As humans, we gravitate towards the easiest way forward (White women fighting only for White women). I think we must first realize these overall fault lines. Two other major things I notice are that we will hit a lull in our advocacy, and we cannot advocate for many things at once.
My parents fought against racists in 1960s South Bend, especially during the development of a "low income" housing project across from my 99.5% White students' elementary school. On the other hand, my eldest sister has cerebral palsy. They spent their entire parental lives fighting for her inclusion, etc.
After the early 1970s, racism was solved… Well that is what White America believed. Yet there was a long lull in large organized protests within a decade after MLK and Malcolm were killed.
In late 1974, we moved to a 99% White small town in Iowa after my father was laid off due to whistleblowing. In this small rural town, racism was not a problem… Again, so thought the White residents. Anyway, my parents did NOT confront an explosive racism situation like in South Bend, and they redoubled their focus on helping my sister and other people with disabilities. Being staunch Catholics they also got caught up in anti-abortion, became Reagan "Democrats", and finally went off the deep end listening to Rush Limpdog.
I am not making excuses for myself or my parents, as much as I am stating what happens in real life, and in a country of majority White people that has never redoubled its efforts in fighting racism. Reconstruction is a perfect and horrible example of it. Once the Radical Republicans died off, their progeny acted as if nothing else needed to be done.
Unfortunately, I am part of the 1960s radical progeny. We thought everything was fine. A colorblind society was now upon us in the 1970s/80s. I never thought that "everything was fine" consciously, but looking back I can see how it was implied, and I was fooled into thinking the fight was mostly done.
That being said, the lull is built in. And fighting one big battle at a time is also part of the human condition. People who work two or three jobs are much less likely to be politically active. Single parent households with more than one child are likely to avoid same. Time and sanity are required to advocate consistently, generally. Though we all know of exceptions to that "rule". White (female) feminists mostly knew their own problems. My parents mostly knew about their child's disability. (Especially in the 1960s-70s).
This is the paradox we are still confronted with in many directions. White people should know MUCH better now, but the lull, easiest way forward, and one thing at a time, are not easily overcome. I may be exaggerating some of this human condition excuse, but over time it seems to play out, whether it is racism, sexism, economic disparities, etc.
To develop a solution, we must first recognize the reality of the human condition. Then develop a system to combat our humanity when and where it is, or becomes complacent. Imagine we are on an ultra-distance run of 100 kilometers, 62 miles. Water and nutrients must be adequate, and often there is a "buddy" runner for the last 10 or so kilometers, so you don't lose your way. And teams of race assistants watching out for you at various intervals during the entire run.
No matter how many times you have run such a race successfully, all of that assistance is vital to insure you finish and hopefully win, but let alone do not die. Of course, White (particularly straight male) Americans need assistance in additional ways in fighting discrimination. We need a 100 year solution to "completely" stamp out racism, ableism, gender discrimination, etc.
I believe we can develop such a system. The first stage of 10 to 20 years would greatly diminish the most belligerent and obvious elements, whereas the middle 50 to 60 years would root out the deeper socialized elements, and last 20 years (or generation) would make sure it would never reproduce to any electoral power extent.
First and foremost, our current legal precedent defiled system cannot be relied upon to end our complacency, and avoid furthering the same problems. Our incrementalist adjustments are merely bandaids on a festering sore. Unless we remove every entire gangrenous elements the current system will corrupt any (supposed) remedies.
https://medium.com/@richard-the-chwalek/the-purer-democratic-path-forward-9b608b0246f0
