Knock knock. Who's there? Interrupting White guy.

Black people get interrupted sometimes.

Mark Lamont-Hill is a demigod

I think it's no secret that we see Black people as aggressive. And it's really frustrating when people tell me that I'm wrong in an argument simply because they perceive me as angry. Similarly, we perceive women as emotional. Thus, "you're upset" becomes a weapon of argumentation against me.

I also observe White people putting words in my mouth, i.e. misconstruing the narratives I present in a way that suits them, or, rewriting history the White way. I see this as microcosmic of colonialism. Now, bear with me. But, you know how Whites write the history books? That's colonialism. And when my speech gets co-opted, I see that as a similar practice. Not to conflate interruption and colonialism, obviously, because one is a much more serious problem than the other (take a guess).

Before you object to this, consider an extreme example of a Black narrative being misconstrued the White way. The amount of misinformation about Barack Obama is unprecedented—1/4 people don't even know what his religion is. The degree to which the Republican party has been allowed to write his story is unique and honestly hilarious. 

What other president has been called a Muslim Atheist Socialist Communist Arab Kenyan Tyrant?

This is why I don't believe in ethos as a legitimate aspect of argumentation. Ethos involves what you bring to a debate and thus, the preconceived notions about who you are. Black people have less ethos, and so do women. So does anyone in a non-dominant social group. Dominant groups are too often allowed to co-opt the speech of those who belong to oppressed groups. 

I urge you to think about the ethos that your privilege affords you, and how durable your privilege makes that ethos. That doesn't only mean to question credibility for a White man, it also means that I should question my credibility as straight and upper-middle class. Who has to have manners and conduct themselves respectfully? And who can take more liberties and condescend their peers a little more?

Just think about it, ok? I know it sounds out there, but think about it.