The White Moderate: Are You One?

Our recent class discussions about King have included an analysis of his very legitimate beef with the white moderate. Beginning in "Letter From A Birmingham Jail", he verbalizes his issues with the neutral white moderate, whose ignorance of the pervading social injustices and refusal to take sides (so they don't risk their own personal status) is particularly wrong to King. This is because King understood what many people today still fail to understand, which is that "neutrality" in the discussion of injustice or oppression is not true neutrality - it is choosing the side of the oppressor. By not speaking, you justify the silence of every other white moderate, and you turn your back on the oppressed. By not speaking out against the systematic racism against and oppression of black people in America, it does not matter if you are not racist or prejudiced yourself, because you are actively choosing to silently allow this oppression to continue, unhindered. You are choosing the side of the oppressor. By not speaking out against the prevailing sexism and economic and historical inequality of opportunity for women in America, it does not matter if you are not sexist or prejudiced yourself, because you are actively choosing to silently allow this oppression to continue, unhindered. You are choosing the side of the oppressor. By not speaking out against the systematic prejudice against and unequal lack of opportunity for LGBTQ+ people in America and the world, it does not matter if you are homophobic or prejudiced yourself, because you are actively choosing to silently allow this oppression to continue, unhindered. You are choosing the side of the oppressor. It takes honest self reflection to determine if you are one such white moderate, and then it takes a courageous mind and a compassionate heart to remove yourself from this comfortable, risk-free political safe zone and enter into the intimidating, dangerous ongoing fight for natural human rights, American constitutional rights, and socioeconomic equality for the oppressed.

Are you a white moderate? And more importantly, can you live with the understanding that you are a part of the systematic oppression of others in your own society, or are you willing to speak out against oppression in our country?