February 13, 2012 | 8:00 AM | By

‘It’s Hard to See Racism When You’re White’ Billboards Spark Debate, Controversy

A new campaign in a Minnesota town is aiming to spark dialogue in a community with stark racial disparities. Billboards seen around Duluth carry messages such as “It’s hard to see racism when you’re white” and “Is white skin really fair skin?” Some argue that the campaign, which is backed by 15 sponsors including the local YWCA, opens the door to discussions about white privilege. Others, however, feel it paints all white people as racists.


One of those citizens, Phil Pierson, created a Facebook page called “Stop Racist Unfair Campaign” to air objections to it. More than 425 people became members.

Pierson frequently posts messages admonishing members to keep the discussion civil, and he deplores the white supremacist rhetoric showing up in some messages to community leaders.

Still, said Pierson, the campaign erred by opening with such jarring messages and images.

“You can’t open a discussion on race and hope to see it move in a positive direction when you raise the topic by stereotyping an entire race,” Pierson said. “It spreads animosity and hate, teaches a new generation to point fingers and [focuses] on the color of our skin instead of the idea that we’re all human.”

Read more at: www.startribune.com

  • Be

    do any non-white people disagree that white people have a harder time seeing racism? to me the very start of a human-wide conversation about race is this statement. 

  • Anonymous

    The fact is that unless you have walked in someone else’s shoes, it’s really hard to understand how they feel.  I must agree that it is very hard for white people to see racism.  They have not generally had to deal with being ignored or worse, abused, disrespected or anything else just because they are white.  As a white person, I feel it is my obligation to check myself when I may not be treating a person the way I would want to be treated just because they are non-white.

    Some white people get highly sensitive when they see statements like the one on the billboard.  If it doesn’t apply to you, then why do you care?  On the other hand, your sensitivity may be an indication that you should think about how you treat others and whether your acts and statements are truly racism-free.

  • Guest

    …and it’s very hard for heterosexuals to see homphobia.

    Ignorance and complacency are the privileges of hegemony.

  • Guest

    …and it’s very hard for heterosexuals to see homphobia.

    Ignorance and complacency are the privileges of hegemony.