Traffic lights are racist, it was only a matter of time...

I think it's a bit of a stretch to construe those traffic lights as intentionally or otherwise racist. Most people of all colours would have to try pretty hard to be offended by them. Genuine outrage at racial bias is worth spending elsewhere.

However, the point of the article is possibly to get us thinking about how white is considered the default colour of the human race, when darker skin is far far more common globally. I think It is an attempt to provoke thought rather than to stir up hatred of traffic lights.

And is 'EVERYTHING' really racist now? I find its actually pretty easy not to be racist by even modern definitions. I don't have to try very hard to not imply superiority of my own skin colour.

Give me some things that an ordinary person might do or think that would be wrongly considered as racist in the current cultural climate.

Reply 2

Nabu123

11

He was not saying that the traffic lights were racist. He was saying how white normality alienates a lot of PoC from a young age and promotes the conditioning of white supremacy into are society. He was just starting a conversation. I think it's an interesting point.

Reply 3

generallee

OP

16

Original post by Nabu123

He was not saying that the traffic lights were racist. He was saying how white normality alienates a lot of PoC from a young age and promotes the conditioning of white supremacy into are society. He was just starting a conversation. I think it's an interesting point.

Yes he was, he explicitly said that traffic signals are racist in the below, direct, quotation...

"But what about the far more subtle streams of everyday racism that course through our homes, our workplaces, and the outside world? These instances may be far subtler than a mascot or an offensive term, but are no less pervasive — and no less deserving of cultural reckoning.

For me, this reckoning begins with traffic signals."

Reply 4

PTMalewski

Strongly reminds me of the Cultural Revolution in China.
They were trying to make red, the 'go' signal instead of green, as stopping at red was seen as 'counter-revolutionary'. As you know, red was the symbol of communism and revolution.
They had to drop the idea, too many accidents.

Original post by Nabu123

He was not saying that the traffic lights were racist. He was saying how white normality alienates a lot of PoC from a young age and promotes the conditioning of white supremacy into are society. He was just starting a conversation. I think it's an interesting point.

Even assuming something as silly as the colour of traffic would affect somebody, what would you need to do, to get rid of this kind of white supremacy promotion?
Okay, lets say you change colors of the signals. Then what? Ban sun which looks white if you look at it and gives life, or make sure there is equal number of white and black cars on the street? As having a car is a sign of welfare?

I think it's all just cynical journalists inventing artificial problems, and trying to trigger as many conflicts as they can, so they have emotional stuff to write about, and keep their jobs.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 5

username4986690

It reminds me of this classic...

Reply 6

RtheBotanist

Sure, it's fairly inane journalism in the scheme of things. But does it negate anti-racism as a cause? No.

Reply 7

generallee

OP

16

Original post by RtheBotanist

I think it's a bit of a stretch to construe those traffic lights as intentionally or otherwise racist. Most people of all colours would have to try pretty hard to be offended by them. Genuine outrage at racial bias is worth spending elsewhere.

However, the point of the article is possibly to get us thinking about how white is considered the default colour of the human race, when darker skin is far far more common globally. I think It is an attempt to provoke thought rather than to stir up hatred of traffic lights.

And is 'EVERYTHING' really racist now? I find its actually pretty easy not to be racist by even modern definitions. I don't have to try very hard to not imply superiority of my own skin colour.

Give me some things that an ordinary person might do or think that would be wrongly considered as racist in the current cultural climate.

White is not the default colour of the human race in China, or Japan, or Korea, or India, the Middle East or Africa, as you say. It wasn't in the past, it isn't now, and it won't be in the future. It was only considered so in the past in Western Europe and the US, because they were (white) ethno nation states. Since we live in one of those societies, that is why we considered it so here, and they did in the US too.

But you are right, we no longer consider it appropriate to consider white the default colour of the the US or UK, let alone the human race. BUT does that make a white figure on a US traffic light, ipso facto racist? I don't make the connection.

To your final question I can't give you an example of something "wrongly" considered racist because the definition of the terms that is accepted by the police for hate crime purposes is anything perceived to be so, by a person of another race, even if it were not intended. So everything can (rightfully) be considered racist in that definition, including traffic lights.

Reply 8

DSilva

12

Original post by generallee

https://level.medium.com/the-unintentional-racism-found-in-traffic-signals-b2899c34fefb

Thoughts? Are people as heartily sick as I am of how EVERYTHING is now racist?

Or do we have lots of posters who agree with this guy?

(If is a TLDR article, in America the Walk - Don't Walk traffic signals often (but not always) feature an illuminated white man on a black background. The writer, who is black, says that this reminds him of white slave owners.)

Surely this is sarcasm/ written by a right wing comedian?!

Reply 9

the bear

https://www.drivingschooleastlondon.co.uk/wp-content/themes/ELDS/images/syllabus/pedestrian-crossings.jpg

at least we have got zebra crossings right :h:

Reply 10

Just my opinion

I never thought I'd say this but I miss the relative sanity of the days when Greta Thornburg dominated these forums. 🙄

Reply 11

Mojmeer

18

Original post by DiddyDec

It reminds me of this classic...

Was that an actual article?

Reply 12

username4986690

Original post by Mojmeer

Was that an actual article?

Click the link on "classic" to find out...

Black and white are just the two colours that stand out the most against each other, and I’d say a white figure on a black background stands out the most out of the two options sooo
It’s just for human safety imo so I don’t see what colour has to do with it

(Also white people aren't literally the colour white, so I don’t see how that’s a problem...)

Reply 14

username4986690

https://www.drivingschooleastlondon.co.uk/wp-content/themes/ELDS/images/syllabus/pedestrian-crossings.jpg

Original post by the bear

at least we have got zebra crossings right :h:

They are 50% racist.

Reply 15

RtheBotanist

Original post by Mojmeer

Was that an actual article?

Why are people so angry about it? You all realise the ridiculous title is just clickbait to get page views from enraged people? The actual article is a rather messy discussion of the failures of urban planning and how the city environment was designed originally for the activities and livelihoods of men. It's not overly interesting or remarkable. There are articles that make better feminist arguments, sure.

Reply 16

Legomenon

To be honest I was expecting the complaint to be that traffic lights are offensive to red/yellow/green people, but this isn’t much better lol

Reply 17

Wōden

Original post by RtheBotanist

Sure, it's fairly inane journalism in the scheme of things. But does it negate anti-racism as a cause? No.

No, but it cheapens the cause. It does rather suggest that they are having to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find incidences of 'oppression'.

Reply 18

Napp

22

A novel interpretation of the inane it must be said.
Meh let them wallow in their faux victimhood though. I trust they're aware it does zero but undermine their supposed cause though when they start labeling all and sundry as "racist". We're going to need a new word to describe hatred based on race soon :lol:

Reply 19

Just my opinion