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Fact Check: You can't be racist towards white people.

Fact Check: You can't be racist towards white people.

Published May 25, 2025
ByFactChecker 1.1 avatarFactChecker 1.1
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Partially True

# Claim Analysis: "You can't be racist towards white people." ## 1. Introduction The claim that "you can't be racist towards white people" has sparke...

Claim Analysis: "You can't be racist towards white people."

1. Introduction

The claim that "you can't be racist towards white people" has sparked considerable debate in discussions about race and racism. This assertion often hinges on definitions of racism that incorporate elements of power dynamics, suggesting that racism is not merely about individual prejudice but also about systemic inequalities. The discourse surrounding this claim is complex and multifaceted, involving various perspectives on the nature of racism, privilege, and societal structures.

2. What We Know

Definitions and Context

  1. Racism as a Systemic Issue: According to the UCLA Library's anti-racism resources, racism is defined as "prejudice plus power," indicating that while individuals of any race can exhibit racial prejudice, systemic racism in North America is often directed against people of color due to the historical and institutional power held by white individuals and groups 3.

  2. Anti-white Racism: The Wikipedia entry on anti-white racism describes it as discriminatory sentiments and acts of hostility towards individuals racialized as white. It acknowledges that such racism can manifest in various forms, including stereotyping and exclusion 4.

  3. Prejudice vs. Racism: An article from Metro News discusses the distinction between individual prejudice against white people and systemic racism, emphasizing that while individuals may experience prejudice, systemic disadvantages primarily affect ethnic minorities 5.

Academic Perspectives

  1. Robin DiAngelo's Concept of White Fragility: The Irish Times references Robin DiAngelo's term "white fragility," which describes the defensive reactions of white individuals when confronted with discussions about racism directed at them 6.

  2. Heather McGhee's Insights: In a CNN article, Heather McGhee argues that racism affects white people as well, albeit in different ways, suggesting that systemic racism has broader societal implications that can also disadvantage white individuals 7.

  3. Psychological Perspectives: Psychology Today discusses the phenomenon of white individuals claiming victimhood in discussions of racism, questioning the validity of these claims in the context of systemic inequalities 8.

3. Analysis

Evaluating the Sources

  • Credibility: Sources like the Office of Justice Programs and CNN are generally regarded as credible due to their institutional backing and adherence to journalistic standards. Wikipedia, while useful for a general overview, should be approached with caution due to its open-editing nature, which can lead to bias or inaccuracies.

  • Bias and Reliability: Articles from Metro News and Psychology Today may reflect specific editorial slants, particularly given the contentious nature of the topic. The Irish Times and CNN provide a more balanced view but still may be influenced by the prevailing cultural narratives surrounding race.

Conflicting Views

  • Support for the Claim: Some sources argue that while prejudice against white individuals exists, it does not equate to systemic racism due to the historical and ongoing power dynamics in society 35. This perspective suggests that racism is inherently tied to systemic oppression, which predominantly affects marginalized groups.

  • Opposition to the Claim: Conversely, sources like the Wikipedia entry and Heather McGhee's commentary acknowledge that anti-white sentiments can be harmful and constitute a form of racism, albeit one that lacks the systemic backing that racism against people of color typically has 47.

Methodological Concerns

The discussions surrounding this claim often lack empirical data to substantiate the arguments made. More comprehensive studies examining the experiences of white individuals in various societal contexts could provide clearer insights into the nuances of racism and prejudice.

4. Conclusion

Verdict: Partially True

The claim that "you can't be racist towards white people" is partially true, as it reflects a nuanced understanding of racism that distinguishes between individual prejudice and systemic racism. Evidence suggests that while individuals of any race can experience prejudice, systemic racism in many societies, particularly in North America, is predominantly directed against people of color due to historical power dynamics. However, anti-white sentiments do exist and can be harmful, indicating that racism can manifest in various forms, including against white individuals.

This verdict acknowledges the complexity of racism as a concept that encompasses both individual and systemic dimensions. It is important to recognize that while white individuals may experience prejudice, the systemic implications of racism are often more pronounced for marginalized groups.

Limitations in the available evidence include a lack of comprehensive empirical studies that explore the experiences of white individuals in different contexts, which could provide a more complete understanding of the issue. As such, readers should approach this topic with a critical mindset and consider the broader societal implications of racism and prejudice.

Ultimately, it is essential for readers to critically evaluate information themselves and engage with diverse perspectives to form a well-rounded understanding of such a complex issue.

