Charlotte has been involved with a citizen planning committee for a local park for almost two decades. Nearly twenty years ago, a suggestion was made that the committee partner with indigenous people who had been ignored so much that a major newspaper reported and most people believed that they were extinct. During the initial discussions within the all-white committee, one white man expressed his concerns that if we just met with the Indians, we had to be careful that the history of the white settlers was not lost.
Our local area is full of white male history – not only in the recorded history of our area, but in the names of towns, human-built structures, and natural areas. (How did they reproduce if there were no women around, because they are rarely mentioned?) And yet, when mentioning an indigenous person, the white man’s immediate response was to worry about the monopoly of white male history and recognition.
The White Man March produced more responses through a Twitter hashtag mocking the marchers, #WhiteManMarchProtestSigns, than people attending the march. Our favorite came from Charles@Ugaries:
"What do we want – EVERYTHING. When do we want it – STILL"
http://www.salon.com/2014/03/16/here_are_some_of_the_best_tweets_mocking_the_white_man_march/
