An Ivy League professor bashed “the smiling face of Whiteness” in response to the recent controversy involving an interaction between a Native American man and a Catholic teenage supporter of President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n \u201cWhiteness endlessly forgives its own transgressions,\u201d University of Pennsylvania associate professor\u00a0Ebony Elizabeth Thomas\u00a0<\/a>wrote<\/a>\u00a0on Sunday about the confrontation between Covington Catholic High School student Nick Sandmann and Native American Nathan Phillips. \u201cIt rarely, if ever, gives those of us it harms and maims and kills time to process our motions [sic].\u201d<\/p>\n Thomas teaches in UPenn\u2019s Graduate School of Education.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018You forgive us, right? You have to forgive us! Understanding will make it better! Reconciliation! Diversity! Inclusion!\u2019\u201d she\u00a0continued<\/a>, conveying what she suggests to be the attitude of most white people.<\/p>\n According to Thomas, the \u201csmiling face of Whiteness\u201d is one that \u201calways hides a knife behind its back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat knife says this: \u2018You must forgive us. You must educate us. Or else.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUsually, that \u2018or else\u2019 happens anyway,\u201d the professor\u00a0adds<\/a>. \u201cBut it will assuredly happen unless you kiss Whiteness’ ring.\u201d<\/p>\n Thomas goes on to\u00a0claim<\/a>\u00a0that she knows \u201call about Whiteness\u2019 outrageous demands.\u201d She\u00a0reiterates<\/a>\u00a0that \u201cwhiteness endlessly forgives its own transgressions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe focus shouldn’t be on how these people can learn from BIPOC [Black & Indigenous People of Color],\u201d she\u00a0said<\/a>. \u201cThis isn’t a Hollywood movie, and we’re flesh and blood, not magical creatures you get to use and abuse on your journey toward enlightenment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe focus should be on how White folks can do better *among yourselves.*”<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Nick_Sandmann1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/center>\u201cTime’s up for instant forgiveness, for demanding free labor of the walking wounded, and for demanding that those you’ve offended \u2018make it right\u2019 so you can feel better before they have time to mourn, grieve…and breathe,\u201d Thomas claims.<\/p>\n<\/center>Thomas then\u00a0explains<\/a>\u00a0her reasoning for not sharing the highly circulated video of the confrontation between the Native and the Covington schoolboy, noting that \u201cout of respect and solidarity,\u201d she does not wish to reinforce such \u201cvisual trauma.\u201d<\/p>\n