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Some of us remember the iconic Coke commercial from 1971, “I’d like to buy the world a Coke”. An advertisement that featured people of all nationalities holding their Coke bottles on a hilltop in song.
The Coke commercial begins with white people and finishes to show a diverse group of people all joining in commonality drinking Coca-Cola. Pretty “woke” for its time, I’d say. But this is not woke enough for Coke. Coke is now embarking upon training employees to be “less white“.
The training, which Coca-Cola Company dubs as part of their “Better Together” learning curriculum starts off with an intro from Robin DiAngelo, author of White Fragility. Grab a Coke and read the bullet points together with me. White Fragility is basically this:
White Fragility: discomfort and defensiveness on the part of a white person when confronted by information about racial inequality and injustice.
God forbid you suggest that “being white has meaning” or that this type of theory “generalizes” white people. You will be labeled as a person making this argument solely to “maintain your dominance”. At least, that is how the conversation goes in the circles of DiAngelo and her critical race theory (mostly white) academics who charge upwards of $30,000 for a 60-90-minute keynote, $35,000 for a two-hour workshop, and a half-day event for a mere $40,000 bucks. Not bad for a day’s work for a white girl. In addition, DiAngelo made about $2 million off the sales (and counting) from White Fragility, owns a four-bedroom bungalow and half of a duplex in Seattle (most likely not in White Center). She and her husband also own a cabin in rural Washington, where they relax with friends who, you guessed it, are mostly white. Read: DiAngelo is the quintessential liberal academic who lectures on race theory but surrounds herself with mostly white folks in the same demographic.
Does DiAngelo even drink Coke?! I figured her for more the Kombucha-type. Stereotyping too much? It’s okay. She’s white. White people can be stereotyped, right?
Our shared identity is that of enslavement, displacement and oppression. What is your shared identity but privilege?
— Trap Jesus ✨ (@trapjesuslives) February 19, 2021
So, let me get this straight. The Jews and Slavic tribes in Hitler’s Germany were privileged because they were white? They weren’t victims of enslavement, oppression and displacement? Oh, I’m sorry, is my fragility getting the best of me here? I best “navigate the space I’m in” and STFU, right? (Takes another sip of Coke)…
And judging somone based on their skin colors is…what's the word for it again? Can anyone help me out?
— Deep Value Stocks (@deepvaluestock) February 20, 2021
Candace Owens hits the nail on the head here:
If a corporate company sent around a training kit instructing black people to ‘be less black’, the world would implode and lawsuits would follow. I genuinely hope these employees sue Coca-Cola for blatant racism and discrimination.”-Candace Owens
Here’s the problem with Coke and other companies’ approach to this. We’re damned if we do and damned if we don’t. If we call out our differences, we’re labeled as racist. If we put our differences aside, we are labeled as racist. Any action that we, as white Americans choose to take, no matter how racially-conscious we “navigate the space we’re in”, is a racist construct. We are constantly told we need to walk on eggshells. Instead of Coke focusing on training programs to empower employees of all cultural and ethnic backgrounds to be the best employees they could be, Coke, and other companies are spending thousands-upon-thousands of dollars to have white people like Robin DiAngelo tell others how to behave in the workplace?
And how, pray tell, can a white person be “less white”? If they act anything but, they are accused of appropriation, which is insulting. Imitation is not considered a form of flattery here. I, for one, can’t be less white even if I went to a tanning booth daily. Physically, this is impossible. I can be less arrogant, less ignorant and listen. I never thought I had huge ties to “white solidarity” as I work in a very diverse workplace and get along with everybody. But now, all of a sudden, these arguments throw in a monkey wrench to employees. Even if you think you’re doing the right thing and treating everyone equally and with respect, you’re not. Why? Because you are white (and, apparently, inherently disrespectful and racist). The joke here? They want white peopleto be more humble. Not sure if Coke realizes this but nothing is humble about a white university professor telling other white people how to act in front of people of color all while charging thousands of dollars to do just this. NOTHING is humble about this AT ALL.
