Dr Jordan B Peterson

If a white nationalist said Black people weren’t rational, couldn’t plan ahead, and couldn’t keep a schedule, we would call him racist before he finished the sentence. In 2020, the Smithsonian published an infographic that put those very qualities under “White culture.” I commented on it then. It’s making the rounds again, so I’m saying it again now. How can we Black people let something like this go unchallenged when our children are the ones who will absorb its message? The graphic lists objective and rational thinking, cause and effect, quantitative thinking, hard work, self-reliance, planning for the future, delayed gratification, strict schedules, respect for authority, and decision-making as features of “White culture.” It then says that people of color have internalized aspects of that culture. Think about the implication. These virtues are supposedly foreign to us, and if we value them, we are “acting White.” I reject that completely. These are human virtues. People of every skin color need them and are capable of cultivating them if they want to thrive, raise strong families, build businesses, and create better societies. To the countless Black people who, like me, have always prized hard work, planning, and delayed gratification, this graphic is an insult. It reinforces damaging stereotypes and pushes a victimhood mindset on our youth. This is racist and ignorant, no matter who approved it. I’m done with the Smithsonian for this. Real progress would teach our children that these virtues belong to them too, and that becoming disciplined, thoughtful, and responsible does not make them any less Black.