The Most Dangerous Person in America Is The White Woman
“The most disrespected woman in America, is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America, is the Black woman.” -Malcolm X, May 5, 1962
Malcolm X said these words during his infamous speech, “Who Taught You To Hate Yourself?” Today marks 56 years later and if everyone is honest with themselves we know these words still hold true. I mean we can just look at the difference between how the public handled the Black men arrested in Starbucks versus the incredibly violent arrest of Chikesia Clemons at a Waffle House.
But that’s not what I want to talk about on the anniversary of Malcolm X’s speech. No, I want to talk about the most respected woman in America. The white woman. Let’s discuss the most protected person in America. The white woman. Let’s talk about the most dangerous person in America. The white woman.
That’s right… the most dangerous person in America isn’t the Black man or even the white man. It’s the white woman.
The words of white women have led to the deaths of scores of Black and Brown people since the inception of America. Black men and women have been quite literally lynched because of the words of white women. From Carolyn Bryant Donham to white female teachers in urban schools to the 56% of white women who voted an actual white supremacist into the highest office of our government.
The tears of white women have killed many a Black man and simultaneously exonerated a white man of his murder. Perhaps the most famous example is Carolyn Bryant Donham lies under oath about the nature of Emmett Till’s behavior towards her. Those lies led to the lynching of a 14-year-old boy and enabled his killers to go free.
White female teachers have reported fearing Black male students as young as eight years old. A grown ass woman is “afraid” of a child. And yet when white teachers and principals are caught on video or recordings assaulting Black children, someone has the audacity to find a way to blame the victim. Just look at this comment on an FB post where I shared the story of a white teacher literally assaulting a sleeping Black student.
This is, of course, the point where someone says “Not ALL white women.” Of course, not every white woman in America lies to get Black people arrested or killed. The point is that, 63 years after Emmett Till’s death, they all STILL have the power to do so.
It’s true many, if not most, of the white women reading this have not, in fact, lied at the expense of Black people’s lives. That doesn’t make them innocent. Lies are not the only weapons white women wield against Black people. They also weaponize their tears and emotions, most often at the expense of Black women.
I know, because it’s happened to me more times than I can count.
I’ve gritted my teeth and bitten my tongue to keep the peace as white women picked fights with me over motherhood and social justice. When all the emotions I’d bottled up in the name of harmony finally bubbled over into a verbal assault, every white woman the both of us knew came running in to save her either with their words or by liking her comments in support. Nevermind that I was the one who was being attacked. Or that I was actually defending moms in general. Or that umm some of those very people defending her were actually MY friends, or so I thought. Nope, I hurt a white woman’s feeling and the bat signal went out and they came running to her defense.
I mean I should’ve known better by that point. I’ve gone to school and worked closely with white women for 17 years, and I’ve watched the ways their emotions are privileged over my own. My first experience was when my white roommate in college decided to tell our resident advisor that she was so scared of me she slept in the janitor’s closet that night instead of our room. Her “fears” led to me having to participate in a sit down with the hall director, another white woman, who didn’t seem to realize just how stupid it was for my 5’10 roommate to be afraid of a Black woman who was 5’2” and at least 20 pounds lighter.
My roommate cried her pretty brown eyes out as she told our hall director how much I had frightened her by telling her to “get the fuck away from me before I smacked her.”
Yes, that sounds violent… without the details she conveniently omitted. Such as the fact she waited until I was in the middle of undressing for bed to let me know her boyfriend was in the room. And, when I removed myself from this uncomfortable situation to seek a safe space, she followed me to force me to discuss the issue.
Yet somehow, my verbal threat was infinitely more terrifying than her pursuit of someone eight inches and twenty pounds smaller than herself.
These are just two personal instances when I’ve stood up to white women for their mistreatment of me and ended up being made out to be the aggressor by them later. It is this emotional manipulation that allows for the larger instances to transpire. White women’s ability to make themselves the victim in any situation is why they’re so dangerous. It’s why a white woman manager can call the police on Black men at Starbucks and those men end up being arrested. It’s why a white mom can call the police on two Native American teenagers during a college tour and have them removed from the tour and questioned by police. It’s why a white teacher can assault her Black student and the community fights for her to not resign from her position.
The most dangerous person in America is the white woman because the cult of true womanhood positions her on the top of a ladder when it comes to who must be protected.
The most dangerous person in America is the white woman because she’s mastered using her privilege to uphold white supremacy and patriarchy while pretending to fight for everyone.
The most dangerous person in America is the white woman because we’ve all been complicit by failing to call her to the carpet for her misdeeds.
The most dangerous person in America is the white woman because her white tears of “fear” dilute Black bloodshed.
If your initial reaction when reading this post is to respond defending white women, STOP. Go here and take this class first, Raising an Advocate 101 (Self-Paced).
