‘Where does this end?’ NYT oped suggests cutting off family & friends unless they protest or give money to anti-racism orgs

A New York Times opinion piece suggests the only true way to alleviate white guilt is to cut off family and friends unless they support anti-racism causes, either through protest or financial contributions.

Author Chris Sanders is not happy about white people he knows texting him about the current unrest in the nation amidst the ongoing protests over the death of George Floyd. 

After ranting about his agent and publishing company pushing off a scheduled meeting for a “blackout” day in support of the demonstrations around the country and people suddenly caring about the Black Lives Matter movement in light of protests, Sanders argues white people texting him about these issues “drain my time and energy.”

Being guilty is not enough, Sanders suggests. He offers only three ways white people can be allies to black people today.

The first is contributing money to either black politicians or anti-racism organizations. The second is cutting off any and all family or friends who do not either contribute to those causes as well or physically protest. White people must tell these people “you will not be visiting them or answering phone calls until they take significant action in supporting black lives either through protest or financial contributions.”

And the third is protecting black protesters at risk during the current demonstrations.

The assertion that the guilt all white people need to be feeling can only be offset by damaging personal relationships has not gone over well with many on social media.

“Where does this end? I want racial equality, but I utterly disdain any person or institution endorsing such tactics,” writer Mark Hemingway tweeted.

“So grandparents need to risk COVID19 at a protest or pay up, or no grandkids. How did antiracism get so creepy & cultish,” reporter Jonathan Kay asked in a thread blasting the oped.

“My daughter was told this in college. She was told to cut ties w friends/family for ‘wrongthink’. I was discarded by my family for leaving Islam. She knows the pain it has caused me, so she was horrified by these instructions. She never spoke up, of course, lest she be attacked,” shared another user.

Others questioned whether the writer was putting older people at risk by saying the only way they should be able to see family is to join a protest, which would put them at greater risk of contracting Covid-19.

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