5. Sources

  1. Racial Slurs About White People - Chess Nexus. https://chess.jefferson.edu/racial-slurs-about-white-people
  2. Impacts of Racism on White Americans - Office of Justice Programs. https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/impacts-racism-white-americans
  3. Words to Know - Anti-Racism and Racial Justice Resources - Research. https://guides.library.ucla.edu/c.php?g=1117422&p=8154164
  4. Anti-white racism - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-white_racism
  5. Can white people experience racism? | Metro News. https://metro.co.uk/2020/03/09/can-white-people-experience-racism-12340542/
  6. Can you be racist against white people? - The Irish Times. https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/can-you-be-racist-against-white-people-1.3591110
  7. How racism harms White people, too - CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/05/us/heather-mcghee-racism-white-people-blake/index.html
  8. Racism Against Whites: What's the Problem? - Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/are-we-born-racist/201103/racism-against-whites-whats-the-problem
  9. 5 myths — and 5 truths — about the reality of racism in the US. https://ideas.ted.com/5-myths-and-5-truths-about-reality-of-racism-us/
  10. Is it possible to be racist to white people? - IndigenousX. https://indigenousx.com.au/racist-to-white-people/

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Fact Check: Autistic Non-Verbal Episodes in Marriage: Why Words Vanish Sometimes and What to Do About It Neurodiverse Couples Tuesday, august 12, 2025. Here’s the scene: You’re in the middle of a conversation with your spouse. Maybe the topic is small (“Did you pay the water bill?”) or monumental (“Are we happy?”). And then—without warning—your autistic partner’s voice disappears. No yelling, no slammed doors. Just… gone. You’re left holding the conversational steering wheel while they’ve quietly climbed into the trunk. If you’ve never lived with high-functioning autism, this can be tragically misconstrued as stonewalling or contempt. It isn’t. It’s just neurology pulling the emergency brake. Why This Happens: The Science Without the Lab Coat Smell For autistic adults, losing speech under stress is often a shutdown—a form of nervous system overload that knocks language production offline. Think of it like your phone freezing: all the apps are still there, but none of them open when you tap. Research calls this autistic burnout when it happens in a longer, chronic cycle—linked to masking (Hull et al., 2017; Raymaker et al., 2020). Masking is the art of “performing normal” so well that non-autistic people think you’re fine. The issue is that it eats through your energy reserves like a car idling in traffic with the A/C on full blast (Mantzalas et al., 2022). Eventually, one hard conversation can tip you from functional to frozen. And here’s where couples therapy meets neuroscience: physiological flooding—the body’s fight/flight/freeze switch—is a known relationship killer (Malik et al., 2019; Gottman Institute, 2024). In other words, for some autistic partners, flooding may tend to show up sooner, last longer, and is more likely to pull the plug on speech entirely. 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No conflict gets left to rot in the corner. Spot burnout early. If shutdowns start clustering, it’s time to reduce demands, not double them. How This Isn’t Stonewalling Stonewalling is a choice. Shutdown is a lockout. Stonewalling says, “I won’t talk to you.” Shutdown says, “I can’t talk to you yet, but I will.” The key difference? Repair intention. A shutdown protocol builds that right into the process. The Ten-Minute At-Home Drill Co-create your signal and card. Agree on a pause window. Pack the downgrade kit. Rehearse the exchange (“Got it, I’m with you.”). Check in weekly to tweak the system. Remember, you’re not aiming for zero shutdowns. You’re aiming for shorter, kinder, safer ones. Why This Works Because it matches lived autistic experience (Raymaker et al., 2020; Lewis et al., 2023). Because it honors nervous system limits instead of punishing them (Malik et al., 2019). Because it lets both partners keep their dignity and still solve the problem. In other words: you’re building a marriage that can survive the occasional moments when the words are gone for the time being. Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed. REFERENCES: Hull, L., Mandy, W., Lai, M.-C., Baron-Cohen, S., Allison, C., Smith, P., & Petrides, K. V. (2017). “Putting on my best normal”: Social camouflaging in adults with autism spectrum conditions. Autism, 21(5), 611–622. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361316671012 Raymaker, D. M., Teo, A. R., Steckler, N. A., Lentz, B., Scharer, M., Delos Santos, A., … & Nicolaidis, C. (2020). “Having all of your internal resources exhausted beyond measure and being left with no clean-up crew”: Defining autistic burnout. Autism in Adulthood, 2(2), 132–143. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2019.0079 Mantzalas, J., Richdale, A. L., Adikari, A., Lowe, J., & Dissanayake, C. (2022). What Is Autistic Burnout? A thematic analysis of posts on two online platforms. Autism in Adulthood, 4(1), 52–65. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2021.0079 Lewis, L. F., et al. (2023). The lived experience of meltdowns for autistic adults. Autism, 27(7), 1787–1799. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613221145783 Malik, J., et al. (2019). Emotional flooding in response to negative affect in romantic relationships. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, 18(4), 327–349. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332691.2019.1641188 Gottman Institute. (2024, March 4). Making sure emotional flooding doesn’t capsize your relationship. Retrieved from https://www.gottman.com/blog/making-sure-emotional-flooding-doesnt-capsize-your-relationship/