Yet, Coke buys into this. Woke, guilt-ridden, suburbanite (very) white, left-leaning, college-educated individuals are manufacturing this “training” as part of “equity and inclusion”. Calling out the differences and laser-focusing on them as opposed to celebrating them and encouraging employees to work together. Want equity in the workplace? Look at your employees. Pay attention to their work and their work ethic and not the color of their skin. The problem in the workplace does not lie within the racial divide. I can, for one, point out a few people who are white men in my workplace, making a few pay grades more than others who tend to show up less than others. Does being white have meaning here? These are the privileged ones taking up the space. They will vote Democrat, play politics and be petrified of COVID (so they “need” to stay home, you see) and will still screw everybody over with no repentance. Where is the gender and racial equality here? To really laser-focus on productivity and not something such as critical race theory in the workplace, requires some analytical thinking, uncomfortable conversations with HR Departments and maybe some painful reshuffling within an organization. Instead, training “specialists” will go from ZOOM meeting to ZOOM meeting, discussing “equity and inclusion”, firing those who do not conform rather than those who just do not produce and consider paying people like Robin DiAngelo thousands of dollars to train workers to be “less white”. It’s laughable, what we’ve become.
But what do I know? I’m just a privileged, Diet Coke-drinking, middle-aged, white girl in suburbia taking up space and I need to repent and think deeply about the “space” I am taking up. (Burps out loud.)
Photo Credit: Rene Schwietzke/FlickR/CC BY 2.0/Cropped
Welcome Instapundit Readers!
Hate_me says: I’m very proud of my (white) ancestors. As we all should be proud of where we come from and those from whom we descend. We’re all the children of survivors.
I’ll not apologize for being white.
NTSOG says: “I’ll not apologize for being white.”
And I will not buy Gillette, nor any product, e.g. the well-known – here in Australia – Coon Cheese now renamed ‘Cheers Cheese’ because an aboriginal man didn’t like the cheese being named after it’s original US inventor, a Mr. Coon. Now I will add Coca Cola to the list.
Hate_me says: Pepsi tastes better, anyway
William says: My Mom thinks so too. She’s also wrong.
A coke with a squeezed lime is heavenly.
John A Wilson says: Pepsi was also run by a nut.
Howard J. Eagle says: And??? Typical WHITE reaction. This is a crystal-clear example of the FRAGILITY that Dr. DiAngelo writes and speaks about. You don’t get it — do you????
Howard J. Eagle says: Unless you’re some type of really rare white person (the likes of which I have never seen) — if you were born and/or raised in the thoroughly racist, white-supremacist-based U. S. of A. — your ancestors were either low-down, dirty, rotten, savage-like racist, rapists, and/or quiet observers of the same. So, you ARE “proud” of them??? I guess that figures (since of course you have been taught and socialized to be so). Thus, those of us who are crystal-clear about the history and the current overall reality — will NOT ask you to “apologize’ for being grossly miseducated, lied to, and inculcated as a supremacist, but we will ask you to STUDY and REFLECT (if you can). Sometimes the race-based cognitive dissonance is so deep, and so profound that it becomes impossible to overcome, and therefore it’s quite possible that you will die as a hard-core, staunch, racist, supremacist. Time will tell, as it always does: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BdPJ0qSIIAAQeBG.jpg
Dietrich says: My, my, my. Maybe switch to decaf?
Hate_me says: To my knowledge, my ancestors came to the US (via Canada) after the Civil War and have always lived in the far north of yankee country.
Like most of European descent, however, I can at times still feel the blood of Vikings in my veins. I have no doubt that many of my ancestors were slavers but, given the prevalence of slavery throughout human history, that is hardly unique.
The chattel slavery that developed from indentured servitude in the New World is an ugly stain on the human legacy. Yet, African-Americans do NOT have a monopoly on being enslaved.
Put it back in the deck.
