Racism in White Anarchism: “Black Supremacy and Indigenous Ethnostate”

During this time of political and racial unrest, various leftist factions have come together to rightfully protest the injustice in our government system. Whether it be taking to the streets, or raising awareness online, we’ve seen different groups and organizations playing their part in making a difference.

That said, these days you may be familiar with the terms ‘anarchists’ ‘communists’ and even ‘Marxists’. Each term meaning relatively similar things but conflating in small intricacies. However, these voices have been some of the loudest when it comes to bringing forth change and remodeling of this current government.

On the outside, such groups seem good and at their core they are. However, in that same breath, you’ve probably heard terms such as ‘Indigenous/Native American Ethnostate’ or ‘Black Supremacy’ coming from a specific portion in those groups. In addition to also hearing this notion that Americans — whether they be Black or Native American — have the same privilege as white Americans.

These harmful and racist beliefs have started to fester in white communists and anarchist circles. And for that, I think it’s important to shed the light on the racism, specifically the anti-Native and anti-Black sentiment within white and white aligned anarchist/communists groups.

For this, I want to make it clear that the majority of people sharing these harmful ideas are white. Yet, like every faction that is corrupted with racism, there are unfortunately people of color who support racist ideologies against their brothers and sisters. That said, I may be using the term white aligned to describe such people of color.

Within white anarchist groups, there is so much racism to unpack, and I will not be able to cover all that I want to in this article. However, these are certain steps and dog whistles to look at. Things to look for in groups and ideologies that can harm marginalized people.

And before I continue, I want to mention that I am not against anarchists or communists — at all. But it’s important to make sure that, if you are a true ally who cares about change that will aid the most vulnerable people in our country, then center your learning process around black and indigenous communists and anarchist. Such people who actually speak up for and support change in our government yet are also aware of racial injustice in our country.

That said, I want to focus on three things specifically in this article:

“Black Supremacy” “Indigenous Ethnostate” and this idea circulated within white communists groups or white aligned non Blac/ Native American groups of color, that Indigenous and Black Americans have privilege because we are American.

Let’s start with the discourse over ‘Indigenous Ethnostate’. If you’ve been online during these past few weeks, you’ve seen the discussion of Indigenous people wanting their land back and in general, wanting people who aren’t indigenous to respect the land. You have also seen a great amount of white or white aligned communists and anarchists saying things like “Indigenous Ethnostates aren’t justified”, and comparing the idea of Indigenous people wanting their land back to, “Nazi Germany” or “White supremacy”.

This is a lot to unpack, so let’s begin with how racist these discussions are.

First and foremost, Native American people wanting their land back and wanting rights, should never ever be seen as comparable to Nazi Germany or white supremacists ideologies. If the fact that Indigenous people want land rights, want their land back and want the land respected translates to an ‘ethnostate’, then that is an issue. And issue that shows the ignorance of white people.

More so, the fact that so many people automatically equate indigenous people wanting rights to a racist, white supremacist ideology proves that many people are aware that the colonialization and the massive genocide of indigenous people was wrong, they just never thought to speak out against it. Yet it also proves that white people — in this case white anarchists and communists — both refuse to see the anti-Native sentiment festered in their communities, while also thinking they are above such things.

Using ideologies and made up scenarios that were actually responsible for the oppression and violence against indigenous peoples, and centering them around white people whilst coming up with fantasies to make white people victims, shows how deeply rooted white supremacy is in these groups.

The mere fact that indigenous people wanting their land back is automatically equated to a racist establishment, when that is not what any indigenous activists or group has been conveying is terribly racist. Yet this term, ‘Indigenous Ethnosate’, is still floating around as a counter to respecting indigenous people.

This term has completely silenced Native activists, is responsible for white people speaking over them, and has derailed so many in depth conversations they have had about land rights.

On the same note, we have the term ‘Black Supremacy’. The term, being used by white groups leftists and far right alike, is used to counter arguments when Black people say we want rights or that our lives matter. When Black Americans speak about the possibility of equality and Black Lives Matter, we are usually confronted with the idea that we want ‘Black Supremacy’.

Black Supremacy, like Indigenous Ethnostate, is a term used to derail the conversation of Black people wanting rights by coming up with a fake scenario that centers white people as victims. This idea that Black Supremacy exists is supposed to push the narrative that if Black People received just treatment, then we should be no better than white supremacists who oppressed us in the first place.

Let’s look at how inaccurate it is to say such a thing.

Black Supremacy isn’t real, and it could never exist. Black people do not have any societal or structural power over white people (or anyone for that matter), therefore this idea that we would be a ruling or privileged ethnic group just isn’t plausible. On the other hand, it is extremely concerning that the mere idea of black people getting equal rights, translates to black people being just as violent and oppressive as white people.

