The (racist) call is coming from inside the house. According to The Independent, Amy Cooper is a frequent donor to Democratic candidates.
...campaign contribution information — with donations to Democrats such as Barack Obama, Pete Buttigieg, and John Kerry — leaked online appears to suggest that Amy actually identifies as a liberal. This matters, because in this political era, during this most critical US Presidential election, it is necessary that we understand and recognize that white violence transcends party lines and political ideology.
Of course, like most white people, Cooper does not believe she is a racist.
"I'm not a racist. I did not mean to harm that man in any way," she said, adding that she also didn't mean any harm to the African American community.
Most white people have a cartoon image of a racist in their heads that involves membership in the KKK and frequently dropping the “N” word into casual conversation. The fact is, being raised in a racist society takes its toll on all of us. There is no Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind-like procedure to remove racist thoughts and impulses from the minds of even the most well-meaning white people.
How do we keep ourselves (and our kids, if we have them) from pulling an Amy Cooper act (or worse)?
The path to transformation is self-education and adoption of anti-racist action. There are tons of resources available. A lot of us think anti-racism education is a one and done sort of thing. It isn’t. We actually need to do a lot of reading and thinking for the rest of our lives and we’re never gonna stop making mistakes and we’re never gonna be done.
Just as racism takes a toll of people of color through thousands of micro-aggressions, we can do our part to dismantle systemic racial oppression through anti-racist actions large and small.
One action you can take today is to donate to Fair Fight, Stacy Abram’s organization.
Don’t just check your privilege. Use it.