Howard J. Eagle says: Because your “ancestors [so-called] came to the US (via Canada) after the Civil War” — does NOT absolve them, nor you, from culpability and participation (either actively and/or passively —apparently both in your case — since you did something that white folks rarely do), e.g., admitted openly/publicly that “many of [your] ancestors were slavers,” which makes you an inheritor of enslavers- privilege and accumulated, free-labor-wealth. THUS, YOU OWE REPARATIONS!!! Also, what is it that you imagine happened in this thoroughly racist, white-supremacist-based nation-state (“after the civil war” — that justice immediately rolled down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream)??? Also, because your ancestors so-called “always lived in the far north of yankee country” — did you NOT know about this >>> https://www.history.com/news/deeper-roots-of-northern-slavery-unearthed#:~:text=By%201804%2C%20all%20of%20the,but%20only%20after%20turning%2025. (probably NOT — they taught you a bunch of half-truths and lies — didn’t they) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lies_My_Teacher_Told_Me .
Aren’t you bothered by the mis-education (probably not — because you clearly STILL have that “slavers” attitude, outlook, and belief system) — don’t you???
For you to refer to “The chattel slavery that [low-down, dirty, rotten, savage-like, rapist, racist, white men] developed from indentured servitude in the [so-called] New World [,which had existed for thousands upon thousands, if not millions of years before the European savages showed up, as representing] an ugly stain on the [WHITE] ‘human’ legacy” — is one of the grossest, understatements in all of history. There is no doubt that “African-Americans do NOT have a monopoly on being enslaved.” However, WE DO HAVE A HISTORY OF SURVIVING AND PROSPERING UNDER A VICIOUS, DEVILISH, WHITE SLAVE SYSTEM — THE LIKES OF WHICH THE SO-CALLED “CIVILIZED” WORLD HAD NOT SEEN UP TO THAT POINT — NOR SINCE.
Indeed, let’s “Put [the white-supremacist card] back in the deck.”
Hate_me says: Righteous anger is fun. What does it really get you, though?
I’m proud of my heritage. That’s not going to change. I’ve also never owned nor benefited from a slave. I’ll never consent to reparations for such. If you want some new version of the Freedman Act, good luck – but I’ll not be party to it.
At some point, it might be worth re-examining your strategy.
Howard J. Eagle says: “Righteous anger is fun???” WHAT??? What in the world are you talking about??? “Fun”??? WHAT???
I don’t get it how you can be “proud of” being the offspring of low-down, dirty, rotten., no-good, savage-like racist, rapists, but I guess that’s all you have to hold on to. If you had to let go of it — I imagine it would cause you extreme>>>https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BdPJ0qSIIAAQeBG.jpg
You might NOT realize it, but since your ancestors WERE enslavers you DID, and DO “benefit from slavery.” You don’t have to “consent to reparations.” Your wicked government, which passed the laws to allow for it (for centuries) will also have to pass laws to REPAIR CENTURIES WORTH OF UNTOLD DISCRIMINATION, EXPLOITATION AND OPPRESSION. This has NOTHING to do with the phony, so-called “Freedman’s Act.” Instead, it’s all about this: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/
“At some point, it might be worth re-examining strategy” to do what??? WHAT ARE YOIU TALKING ABOUT???
UKFred says: Howard, slavery is not simply something done by white people to black people. Black Africans captured other balck Africans and sold them to the slave ships which traversed the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans. How are you addressing the fact that manyblack Africans died at the hands of Arabs, bleeding to death when their castrations were poorly carried out? How are you addressing the fact that black Africans captured and enslaved other black Africans for selling on as slaves?
The rich and/or powerful of the whole world were all, at some time, involved in slavery in some way or another. Your choice is whether to carry that large chip on your shoulder any longer, and try to divide society further along racial lines, like the Democrats are doing, or to forgive and work toward a just society for everyone, because while there is no justice in the present, there will be no peace.
Hate_me says: Also, you’re an idiot.
Howard J. Eagle says: With regard to your question, you must be asking it — while looking in the mirror???
Howard J. Eagle says: With regard to your “idiot” statement — you must be making the statement — while looking in the mirror???
Hate_me says: My apologies. You’re a willful idiot.
Hate_me says: You’re still an idiot idiot.
