of whiteness, while discussions around settler colonialism are framed in a highly critical context.
It raises an interesting point: “You, Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer, are funding what some might call a never-ending cycle of conflict.” A new documentary, “White Guilt,” by Shelby Steele and his son Eli Steele, is slated to premiere this week at ASU. Shelby Steele, a senior fellow at Stanford University, has been a longstanding commentator on issues of race and affirmative action. In his 2006 book “White Sin,” Steele argued that racial moralism has evolved into a tool for gaining power rather than a means of achieving justice.
This film emerges at a time when more Americans are recognizing how the modern race dialogue is often steeped in manipulation and guilt.
Steele’s insights are deeply personal; he was once drawn to the black power movement, motivated by his upbringing in the civil rights era. However, he now sees that pandering to race doesn’t resolve anything; it often leads to corruption. At its core, using race to inflict blame is still a form of racism, regardless of who is claiming guilt or who is subjected to it.
Steele proposes a compelling shift in questioning: “What does it really mean to live as a free and responsible individual?” He emphasizes the importance of taking ownership of one’s choices. He wonders what life could look like when dignity is derived from personal agency rather than perpetual grievances. This moral outlook aligns more closely with classical American values, in stark contrast to the racial division fostered in parts of higher education.
Moreover, Steele challenges the notion that slavery represents America’s original sin. He argues that a more profound moral failing lies in weaponizing race to secure power over others, a tendency that Jim Crow laws merely adapted rather than abolished. Today, this mindset permeates educational institutions, where some educators may proclaim they’re combating racism while inadvertently teaching students to evaluate one another based on race and historical guilt.
The financial gains from this rhetoric have been significant.
Take Black Lives Matter for instance. After Michael Brown’s tragic death in Ferguson, BLM emerged as a moral brand for affluent liberals and corporate entities. Shelby and Eli Steele previously participated in a film titled “What Killed Michael Brown?” Their upcoming work delves into a crucial inquiry: “How has anti-racism language become such a profitable endeavor?”
The answer is rather straightforward. A significant segment of the left’s social justice agenda operates on a simple formula: fabricate allegations, divide people by race, offer absolution, and ultimately accumulate wealth, influence, and institutional power. It’s about selling moral panic and demanding redemption from well-meaning citizens.
To genuinely address racism, some insist you merely need to write a check or sign a pledge, all the while enduring seminars where individuals are told their silence indicates complicity.
This method is deceptively easy. It involves categorizing people, instilling hatred among groups, and attributing the world’s failings to one’s neighbors. The “solution” often comes from those who present themselves as benevolent fixers, all for a price. This approach has devastated poorer nations for generations; now, it has been imported into American life, disguised as a therapeutic solution.
Anyone who has engaged with a college classroom recognizes the routine. First, the professor presents the reality: injustice is rampant. The class agrees. Then comes the crucial directive: Want to know who’s at fault? Look among you. Identify the oppressor. Assign guilt. Silence must be maintained from some, while others are prompted to confess. This cycle repackages humiliation as a form of education.
And you, Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer, are footing the bill for yet another iteration of this cycle.
Rather than allow ourselves to be swept into a vortex of racial animosity and guilt, perhaps it’s time for Americans to retrieve ideals that uplift. Freedom is more than mere choice; it also encompasses responsibility. It’s about building a life through conscious choices and moral agency, rather than through grievances or tribal conflicts. Ultimately, regardless of how the world judges your existence, it remains yours. No purveyor of racial guilt can take that autonomy away.
The documentary “White Guilt” will debut on March 25 at 6 p.m. in ASU’s Bateman School of Physical Sciences Building F, Room 166.
