“Black and proud” is OK. “It’s OK to be white” is not.
by Neil Kumar
One of the smallest gestures we can make has a great effect: Put up “It’s Okay to Be White” stickers. Opposing them means it’s not okay to be white. Last week, I got a promotional message from Zazzle, an online seller of customized clothing and gifts, offering half price on all stickers. I typed in my design — It’s Okay to Be White — and paid. Several hours later, I got email from the Zazzle “content management team.” They canceled my order because the “team” was “unable to process” my design, which was “in conflict” with their “content guidelines.”
I wrote back: “I would like for you to specifically state your reason as to why the simple statement that it is okay to be white violates your content guidelines. Would the content review team have flagged it had it read, ‘It’s Okay to Be Black’? Would you have flagged something for saying, ‘Black Lives Matter’? Of course not. So, it appears that you have an egregious double standard. I guess Zazzle believes that it is not okay to be white. Is that it?” About half an hour later, I got a reply: “in this instance, your design contains imagery or sentiment that is in violation of Zazzle’s Acceptable Content Guidelines.”
What is “acceptable content” for Zazzle? First of all, “Black and proud” is OK. On the Zazzle website I also found Antifa flags and clenched Black Power fists breaking chains along with: “All lives don’t matter unless black lives matter,” “White silence is violence,” “America was never great,” “Defund the police,” “Racism is not a difference of opinion,” “Trump is racist,” “I met God, and she’s black,” “Jesus was brown,” “The South lost. Get over it,” “No human being is illegal,” “You were brainwashed into thinking European features are the epitome of beauty,” “Make America racist again,” “Make racists afraid again,” “I’m not racist. I have white friends,” “We can’t just stand by and watch our black brothers and sisters die,” “No justice, no peace, no racist police,” “I scare white people,” “Will throw pee at white supremacists,” “Will trade racists for refugees,” “The least racist is still racist,” “Why be racist when you could just be quiet?,” “Wypipo tears,” “White privilege tears,” “Shame on white privilege,” “Fight for those without your privilege,” “Use your white privilege to fight white supremacy,” and “Equality feels like oppression to the privileged.”
The Zazzle masthead says this: “Our hearts are heavy. Our eyes and ears are open. Our commitment is unwavering. We don’t accept hate. We won’t be silent. We will do more. We must. We are. Now, tomorrow, together. We stand with the Black community.” Rather than hide behind “content guidelines,” Zazzle should be honest: It doesn’t think it’s okay to be white.