To the Editor,
The struggle for racial justice is for people of color. It’s also a struggle against white supremacy — white folks privileging the power of white folks (whether we realize it or not). As a white person, I don’t always see how my white lens is operating, even though it is at all times. Learning about this is a lifelong process.
The conflict at The Swarthmorean is not a misinterpretation but rather a difference in perception of, and attentiveness to, racial power dynamics. The publishers are white, and they have expressed commitments to social justice in the paper and in their lives. As they said, they’ve always planned to publish social justice content. They also had a conversation about “editorial balance” with their editor, Rachel. I believe all of this. I also believe Satya, who said the publishers wanted their editors to “stop writing so many heavy and racially charged pieces” [emphasis mine]. This editorial balance concerns the frequency and intensity of certain types of racial justice reporting (not a total censorship on social justice). The proposed shift was prompted by an undisclosed number of subscribers. I’m assuming they are white. When white readers complain about racial content and their feedback is given weight, this is an exertion of white power and influence, an unacceptable racial power dynamic.
The white folks’ complaints had rippling effects — they influenced the publishers, who attempted to influence their editors, who resisted. It doesn’t really matter whether this was a business decision or a way to keep white readers engaged — any way you cut it, this calibration to whiteness (white comfort and white preferences) is racially alienating for community members of color. (For more on centering white people, please see Ijeoma Oluo’s article in the Guardian: “Confronting racism is not about the needs and feelings of white people.”)
How can The Swarthmorean be credible on social justice within its pages when it has not dealt with its institutional racial power dynamics — including a structural editorial balance that privileges some unknown number of invisible white readers?
To me, working towards racial justice as a white person means standing up for people of color in all contexts, recognizing that they understand racial injustice in ways I never can. It means taking criticism seriously, respecting their guidance and leadership. If I make a mistake, it’s not a reflection on my character, but an opportunity to do better. I believe in handling racial mistakes with accountability, humility, and care for those most affected — people of color.
When a Black woman, an editor of The Swarthmorean, provides valuable feedback, we should listen. I hope this incident demonstrates that no newspaper can maintain all audiences. In appeasing white readers and privileging whiteness, the publishers have lost other readers, including me. If they rectify this situation with transparency, responsibility, and care, I would consider renewing. In the absence of any such attempt, I stand with my neighbors of color, whose lives, histories of racial oppression, readership, and workplace experiences matter. I have cancelled my subscription.
Kabeera Weissman
Swarthmore