I might be racist

I got obsessed again in researching crime and its relation to race and socioeconomic conditions. While looking up a bunch of opinions and statistics I came across one opinion in a subreddit for black men saying that crime is a good thing and seemed to encourage it because there’s no other way to get by. Not every black person would resort to crime obviously but the comment seemed to be supported by a lot of other people. I got a thought saying “this is why black people get a bad rep” and I immediately questioned my thinking. I really started thinking about the ethics of crime in general and how it may be acceptable in certain situations. Still I feel like crime should be avoided when it can, not encouraged. I feel terrible for having this thought and even more terrible that I agree with it if that makes sense. I feel like I’m being racist by having this perspective. I feel like I shouldn’t be allowed an opinion on this because I’ve never faced these conditions before, but I’m trying really hard to understand.

"Pure" OCD

Anonymous

Date posted: 17w

Statistically, over 98% of Black people don’t commit violent crimes. That’s not an opinion—that’s data. So the idea that Black communities are uniquely “criminal” is a myth rooted in systemic racism, not reality. What you're seeing in that subreddit isn't representative of all Black people—it reflects frustration from people who have been structurally locked out of legal means of success.So no, you’re not necessarily being racist by asking hard questions. But it is important to recognize how easily systems of racism shape our perceptions, and how narratives of Black criminality are often used to justify inequality, policing, and discrimination. The real work lies in unlearning these narratives, not just feeling guilty about them.

Anonymous

Date posted: 17w

@Anonymous I feel like this thought that I had isn’t my own views but society as a whole. I feel like this comment I saw perpetrates the already existing stereotype of black people doing crime, and that’s where I took issue with it. I know most black people aren’t involved in crime. I guess it’s just hard for me to try and understand this stuff without my ocd trying to make me feel like a racist person.

Anonymous

Date posted: 17w

@Anonymous That’s a really honest and important reflection, tbh because it largely shows you're trying to engage with this in a pretty thoughtful and ethical way. You're not alone in feeling that way. That uncomfortable moment where you catch yourself reacting to a stereotype and immediately interrogate it — that’s what it looks like to unlearn internalized biases. It's not evidence that you're racist. Its the opposite. Its evidence that you're aware of how deeply racial stereotypes are baked into society. What you’re feeling is the result of being exposed to a culture that has, for centuries, portrayed Black people through a distorted, criminalizing lens. Media, politics, policing etc and even everyday language all reinforce this idea, often without us realizing. That intrusive thought didn’t come from your values. It came from a society that constantly feeds us those associations. And your OCD is probably making it worse by latching onto that discomfort and spinning it into guilt and self doubt. But, as you know, thoughts aren't facts. The fact that you questioned it, analyzed it, and are still thinking critically about it shows you're not aligning with that bias. You're dismantling it. That Reddit comment you saw? It's harmful not because it represents Black people, but because it exploits the very stereotype you're trying to resist. It gives oxygen to racist assumptions. But you already recognized that and that’s key. Keep doing what you’re doing: Keeplistening, learning, reflecting, and challenging those thoughts. Antiracism isn’t about never having a biased thought. It’s about how we respond to them when they arise. You're responding with accountability and care. That’s growth. And remember: most Black people are not involved in crime. The overwhelming majority are just trying to live, thrive, and survive under systems stacked against them. Let that be the truth that guides your thinking, not the noise.

Anonymous

Date posted: 17w

@Anonymous I still don’t want to say that biased thought was my own. I recognized a stereotype that a lot of people have and saw how this comment played into it. I don’t feel like that thought was my own internalized bias, but maybe it was I feel like I can’t know for sure.

julianofnorwich

Date posted: 17w

@Anonymous This is so good!

andrea_sam730

Date posted: 18w

I can’t I feel like I’m stuck

I did post about this the other day, but I’m just genuinely worried like this happened many years ago and I can’t really remember exactly what I said, but I have a feeling like I said something really mean and I think I lashed out on a person like a stranger cause I don’t know I was probably going through something and I’m afraid that like it was so bad it caused them to hurt themselves and now I keep thinking like what if the police are secretly looking for me because the harm caused, even though I have no evidence of any of this, but even this Happened like a deca ago, it still haunts me like I really hope that the person is OK and I constantly like keep reviewing like their conversation over and over again like in my mind like I genuinely feel like a bad person maybe even a criminal 😃

Kei1

Date posted: 15w

Im so tired

I honestly don’t try to be up here a lot because it’s become a compulsion of mine. But I wanted to come up here because honestly I’m just so tired. I’ve seen so many disheartening comments about the color of my skin on TikTok like almost in every comment section regarding black people doing a crime. It’s to the point my people have started doing the same thing because of so many comments we get about our skin color on the daily. It’s to the point so many creators are getting exposed for being racist like just the other day Joey was caught being racist I honestly liked his content. Even other races don’t like us and of course there’s the trump supporters I really can’t be friends with people like that honestly and truly because they voted against my rights. But it’s to the point I have to think in the back of my head everytime I want to defend a white person or show support or even friend one it’s like I have to think do they even like you ? It brings me genuine tears that I have to think like this and I can’t be that little girl anymore that would be friends with everyone even then my white friends would tell me about their parents not wanting them to date black people but I was a kid so I wasn’t even listening Frl it’s all just sad man maybe in the next life it all won’t be so complicated.

nae nae

Date posted: 9w

Moral OCD, I think...

I've been watching a lot of mainly political videos recently. It started as trying to get a better understanding of everything going on in the world and how we got here in the first place, but one of the last videos I came across was about certain hateful groups of people that are becoming more active in recent years due to varying factors. The whole video made me so uncomfortable. Rightfully so, I think, even if it was informative. But now I can't stop thinking about how scary it is that humans can be sort of indoctrinated into such hateful mindsets and views... These issues have existed for a long time in the US, but recently, I've noticed that a lot of people are being more vocal about certain discriminatory views they hold and things. Maybe I'm overloading myself with too much information. I don't know. I'm just feeling really unsettled after that video. I can't imagine ever becoming someone like that, but it scares me to think about :(

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