Comedian Kristina Wong Wants You to Celebrate White History Month

Here's why.

By Jamilah King Sep 17, 2013

Kristina Wong has been on a tear this month. First she told the world about how "hipster" is the white man’s n-word, and then she made an appearance on W. Kamau Bell’s "Totally Biased." Over at XO Jane, Wong offered eight tongue-in-cheek reasons for why people of color should be in favor of celebrating White History Month. "When I wrote an essay about white guys with Yellow Fever, I got backlash from white people who protested, "How come there is a Black History Month, but no White History Month? That’s not fair!" Wong wrote. Here’s her answer:

White People Have Done So Much Twerk For People Of Color And Yet, No Appreciation
 
Can’t Miley Cyrus co-opt black culture and use black bodies as props without criticism!?  Why not celebrate the ability of white people to bring a less threatening face to cultural practices originated by people of color? Let’s honor the white people who proliferate our traditions completely out of context, reap all the glory, and without social responsibility!
Besides, can you blame them? They need a White History Month to bring their own traditions back.
Being Accused of Racism Sucks As Much As Being The Target Of It
 
So many white people are hurt when they learn in school (if it is actually taught to them) that only white people can be racist because we live in the aftermath of a white supremacy that they continue to benefit from today. While people of color can harbor biases against other races, ultimately, the real culprit of racial inequity is white supremacy.
Yikes! This is too much of a burden! White guilt sucks! Ask any white person, and they’ll tell you they’d much rather wake up tomorrow in the body of a black man than deal with the shameful guilt of perpetuating racism! Am I right white people? Hello?
Unlearning Racism Can Make A White Person’s Head Hurt
 
All this talk about the lifelong effort to dismantle racism by becoming a white ally or understanding white privilege is HARD! It was so much easier when white people could just be oblivious to the mistakes their forefathers made. Can’t white people end racism WITHOUT having to actually deal with it?
She offers up eight reasons in total, which you can read over at XO Jane.