Demara's Perspective: The "Power" in Black and White Power Groups

July 20, 2015

Demara's Perspective: The "Power" in Black and White Power Groups

So, you're casually chatting with someone and you happen to express disdain for White Supremacy and/or the KKK. This person you're casually chatting with may be a firm supporter of the KKK and white supremacy, ignorant of things in life, and/or just like to play devil's advocate and say "but they have black power groups, why can't we have the KKK?"

The main difference between white power groups and black power groups comes from the word “power.”

White power groups are a tool for white supremacy. I’ve looked on several different white power groups websites for the last couple days and most of their mission statements often include something derogatory of non-whites and whites “rising above” non-whites because they are mandated by some version of the Bible to be in power. They usually include a desire to maintain whiteness by sending others away from their communities and only procreating with other whites.

Most black power groups mission statements usually include a message that black people should rise to the power level of non-blacks because we have internalized oppression so effectively that we aren’t living up to our full potential. They usually include a desire to maintain blackness by keeping money within the black community and educating blacks and non-blacks about the entirety of black history, not just slavery.

Notice I said most. Now, I haven’t come across any white power groups that weren’t about white supremacy (that doesn’t mean they don’t exist) but I have come across VERY FEW black power groups that are about black supremacy. However, MOST black power groups are emPOWERment groups. And even those black supremacy groups were created in response to white supremacy groups… and that doesn’t make them right, either.

Also, it’s a LOGICAL FALLACY to respond to someone’s criticism with criticism. They're not addressing the argument that is presented to them by criticizing something else. They're also assuming that because someone criticized white supremacy groups, they must love black supremacy and as the great saying goes "Assuming makes an ass out of...'