Howard J. Eagle says: Name-calling will NOT cancel out; can NOT cancel out:
NTSOG says: “A VICIOUS, DEVILISH, WHITE SLAVE SYSTEM — THE LIKES OF WHICH THE SO-CALLED “CIVILIZED” WORLD HAD NOT SEEN UP TO THAT POINT — NOR SINCE.”
Rubbish! Learn some world history: African tribal leaders sold fellow Africans into slavery. There was a time also when the Vikings enslaved people all over Europe and through the Mediterranean; it was not only Africans enslaved. Before the Vikings it was the Romans who enslaved peoples they conquered. What about the slavery current today in places other than the US, Canada and other Western nations? Perhaps you haven’t bothered to look to see where it’s occurring and who is doing it? Perhaps it’s too hard for you and fellow ‘activists’ to stop blaming every one else for life being hard.
The map shows the distribution of slavery in 2021around the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maps_Global_Slavery_Index_2019.png
Howard J. Eagle says: “African tribal leaders [could NOT have] sold fellow Africans into slavery.” — had low-down, dirty, rotten, no-good, racist, rapists Europeans NOT come to Africa seeking to purchase human flesh — right??? Thus, we must lay the centuries-long Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade where it belongs, e.g., squarely at the feet of your low-down, dirty, rotten, no-good, racist, rapists European ancestors — period. You can rant and rave all you want about maps and other forms of slavery, but nothing will change the FACT that — PRIOR TO THE VICIOUS, DEVILISH, CENTURIES-LONG, WHITE-CHATTE-SLAVE SYSTEM, BY WHICH low-down, dirty, rotten, no-good, racist, rapists Europeans went around the world ( to Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the so-called “americas”) enslaving folks — VIA THE CENTURIES-LONG, CHATTEL SLAVE SYSTEM — THE LIKES OF WHICH THE MODERN WORLD HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE, NOR SINCE.
Show us where someone is “blaming every one else for life being hard.” STOP MAKING STUFF UP.
Darleen Click says: I feel sorry for you, sir, that you are obviously so bitter and hate-filled that facts of history mean nothing to you while you ironically wish to lecture people they are “grossly miseducated”.
Let’s just deal with this one point: Slavery is neither an American or “white” invention. For various reasons and in various forms, slavery has been ubiquitous throughout human history – from the time one small tribe of humans warred with a neighboring one over resources and captured those they didn’t kill.
What is unique about the United States (and England) was NOT that they had slavery but that they abolished it. Thousands of years of an accepted practice gone from Western civilization in less than 150 years. And what was the impetuous to abolition? Judeo-Christian values — Quakers being in the forefront. Not all slaves were black and not all slave holder were white.
Maybe you should read your own Fanon quote a little more closely.
Peace
Howard J. Eagle says: I have no idea; absolutely no reference point for even beginning to understand why in the world would YOU “feel sorry for” ME???
I would like for you to please attempt to utilize something that you’re probably not all that familiar with >>> https://media3.giphy.com/media/3OwaP1IDNJhBzq8T33/200.gif — to explain to us how you could have possibly reached the ILLOGICAL, UNSUBSTANTITED CONCLUSION that I mam, am “bitter and hate-filled.”
Let’s just deal with this one point: Chattel Slavery is a so-called “american,” white invention — period.
What is unique about the United States (and England) was that they had CHATTEL slavery.’ TALK ABOUT MIS-EDUCATION — one of the most twisted, literally diabolical so-called “arguments” that I’ve seen in a long time is the crazy idea that “the impetuous to abolition [of chattel slavery was] Judeo-Christian values.” Quite frankly mam — that idea hinges, not only on the grossest lack of logic and facts, but it is down-right ludicrous on it’s face — to the point that it might indicate >>> https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1071634/ . Did you NOT know that MOST WHITE, so-called “slave masters” were also subscribers to so-called “Judeo-Christian values???” SURELY, THAT’S NOT WHAT YOU MEANT TO WRITE MAM.
