Portraying Government as Overreaching

DEFINITION
Depicting government efforts to promote racial equity and inclusion as misguided, unnecessary and/or improper.

EFFECT ON RACIAL DISCOURSE ON RACIAL DISCOURSE
Undermines support for a significant government role in dismantling systemic racism. Suggests that if government would just “get out of the way” (i.e., stop infringing on the individual freedom of whites), we could have a “colorblind” country once and for all.

EXAMPLE
A low-income family of color recounts the story of how they “got in over their heads” in the housing market through the rapid refinancing of their home. Media coverage blames a government program for first-time homebuyers that helped the family make their initial purchase, for disrupting “market forces” which should be “free” from government “social engineering.”

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In This Section:

Intro: Seven Harmful Racial Discourse Practices to Avoid
  1. Individualizing Racism
  2. Falsely Equating Incomparable Acts
  3. Diverting From Race
  4. Portraying Government as Overreaching
  5. Prioritizing Intent Over Impact
  6. Coded Language
  7. Silencing History

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