It’s much more than an objectively descriptive word. “People of color “often is used by some non-whites, and even some whites, as a wedge, dividing humanity into two mutually exclusive camps. On one side are white people, and on the other are all the rest, united in their “non-whiteness.”
Who would promote so destructive and cynical a distinction? The answer, of course, is: anyone with what is called a “dark triad” personality structure characterized by narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. These are persons—Barack Hussein Obamas and Eric Himpton Holders— who so avariciously lust for profit, power, and prestige that they do not hesitate to climb over anyone or everyone to achieve their ends. Dark triad individuals continually speak about “people of color” to keep the issue fresh in our national consciousness, and, thus, always available for their self-serving exploitations.
But not even a president or an attorney general can keep a malignantly divisive idea alive. Many “lesser” persons, even a few everyday people, sometimes identify themselves as a person of color in a deliberate or unconscious attempt to extract even a small measure of personal or social advantage.
If I conceive of myself as a person of color:
Whatever failures I sustain can be mitigated, blamed on my racial victim status.
Whatever successes I achieve can be magnified by my racial victim status, “Look what I did despite the insuperable odds against me!”
Whenever I am angry, I can express hatred of the wicked white culture and vent rather than looking within myself for the source of my misery.
Whenever I feel alone, I can console myself by remembering that most of the world is populated by poor, downtrodden people of color who would understand my desperation and feeling of oppression.
If there is a benefit to be had, by referring to my person of color membership I can go to the head of the handout line, even if I am more objectively well-off than most of the “poor white trash” in line behind me.
As a person of color, I share in the glory of people of color heroes—past, present, and future—and I discount any Caucasian standouts. For instance, I can reject George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and the like as nothing but degenerate slave holders. Instead of paying attention to them, I can band together with other people of color to cajole, threaten, and coerce our society into giving the lion’s share of societal attention to the accomplishments, holidays, and festivals related to Martin Luther King, Junior-like persons.
If you doubt the last point, some quiet time, take an elementary-age child aside. Ask him/her to tell you about Washington, Jefferson, and King and merely tally the amount that he/she knows about each. Then, ask the child how much classroom time was spent this year in talking about the three historical figures.
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