“White Supremacy is a hell of a drug” – Allison Gains.
It is often said that white people are addicted to privilege. I would take it one step further and argue that white people are actually dependent on whiteness itself. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we are addicted to the status, comfort, safety, power, security, access, privilege, and internalized superiority that it seemingly enables us to maintain.
Dependency on Supremacy
The dependence on whiteness includes self-prescribed progressive anti-racist individuals, as well as those white folks who feel socio-economically marginalized or left out. Many of those who consider themselves allies are often doing so under the [unconscious] pretense that they are not putting anything on the line. They are the people that openly cheer for diversity, equity, and inclusion — but still thrive on the status quo.
For those who don’t feel like their whiteness has granted them any material advantage (i.e. those experiencing poverty, homelessness, etc.), the promise of someday achieving access and privilege still keeps them pursuing and ultimately chasing the “high” [status] that whiteness can provide. Little glimpses of what potentially lies ahead keeps them on an intravenous drip. Moreover, if they themselves can’t achieve status, privilege, or power — as was the case with many of the European immigrants who came here over the last four centuries — there is always the hope that their successors might.
While it may seem odd comparing addiction to a specific racial identity, consider that both are arguably a form of mental illness that thrive on a steady stream of rationalization, justification, minimization, and self-manipulation. Applying “the lens of addiction helps provide perspective on the corrosive nature of racism’s impact on the hearts and lives of white Americans,” describes Tennessee educator Eli Foster. “An addict knows cognitively that what they are doing is wrong, but they are continually drawn to their addiction. [Many] want to be free, but the power of addiction is so strong that they sacrifice everything to maintain it.”[1] The gas lighting, cognitive dissonance, and dehumanization that it requires to maintain a white identity ultimately takes a huge toll on everyone — including those who inhabit a white identity.
Healing and Recovery
Recovery from addiction depends on connection and community, honesty, and self-love. These elements are key in creating an identity that allows us to step beyond a lens of internalized superiority. More importantly though, they are the foundations of establishing a sense of self that goes beyond a socially constructed racial identity that was literally built upon nothing other than a false sense of superiority, an oppressive mindset, greed, and even fear as the very basis for its existence.
Ultimately, no matter which path one takes toward overcoming an addiction — the first step is moving out of denial and admitting that the problem exists. Without first accepting our dependence on our own racial identities, white folks have little hope in being a part of dismantling white supremacy.
[1] https://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/2020/08/15/white-americans-should-treat-racism-addition-overcome/5587838002/
