What is Victim Blaming?

Can you imagine a world where a man whose policies promote structural misogyny, racism, homophobia and classism rises to lead a country?

Well, that man isn't the issue. The entrench institutions and structures that enable the perpetuation of oppression are the real problem.
— Pran Patel (@MrPranPatel) November 29, 2019

It’s society’s issue, not any single individual.

The Simplicity of (Societal) Oppression :

Oppression is solely due to the bias of those in power; it is because, in the utopia of a ‘more equal’ society, people with segments of power will have to relinquish that very same privilege.

Privilege may be described as notes being stuffed into your pockets as you walk down the street; The analogy misses the source of those resources, that money comes from the pockets of the oppressed. (Zeus Leonardo)

Where there is a power imbalance between two sets of people, the lines of power can only flow from oppressor to oppressed. From white to black, from men to women, from able-bodied to disabled, from hetero to LGBQ+. from cis to trans, etc.

Essential the roads equality, egalitarianism and equity are simple:

People in power need to relinquish that power to people who deserve it.

With the case of white supremacy, the lines flow from white people to people of colour. To solve white supremacy, white people need only to relinquish their unearned power to people of colour — further equity for the intersections of men to women, cis to trans, straight to LGBQ+, etc.

None of this above is the fault of the oppressed. No matter how a person of protected characteristics behaves, they are NOT responsible for their experiences of societal oppression; anything converse to this is pure and merely victim-blaming.

TW Below: Suspected Attack

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/police-accused-victim-blaming-after-20978270

We are incredibly disappointed that despite our advice, our explanations into the repercussions of #VictimBlaming, @SuffolkPolice have decided to create this Christmas Tree. It is not our responsibility to keep ourselves safe! #AfterNightFail pic.twitter.com/tqXtDNPPhA
— ReclaimTheNightIpswich (@nightipsw) November 30, 2019

Bring this back to race; I am often told to adjust (my speech or actions) or act differently concerning my activism by white people. Before I go on to make my point, I am being dictated to by people who benefit from the oppression that I face and fight, how I should go about dealing with that day to day experience. If you don’t see the issue with that, please stop reading and go back to earlier blogs on oppression in the equity section.

However, I am aware that it often falls on the shoulders of PoC to enlighten educators about these issues. The burden of education, questioning, nudging and straight out calling out is emotionally exhausting it’s akin to constant swimming against the current. Please do not take my willingness (when I am up to it) as a responsibility.

[33:48] And when you really want to take away, to oppress, and to prevent, you have to have a reason for despising your victim. Where racism exists as an idea, it was always a confidence game that sucked all the strength of the victim. It really is the red flag that the toreador dances before the head of a bull. Its purpose is only to distract, to keep the bull’s mind away from his power and his energy, to keep his mind focused on anything but his own business. Its hoped-for consequence was to define Black people as reactions to White presence.
[35:46] It’s important, therefore, to know who the real enemy is, and to know the function, the very serious function of racism, which is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining over and over again, your reason for being. Somebody says you have no language and so you spend 20 years proving that you do. Somebody says your head isn’t shaped properly so you have scientists working on the fact that it is. Somebody says that you have no art so you dredge that up. Somebody says that you have no kingdoms and so you dredge that up.
Toni Morrison #citeblackwomen

Hence, part of ‘white supremacy’ function is to distract (Toni Morrison) and so are all form of this blatant abuse of power. Victim blaming is a form of distraction. It’s time we start tackle the issues around oppression and *supporting* the victims.