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ignoring individual actions will also lead to the problem remaining.
Pretty sure I didn't advocate anything of the sort. I'm asserting that folks are missing the wood for the trees if individual actions are all they see, and that trying to educate individuals to behave better is largely futile while you have the kind of scum running the show who are happy to stay in power by pressing buttons in people's amygdalas.
Leaders not worthy of the name poison the culture - we all know this from experience in the workplace. A given slice of the populace considers hate legitimised.
Kimmo-
I'm asserting that folks are missing the wood for the trees if individual actions are all they see
I don't think anyone is missing the wood or the trees in this case, apart the the trees you seemingly minimised, if not ignored, in your posts. Both are important, changing systems is obviously the big goal, but those systems aren't going to change themselves, showing that change is wanted and needed on an individual or local level will be what drives larger change and shows support for it. Also, telling someone that their experience of racism is what they're stuck with until a systemic change is brought about that will likely benefit future generations as trying to educate racists is futile, seems a lot like minimising racism and letting racists off the hook for something they should be personally responsible for.
snottyotter
I'm sure telling that to a kid who just had racist slurs shouted at him by another kid of the same socioeconomic class, or a footballer getting racist abuse from fans wouldn't minimise their experience at all. Yes systemic change is needed, yes racism is used as a tool of subjugation by elites, but ignoring individual actions will also lead to the problem remaining.