I just want people to own up that there is bigotry and hatred from all races, and it will not stop until everyone starts thinking of themselves as people and not colors. There shouldn't be any kind of racial pride. I think it's fine to be proud of your heritage, but my heritage involves countries. It doesn't need to involve the color of my skin. Just as any black person can be proud of being British or any white person can be proud of being African. I just don't think this will stop until we stop looking at people as colors. Period. All of them. Across the board. If all the best students are Asian, then let in all the Asians who apply. Period.
There are a couple differences between someone of British heritage and that of one who comes from a people who has experienced extreme racism.
1) I am Jewish. I do not have a country of heritage. We have been kicked out of nation after nation, enslaved, killed, relegated to the lowest levels of society. So just cause my grandma came from Poland or Austria or Wherever doesn’t mean I have or want any claim of membership or pride in that land. Yet I still want to be proud of my heritage.
Likewise, many African Americans have come from a continent but don’t know from exactly where. They do not have that same affiliation with their motherland as you may have with yours.
2) it can be very helpful and inspirational to share that bond with others who have seen the same degradation and vile racism that you have. I am Ashkenazi Jew. That’s a genetic group of Jews who were mostly the ones persecuted by the Nazi’s. I do find pride and love in our shared history. Likewise blacks who suffered terribly over the years can find companionship and love from those who share their history. And taking pride in what they were vilified for (skin tone) is part of heeling.
I do agree with you that color is not a good measure of character. But taking pride in the feature that caused so much pain is part of overcoming that pain and uplifting others who have also been marred by centuries of being told they are lowly and unworthy.
The problem comes more in thinking that your genetic disposition elevates you as better than anyone else. I can be proud of being an Ashkenazi but not think that’s better than Italian, Black, Japanese or Swedish. White pride could theoretically have a similar egalitarian view but there is no core white culture from suffering and upheaval to drive a collective character. Instead, showing white pride is virtually unanimously intertwined with thinking other groups and races are inferior.
P.S. I wrote this post yesterday but forgot to post it. All these issues may have been discussed already, I have not had a chance to read most of this thread.