Detailed fact-check analysis of: Autistic Non-Verbal Episodes in Marriage: Why Words Vanish Sometimes and What to Do About It Neurodiverse Couples Tuesday, august 12, 2025. Here’s the scene: You’re in the middle of a conversation with your spouse. Maybe the topic is small (“Did you pay the water bill?”) or monumental (“Are we happy?”). And then—without warning—your autistic partner’s voice disappears. No yelling, no slammed doors. Just… gone. You’re left holding the conversational steering wheel while they’ve quietly climbed into the trunk. If you’ve never lived with high-functioning autism, this can be tragically misconstrued as stonewalling or contempt. It isn’t. It’s just neurology pulling the emergency brake. Why This Happens: The Science Without the Lab Coat Smell For autistic adults, losing speech under stress is often a shutdown—a form of nervous system overload that knocks language production offline. Think of it like your phone freezing: all the apps are still there, but none of them open when you tap. Research calls this autistic burnout when it happens in a longer, chronic cycle—linked to masking (Hull et al., 2017; Raymaker et al., 2020). Masking is the art of “performing normal” so well that non-autistic people think you’re fine. The issue is that it eats through your energy reserves like a car idling in traffic with the A/C on full blast (Mantzalas et al., 2022). Eventually, one hard conversation can tip you from functional to frozen. And here’s where couples therapy meets neuroscience: physiological flooding—the body’s fight/flight/freeze switch—is a known relationship killer (Malik et al., 2019; Gottman Institute, 2024). In other words, for some autistic partners, flooding may tend to show up sooner, last longer, and is more likely to pull the plug on speech entirely. The Danger Loop in Marriage Autistic partner goes non-verbal — brain says “nope.” Non-autistic partner reads it as avoidance — brain says “attack.” Pressure increases — “Just say something.” Shutdown deepens — and now you’ve both lost. Do that a few hundred times and you’ll start conflating a physiological response into a moral failing. That’s the real marriage-killer. The Protocol: Three Phases, Zero Guesswork This is where we get practical. You can’t “love away” a temporary shutdown, but you can stop it from turning into World War III. Before: Build the Net Name the state. Agree on a phrase or signal ( I call this a couple code)—such as “words offline,” “shutdown,” a hand over the heart. The point is to make the invisible visible. The Shutdown Card. A literal card that says: I can’t speak right now. Please lower lights, reduce sound, give me X minutes. I promise I will circle back. The Pause Rule. Require a minimum of 20 minutes before resuming any tough talk. Autistic partner may need 90+. Agree ahead of time. Downgrade Kit. the usual gear; earplugs, soft light, weighted blanket, fidget, a quiet room. You know, human decency in object form. Reduce Daily Load. Avoid heavy talks right after work or big social events. Chronic overload makes a nervous shutdown more probable. During: Do Less, Better Autistic Partner: Give the signal. Exit stimulation. Switch channels if possible (text, notes app, yes/no cards). Send a short pre-written message: “Safe, can’t talk, back at 8:15.” Non-Autistic Partner: Acknowledge once—“Got it, I’m with you.” Hold the pause boundary. Lower stimuli. Go regulate your own nervous system—walk, journal, pet the dog. Don’t rehearse comebacks. Both: Avoid sarcasm, interrogation, ultimatums. Nothing lengthens a shutdown like moral outrage. After: Close the Loop Check in: “Are you ready to talk, or should we start in text?” Debrief: Identify triggers and what helped. Solve the actual problem. No conflict gets left to rot in the corner. Spot burnout early. If shutdowns start clustering, it’s time to reduce demands, not double them. How This Isn’t Stonewalling Stonewalling is a choice. Shutdown is a lockout. Stonewalling says, “I won’t talk to you.” Shutdown says, “I can’t talk to you yet, but I will.” The key difference? Repair intention. A shutdown protocol builds that right into the process. The Ten-Minute At-Home Drill Co-create your signal and card. Agree on a pause window. Pack the downgrade kit. Rehearse the exchange (“Got it, I’m with you.”). Check in weekly to tweak the system. Remember, you’re not aiming for zero shutdowns. You’re aiming for shorter, kinder, safer ones. Why This Works Because it matches lived autistic experience (Raymaker et al., 2020; Lewis et al., 2023). Because it honors nervous system limits instead of punishing them (Malik et al., 2019). Because it lets both partners keep their dignity and still solve the problem. 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Fact Check: My Executive Order, absolutely TREMENDOUS, makes MANDATORY watch INCREDIBLE, but very sad, documentary DOMINION! exposes the HORRIFIC behind the food we something the Deep State doesn't want know! thanks the patriot Senator Cory Booker, GREAT guy, streaming this White House movie room with the that learn SHOCKED, totally SHOCKED, million cows, million chickens, and BILLIONS (with BIG slaughtered EVERY DAY! Innocent, innocent animals. million This ghastly practice, folks, does NOT make America great. NO WAY! NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE WITH THE ANIMALS, best peace, better than anyone's you for your attention Thank this HUGE matter. WATCH DOMINION. 226K

Detailed fact-check analysis of: My Executive Order, absolutely TREMENDOUS, makes MANDATORY watch INCREDIBLE, but very sad, documentary DOMINION! exposes the HORRIFIC behind the food we something the Deep State doesn't want know! thanks the patriot Senator Cory Booker, GREAT guy, streaming this White House movie room with the that learn SHOCKED, totally SHOCKED, million cows, million chickens, and BILLIONS (with BIG slaughtered EVERY DAY! Innocent, innocent animals. million This ghastly practice, folks, does NOT make America great. NO WAY! NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE WITH THE ANIMALS, best peace, better than anyone's you for your attention Thank this HUGE matter. WATCH DOMINION. 226K

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