Author Archives: Tim Wise

We don’t need nice, we need justice: racism and the moral blindness of white America

This past week, Chris Rock noted in an interview that in his estimation, America is producing the nicest white people in its history. Continue reading

Most white people in America are completely oblivious

I suppose there is no longer much point in debating the facts surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown. First, because Officer Darren Wilson has been cleared by a grand jury, and even the collective brilliance of a thousand bloggers pointing out the glaring inconsistencies in his version of events that August day won’t result in a different outcome. And second, because Wilson’s guilt or innocence was always somewhat secondary to the larger issue: namely, the issue of this gigantic national inkblot staring us in the face, and what we see when we look at it—and more to the point, why? Continue reading

Of children and inkblots: Trayvon Martin and the psychopathology of whiteness

Write this down if you need to. Continue reading

Playing the friendship card: White lies, white denial and the reality of racism

I swear, if I hear one more transparently racist person insist they aren’t racist because they have black friends, I am going to shoot them. But not because I’m violent. I’m not violent. And this I know because I have friends who are pacifists. Continue reading