I find this interpretation misleading. It’s not always about dialogue and conversation.

Remaining inactive in evaluating yourself, or stepping back and looking at racism from the outside, without active participation in either internal evaluation or external dialogue, leads white people to believe they are removed from the problem and only need to stand by and wait for the announced solution which they can then participate in.

Thinking that “shutting up and listening” is effective or helpful, or needed or wanted, is what causes white people to not address their personal contributions to the normalization of all-whiteness or white privilege.

If we want to dismantle white privilege and white supremacy, we have to be active participants.

White privilege isn’t controlled by the elite, the 1%, the politicians, or any one group. It’s controlled by all white people who are ineffective in self-evaluation and self-regulation.

Shutting up and listening is for people who don’t already realize they’re racist. Active internal participation is required to effectively combat racism. People who’ve been victims of racism are not responsible for facilitating a solution to the problem created by white people.

I’d love for you to check out my piece on anti-racism.