There is NO NEED for me to “read Fanon’s quote a little more closely” — clearly he is referring to folks with attitudes, belief systems such as yours (clearly) — https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5564e9d4e4b0750ee3a65382/1469497017467-AQDK2PXSVK09V7HB7G51/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kLStP0Qaj9UtpLnN-El3yYZZw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpyozq7FN9C7ju5y1Klasy6s4KamlTcmnRXPbUaTKgn23kgyM1CQj6-y3kHTVKeCLvc/Frantz+Fanon+on+Cognitive+Dissonance+%2F%2F+Plant+Based+Bride
May Peace Be Upon You & Yours …
Darleen Click says: No, sir, chattel slavery has been a form of slavery even back thousands of years. It is a myth to believe it didn’t exist before agricultural practices. It was practiced by all peoples of all melanin content at one time or another. Black Africans were slavers as well as slaves.
I suspect this is why you exhibit so much hate and aggression, you probably suspect your fealty to a Robin DiAngelo, a white woman race-pimp is misplaced as you can’t ignore that her writings have no foundation in either facts or morality as pertains to human beings AS human beings.
I would urge you to find a competent therapist to work through your issues. Cognitive dissonance can only get worse and manifest itself in further self-destructive ways.
Seek help now.
Scott says: You might want to get back on your meds…
Politically Ambidextrous says: The concept of “original sin”, being born guilty, independent of personal behavior, is not a new idea. Neither are the competing concepts of what it takes to be absolved, professed beliefs vs. specific behaviors. What’s different and problematic here (i.e. CRT) is that instead of being applied to cosmology, it’s being applied to sociology and there is no closed-form absolution.
Howard J. Eagle says: WHAT??? WHAT??? So, you mistakenly believe that this is about “guilt???” On the contrary, one of the last things in the world that authentic anti-racists (such as Dr. DiAngelo) wants is for white folks to feel guilty — because she knows, and we all know what happens when that kicks in — y’all go deeper into your shells. Again, that’s one of the main points: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45ey4jgoxeU
Darleen Click says: Robin DiAngelo is a race-grifter, little more. You see, I’ve actually read her writings and laughed myself silly.
https://victorygirlsblog.com/from-the-vg-bookshelf-white-fragility/
Howard J. Eagle says: I can believe that you “laughed,” but with all due respect, and yes, I really do mean it — based on some of your comments here — I think (in a purely intellectual sense) the “silly” part was always there.
With regard to Dr. DiAngelo, check these out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jin7ISV85s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzLT54QjclA
Darleen Click says: As I demonstrated, I read her book – which in many ways she plagiarized from Peggy McIntosh.
Please seek help.
Hate_me says: What is it about, then?
Howard J. Eagle says: What is “what [specifically] about?” Make your question clear, and I’ll provide a clear answer.
NTSOG says: “… and there is no closed-form absolution.”
So there needs to be someone like Johannes Tetzel to sell Indulgences allowing people to regain their virtue in the eyes of the self-anointed Saints of the Left That sounds like a really good racket as the Virtue and Truth Seekers [VT&S] seem able to find vice in nearly every human and human activity. They’d never be out of work – and our money.
Howard J. Eagle says: Stop being silly and evasive. This is NOT about so-called “Indulgences allowing people to regain their virtue,” nor “self-anointed Saints,” nor “rackets,” nor merely, simply “vices.” INSTEAD IT IS ABOUT:
Robin H says: It’s time to sell my Coke stocks. When companies start focusing on this crap they forget that they’re running a business. Decisions about advancement will be made based on skin color and not merit. I predict in a year the stock price will be down.
Howard J. Eagle says: Another exemplary example of how this works >>>
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/white-fragility-definition#definition
Elmer T. Jones says: Maybe it’s all a big smokescreen coming from huge corporations that make billions pushing low-nutrition packaged foods on the EBT market. You, white working person, are the problem, not corporations getting wealthy exploiting black bodies at taxpayer expense.
Howard J. Eagle says: Or it just might be:
Herp McDerp says: Yes, send them a message by not buying Coke products. But don’t think that you’re sending a counter-wokeness message if you buy Pepsi products instead — Pepsi has been “woke” for years:
https://www.nysun.com/business/pepsi-exec-likens-america-to-middle-finger/14104/
There are plenty of other soft drink manufacturers that aren’t woke, yet have better and less expensive products.
