Those who complain about “cancel culture” claim that calling someone a racist is like sewing a scarlet letter on every shirt they own, an inescapable mark against their character. This argument overlooks the human potential for change and growth. But also, how societal norms have shifted over time. Racism is no longer confined to the shadows of society. Indeed, in some circles, such behavior is brought into the limelight and celebrated. Take, for instance, the public response to Shiloh Hendrix, a White woman identified in a viral video calling a 5-year-old Black boy the n-word in a public park. The mother from Rochester, Minnesota, claimed she lashed out after the child took something that belonged to her son. In the aftermath, Hendrix launched a fundraising campaign on GoSendGo, which raised more than half a million dollars in a few days. This rapid fundraising effort sparked national discourse about the prevalence of racism in American society.
What were people who donated to Shilox Hendrix thinking? Luckily, we don’t have to wonder in vain, as some messages attached to anonymous donations revealed contributors’ motivations. One donor tagged “Average White Man” gave Hendrix $1488, while another labeled “White Lives Matter” donated the same amount. Smaller contributions also included racially inflammatory messages, such as a $20 donation that read “remove monkeys” and another referencing “Karmelo Anthony.” These examples represent only a drop in the bucket of vulgar descriptions used by donors. And the popularity of Shiloh Hendrix’s campaign points to the pervasive nature of anti-black racism in American society. Lift a stone and you will find it. Messages left by anonymous donors reveal that prejudice against Black people is not only pervasive, but it’s encouraged. This explains why many white people willingly opened their wallets to support the campaign.
To be clear, there is nothing that a child can do to justify racism directed toward them. As adults, we have a collective responsibility to ensure children are safe from physical and verbal abuse. Directing hatred toward them violates that basic social contract. Even if the child took something out of Shiloh’s baby bag, this conduct wouldn’t warrant calling them the n-word. At 5 years old, the human brain is still developing executive function (EF) skills, which help them distinguish between socially acceptable behaviors. Researchers suggested that “much of the development of EF, especially working memory, shifting, and planning, occurs after age 5.” Also, according to Sharmake Omar, the child in question was on the autism spectrum. Even absent this knowledge, taking your anger out on a child, whether for swiping a toy or a snack, fails to consider their developmental stage. Far too often, Black children are deprived of the grace extended to white children. Rather than directly addressing the child’s behavior with a parent or guardian, Hendrix addressed the child directly and responded with the assumption that they meant to cause harm.
As Black Americans expressed disapproval of a white woman directing a slur at a child, some referenced the community’s recent support of Karmelo Anthony. During a physical altercation, the 17-year-old Black student allegedly stabbed a White student, Austin Metcalf. He claimed he acted in self-defense. But the response from many white nationalists has been to use this case as an opportunity to exploit racial divisions. Some used the case to suggest that Anthony, and by extension, Black people, were more violent than other groups. They claimed that widespread support for Karmelo Anthony was evidence of hatred for white people. However, the truth is that many donated to his defense fund because of concerns that he wouldn’t receive a fair trial. The Equal Justice Initiative stated that, “Black Americans are 7.5 times more likely than white Americans to be falsely convicted of murder.” Thus, their skepticism over the racism in the criminal justice system is not without cause. Lastly, there is no evidence that this tragic altercation among teenagers involved race at all. On the other hand, using the n-word is a deliberate, overt example of racism.
For those aware of America’s legacy of racism, it is not surprising to learn that a white woman would yell racial slurs at a Black child. Indeed, in a famous 1957 photo of 15-year-old Hazel Bryan, a Black student walked into Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, while white women yelled and screamed profanities at her. Many white parents and local officials protested the racial integration of schools. And when they lost the legal power to maintain segregation, they responded with anger. Enraged that they had to share public resources with Black people, they sought to create a hostile environment. Hendrix, who is seen on video yelling at a 5-year-old Black child in a public park, embodies this same energy, as her verbal attack communicates that not everyone is welcome. Sadly, her open expression of racism has inspired some white people who resent having to suppress their racist sentiments. This explains why some have likened her to a hero in memes online, comparing her to historical figures such as Harriet Tubman or Joan of Arc. In a society that reckoned with its legacy of racism, using slurs wouldn’t make someone wealthy because this type of behavior wouldn’t be incentivized.
“Help Me Protect My Family,” Shiloh Hendrix wrote as the title of her fundraiser. She claimed the video of her in the park led to her being doxxed, and positioned herself as the victim, while making no effort to apologize for her racist outburst. “I called the kid out for what he was,” Shiloh Hendrix wrote in her fundraiser write-up, an unrepentant response. This is a prime example of Bayesian racism, where someone relies on racist stereotypes to justify their prejudice. In this case, Hendrix attempted to justify using a slur by referencing the behavior of the 5-year-old child, claiming that he took something that belonged to her son. She then used the stereotype that portrays Black people as more criminal than other groups to justify her racist outburst. It’s offensive, but it’s a narrative that resonanted with many white Americans, as indicated by the popularity of the fundraiser, which continues to acculumate funds. As long as racism is prevalent in society, such incidents are likely to continue. And as we’ve seen, crowdfunding efforts can add fuel to the fire, as they seemingly provide the public away to cosign harmful behaviors.
This post originally appeared on Medium and is edited and republished with author's permission. Read more of Dr. Allison Gaines' work on Medium.