In the last months there have been a debate going on about what is racism and what is not. People like to talk about racism against white people and call it “reversed racism”, instead of focusing on the real problem, which is systematical racism against non-whites.

On the other side there are some people who really talks about “reverse racism”, like if racism towards a white person should be “not real racism”. On the other side are the extreme “identity left-wing” who are importing their ideas from the quasi-debate on race in the United States. These people basically say that a black man unpossible could be racist to a white man, which also is ignorance at it’s finest.

Don’t get mad at me now. I didn’t invent the word racism. Just look it up in a dictionary. There is no such description that says that all racism per definition is structural. Even if structural racism is the bigger issue here, there are also racist attitudes between different groups. There are black people who are antisemitic or racist against white people. There are black people racist to eachother. There are white people that are racist to other groups of white people. But I would never call it reversed racism, because that word is stupid. I’ll explain here.

Well, what does “reversed” mean. It means turned, or “opposite”. And the definition of racism is that it is an idea, not necessarily a system, but an idea, in which you divide people into races and claim some races to be superior or inferior. That’s the most simple and basic definition of racism. This view can come from anybody towards anybody. If a white man thinks blacks are inferior, he is a racist. If a black thinks whites are inferior, it is racist. But, what’s the reversed opinion about that? Well. Reversed racism should therefore be the opposite to racism, in other words anti-racism, which is a good thing and not racist at all. Anti-racism is the idea that everybody are equal no matter the color of their skin. That’s what the term “reversed racism” actually means if you start to dig in it a little bit deeper.

Sometimes, I grow tired of people who have these extreme views. I can actually relate to people who say that racism against white people doesn’t exist. Because people who say “white lives matter”, are very often, people who denies systematic racism against people of color. And therefore, a lot of people of color and other anti-racists, get tired of that maneuver from the white supremacists and try to come up with another extreme – that white people cannot be victims of racism. I completely understand that. Because a lot of people who discuss this, are completely blind towards systematic racism against black people and other people of color. So that’s basically the reason this discussion have become so polarized.

So, yes. A black person can be racist towards a white person. But it is not… I repeat… IT IS NOT a structural problem that even comes close to the systematic dismricination and institutional racism that white people have done implemented and still implement towards people of color. It just to realize that fact. We should focus on the main issue, which is white supremacy against black people and other people of color, not black people or arabs who are racist towards white people. That’s the smallest problem in the world right now, actually.

But understand me right now. I don’t say there is a such thing as “reverse racism”. Because, then we have to divide people and decide which race is the racist and which race is the victim. And all of a sudden, we cannot decide what is what. Can an arab be racist toa chinese? Or is it the other way around? You understand now how hard it is, to decide which group to be considered as the oppressor and the victim? Therefore, the idea that all racism would be against people of color, and that a white person cannot be a victim of racist, is really stupid. Because, when there is either a black or a white involved, but maybe an arab and an east-asian. Who is the most oppressed? Is this a contest? Sometimes it feels that way. It feels like different groups are competing about who is the greatest victim of racism.

This is not a contest or a game. Just look it up in dictionary. Even if I indeed think that racism could happen between anybody, I support Black Lives Matter and their movement. Now when the corona death toll is lowering, I plan to participate in their demonstrations as well. I think Black Lives Matter are important, even if I might not share the exact same values as some of them do. I just support the anti-racist movement and I hate racism with all of my heart. Racism is a real problem in society, especially against black people. That’s why I support Black Lives Matter and their mainfesto.

Love Eliasson