White People Math

I find myself deeply disturbed by the ‘white people math’ in this American presidential election.

Not every white person who voted for Mr. Biden is committed to racial justice, but many are. Not every white person who voted for Mr. Trump supports white supremacy, but many were willing to vote for a candidate who does.

We are deeply divided around race. No breaking news there. But I’m wondering about the deep differences around the commitment to racial learning among white Americans. I wrote after the 2016 election that there would be only two kinds of white Americans going forward: those who want to be part of a multiracial society, and those who would prefer for white people to stay in charge. 

I see in this election a third audience emerging among white Americans: those who are authentically exploring how to be a part of D&I work while voting for a candidate who openly disdains everything that helps us explore our differences in the context of belonging together.

Specifically, I know good-minded, well-intentioned white leaders who voted for Mr. Trump. They did it because they agree with his economic priorities, and his personality and behavior were less a concern for them. These same people are actively pursuing how to lead more inclusively, with identity points like race and gender in view. I’m confused by the decision-making of these good white folks. 

While I work through my befuddlement, here’s one thing I’m not going to do: I refuse to assume that every white person who voted for Trump is an unteachable racist. I know this to not be true, and I am not going to give in to the temptation to validate my own sense of right by stereotyping other white people. 

Two ways I am committed to moving ahead: I am going to keep listening to the voices of black and brown people, to anyone whose racial identity differs from my own. We are not yet done hearing about their loss and grief, their weariness, and the closed doors and open wounds they cope with every day. I’m going to be part of the solution to their painful reality, in ways they deem useful and right.

And I’m going to keep working as hard as I can alongside people of every racial identity—including other white people, whomever they voted for—to deepen our inclusive mindset and skillset, and to remove bias and generate opportunities in our systems. 

Maybe I’ll sort out my bewilderment. Maybe the choices of others will remain a mystery. But right now I am focusing on the agency I do have. You possess it, too. We can refuse to join in the fights and dividing, we can keep listening and building trust across racial lines, and we can invest in leading more inclusively. It won’t be easy, but it will be good.