Hate_me says: In general, I don’t let political factors influence my taste. I’m ok not drinking Coke because Pepsi tastes better to me.
I can’t find RC or any other major labels in my region.
Ardent Lockean says: I would say that I’ll go with Pepsi instead (which I rather like, as it happens), but I’d bet that Pepsi won’t be far behind in the Woke appeasement. Corporate boards have only one concern (properly, IMHO) which is maximizing return to the shareholders. If they think that spouting woke idiocy will do that for them, they’ll do it.
The thing is, these Wokies are fickle and cannibalistic: even if Pepsi joins Coke in the Wokieverse, they’ll be the next ones stood up against the wall, whether it’s next month, or next year. Just a matter of time.
Howard J. Eagle says: You’re right — this is NOT necessarily about being so-called “woke.”
Just keep sleeping, and watch what happens.
Armst says: You have all seen the levels of whiteness. They forgot one.
Level 9. White Racist. This is a person that has NEVER been racist in his treatment to anyone under his power (Power they may never ever had actually had), never had a chance to be racist, and never treated anyone in a racist manner. So after years, nay decades, of being labeled a racist or white this or white that, these people throw their hands up in the air. They will no longer try to defend against baseless charges, lies, or flat out racist attacks from other whites or blacks or anyone. Then they decide “so I am a racist, heh.” Here hold my beer and watch this. I will fuck with all you mofos that treat me like shit or insult me. No tips for POC, No holding doors or any manners displayed to POC. You want racism. I’ll give you racism.
Howard J. Eagle says: STOP IT — how is it possible for any white person born and/or raised in a thoroughly racist, white-supremacist-based society (such as the granddaddy of them all — this one) — to “never have had a chance to be racist???” HOW DOES THAT WORK??? STOP IT.
Cameron says: The only answer these people (for lack of a better term) deserve is contempt and mockery. And since they have made it clear we no longer have anything to lose, this is going to be fun.
Heather Benes says: Get woke, go broke, don’t buy Coke.
Thomas Dale Stewart says: I’m a white guy living in South Fulton County, Georgia. Guess what? There’s no racism here. We treat each other like humans and get along. All this mythical division is just that: Mythical.
Howard J. Eagle says: WHAT???
https://www.wistv.com/story/5980262/push-to-split-georgias-fulton-county-draws-cries-of-racism/
https://projects.propublica.org/miseducation/district/1302280
ETC…, Etc… Etc…
WHAT???!!!
Sam L. says: Me, I’m a Dr. Pepper man, mahseff.
LW says: 🎵I’ve got a girl in Oklahoma🎵
🎵All she drinks is Coca-Cola🎵
That’s me. Or that was me.
I’ve been drinking Coke products for fifty years. But I’ve been white for sixty. I refuse to accept the stereotypes that virulent racists – enthusiastically supported by Coca-Cola – want to push on me. I refuse to be ashamed of the color of my skin no matter how much virulent racists – enthusiastically supported by Coca-Cola – want me to be.
I am addicted to Diet Coke, but I will break that addiction.
It is physically impossible for me to be less white. It is possible for me to make their customer base less white. I will not buy another thing from Coca-Cola.
Howard J. Eagle says: We get it that “It is physically impossible for [you] to be less white.” How about mentally???
Hate_me says: Why would we want to be less white? From your ranting and raging, it seems like a pretty enviable position.
Cameron says: Side note: Overdosing on tanning pills will not make you less white. And now you know.
Hate_me says: Tanning pills? Is that a real thing?
Cameron says: Yes. And the overdosing was taken from the movie “Soul Man.”
[…] Black kids in our inner cities are still suffering greatly while white authors are charging thousands of dollars for appearances and selling books and telling others to “be less white“. […]
[…] Winter Games. What, exactly, is the difference between being less white and being less Uyghur, Woke-a-Cola? I’m just wondering […]
[…] woke turns to sh*t”. Couldn’t the candy maker learn the lesson from when Coke lectured its employees to be “less white”. Candy by its nature is inclusive. Maybe not […]
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