Guilt.. and not the chocolate coin kind.

Taylor begins to touch upon the theory of "liberal guilt" on page 132 when referring to the white perspective. He states, "Liberal guilt is a contemporary phenomenon, available to us only after emancipatory racialism incorporated non-white perspectives into mainstream US racial projects"(Taylor 132). I think that this point is important for us as a class to expand on and come to an understanding of how guilt plays into new modern racism/our society today. Taylor touches on this point throughout the chapters, however this is the first time attaching a term to the theory (scanning back I did not find him referring to/don't remember him utilizing the terminology). He then goes on to explain further double consciousness (within different perspectives) and how race shapes a persons philosophy, but he does not necessarily expand on the issue of "guilt"--and he most definitely does not give any current examples that are applicable and how it is still channeled consistently today. As Florka pointed out in a provoking email, this guilt complex is something that our class persistently struggles with. However, even after being prodded at on multiple occasions, our class reconvenes and remains detached; completely aloof--especially in regards towards the statements made previously (by yourself, a classmate, Florka, the book). How can nobody come back to class and not feel something? Especially being that most of the students in the class come from extremely white dominated towns and still go to a dominantly white college. Especially being, I'm going to take a wild guess, that those places (and this place) does not question their white intensions in such an aggressive way. This overt inattention towards some--or, rather most of the comments expressed in class and through email portrays much of what Taylor underlines his entire philosophical theory of race with:guilt (being emphasized in accord to new modern racism). Our class feels guilty, which comes across every time someone thinks they have made a statement that possibility, might, have the slightest of potential of maybe having the probability of being understood as offensive. And maybe this is the new modern racism equivalent to the the slave owners irrational fear of their slaves revolting--so in response to themselves they asserted physical and other forms of dominance in order to relieve their guilt. Now with this modern perspective whites have not the need to submit to violence, because silence has become its replacement. If our class can get past this, I'm sure we could finally discuss some pertinent issues and actually grow as a class and individually. Maybe we can get past this theory and others akin (like color blindness being positive)--bound by this guilt, which waists away energy that refocusing could allow for a more progressive and constructive class/society. Or the idea that walking up to a table of black kids (because you feel guilty) is an act of goodwill... gracing the table with your white presence. Or making sure you secure a few black friends because the pressure of finally realizing the ever present social segregation, which was implemented way before your time, makes you feel guilty... so you serve that guilt by accounting for a few colored people within your friend circle. Once we can get past this individual and self-centered perspective we can discuss these issues that impact our nation (and world) as a whole... instead of continuing to dance around these issues, in hopes that the god of racism will rain down and color the world blind. Because doing so only upholds and reinforces this unconscious institutionalized racism (the very thing all of the above is embodying) and yet again reinforcing the condemnation of our society today. The very first step is acceptance...not going straight from (original) Jim Crow to colorblind equality, because maybe you feel a little guilt.