Just as it is concerning that Indigenous people wanting their land back, automatically equates to them being just as violent as white settlers were.

It is almost as if, white people are aware of their wrong doings against people of color, they are aware of their racism and privilege, but only start to care about their crimes against us when we want equal rights. Instead of actually confronting their privilege, they make up false narratives in their heads that no doubt paint them as victims and us as aggressors.

These ideologies and tendency to only care about oppression when specific white groups are the center is of course, understandable when seen in far right groups. Yet the issue at hand is that, these terms, arguments and buzzwords have been seen in white anarchists groups and are prevailing ideas that silence Black and Indigenous activists.

The final issue , seen by both white aligned and white communists is this idea that Indigenous and Black Americans have American privilege because we are American. That means — the same privilege as white Americans.

Being American does offer many privileges, this is not something we can deny. However, that truly depends on what type of American you are.

Being a poor, Indigenous or black American, offers you little to no privileges regarding your American status. In America, being Black or Indigenous has resulted in slavery, genocide, police brutality, mass kidnappings, longer prison sentence, racial violence, etc. These types of crimes and oppressions do not suddenly go away if you are American.

In the case of being Black American, anti-blackness is universal. In countries or communities that have issues with Anti-Blackness, being American hasn’t saved black people from being murdered in racist attacks in other countries — both white and non-white. Being American hasn’t saved black women, both in America and outside of America, from being trafficked, assaulted or brutalized.

In the case of being Native American, there are various communities that lack running water, proper housing, and who have had the residents mistreated by the government. Native American women have literally been kidnapped and assaulted by intruders who come onto reservations, commit crimes, and leave without punishment. Various Native Americans live in poverty or barely above the poverty line and face racism on a daily basis. Being American hasn’t granted them any type of privilege.

Is there a privilege that comes with being American — yes. Yet if those privileges result in violence in and out of your own country, then what privilege is that?

I have heard arguments such as “at least you can go to school” “at least you have a home” “at least you don’t live in a war zone”, etc.

This isn’t at all exclusive to being American. This is ignoring the large amount of wealthy, middle class people in other countries — that includes nonwhite and even ‘third world’ countries, who can go to school, who have nicer houses than most Black and Indigenous people here in America. This idea of, ‘at least you don’t live in a war zone’, is also lost because during the time many white anarchists and communists were saying things like this, various black people were living in areas with heavy police brutality during the protests. Tear gas, bullets, mob guards, etc., were deployed in these areas.

Black people have lived in literal war zones since the civil war, reconstruction, Civil Rights, until now. We forget instances like Bloody Sunday, the Bombing of Birmingham, police and white supremacists running through black towns, lynching and burning homes, based off of white women’s lies, throwing bombs, tear gas, etc. So yes, our ancestors have experiences war zones. And being American did not save them from that.

All this said, these “you have American privilege” is a very prevalent and loud argument in white anarchist communities. The redundancy white communists and anarchists have to lump all Americans in together, when it’s clear their intention is to go after Black and Native Americans is astounding. This in turn however, shows us another flaw of white communism and anarchism, and that is their inability to address their own white privilege and racism.

When white communists and anarchists choose these identities, they remove themselves from government and societal structures, calling and end to them all. Unfortunately, it appears that many of them believe that their white privileges is one of these struggles and renouncing such makes them unable to be racist.

That isn’t the case.

During my time looking through leftist ideologies, I have found the most straight forward, shameless racism within white anarchist and communist groups. This idea that they are above racism is lost to me, especially when their main targets tend to be black and indigenous people.

It has taken me time, but I finally now understand that many of them still hold on to racist, white supremacist views and use their identity as a communist and or anarchists, to safely voice those opinions without getting any negative feedback.

Rather than flat out being anti-black and anti-native, they can do it in ways that ‘make sense’, to an anarchist crowed. “Why should Native Americans get their land back if it would just be an ethnostate? Free land to everyone.” “Why should black people be in charge if it will just be another form of Black Supremacy” “All Americans are privileged because they are Americans, and none of them are really oppressed”. These are all phrases that are used by far right, white supremacists groups yet with a little tweeking — they are almost passable to a liberal audience — a white liberal audience.

That said, communism and anarchism are not bad ideologies to follow. Yet it’s important to make sure you are subscribing to the beliefs of the correct communists and anarchists. Meaning, follow and advocate for Native American and Black American communists and anarchists. It’s important to realize that America itself was built on the genocide and the enslavement of Black and Indigenous Americans. So when discussions of communism and anarchy come, when we want to talk about changing the government, Black and Indigenous people should be the first ones speaking.

White anarchist and communists groups have festered with racist ideologies hidden behind leftism for far to long, and it’s time we call it out.