The Five Rules of Racial Standing come from a chapter in Derrick Bell’s “Faces At The Bottom Of The Well: The Permanence Of Racism” (1993). They are the rules whites in America use to determine how seriously to take someone’s statements.

Bell, as a law professor, was thinking mainly of court cases, but the rules apply just as well to talk shows, books, blogs, the news and even at work – anywhere whites stand in judgement.

The five rules in my own words (a link to Bell’s full text follows):

Black people: Whatever bad thing blacks say about racism and whatever good thing they say about each other can be discounted: most blacks are incapable of being fair-minded about such things. White people: What whites say about racism is to be taken way more seriously than what blacks say. Even when whites are merely repeating what blacks say. Because white opinion is assumed to be unaffected by racism. Because the white viewpoint is what everything else is being measured against. Therefore whites always come out seeming the most fair-minded and even-handed. With one exception: Uncle Toms: They have not only proved they are fair-minded (they agree with whites) and independent of race loyalty (they criticize other blacks) but because they are black they clearly understand other blacks better than whites do. The Farrakhans: When a black person does or says something that whites consider “outrageous”, other blacks are expected to openly condemn him. Those that do not are assumed to side with him and may face unpleasant consequences. Note that whites are not expected to condemn the “outrageous” statements or actions of other whites. This is a special rule for blacks only. A blessing and a curse: Knowing these rules will allow you to understand how things will unfold but not how to stop them.

Examples:

Black jurors and judges tend to be kept off of cases where racism plays a big part. See #1.

tend to be kept off of cases where racism plays a big part. See #1. It is very hard for a black person to win a job discrimination suit without white witnesses. See #2.

without white witnesses. See #2. Tim Wise : See #2.

: See #2. Clarence Thomas: Even though he had little experience as a judge, because he spoke out against affirmative action and civil rights as a black person he was assumed to have good judgement, fit for the Supreme Court. See #3.

Even though he had little experience as a judge, because he spoke out against affirmative action and civil rights as a black person he was assumed to have good judgement, fit for the Supreme Court. See #3. Alice Walker : She became famous among whites with “The Color Purple” (1982) where she painted black men in a bad light (Almost no bad white people in her book). See #3.

: She became famous among whites with “The Color Purple” (1982) where she painted black men in a bad light (Almost no bad white people in her book). See #3. Thomas Sowell, Shelby Steele and other Rented Negroes : See #3.

: See #3. The “no-snitch” rule: If you are black, the bad you say about other blacks will be remembered by whites far more than the good. But that means most blacks are unwilling to openly criticize each other in front of whites, making it seem to whites that most blacks are blinded by race loyalty. See #1 and #3.

If you are black, the bad you say about other blacks will be remembered by whites far more than the good. But that means most blacks are unwilling to openly criticize each other in front of whites, making it seem to whites that most blacks are blinded by race loyalty. See #1 and #3. Obama was expected to publicly condemn his own pastor because some white people did not like sound bites from his sermons. See #4.

was expected to publicly condemn his own pastor because some white people did not like sound bites from his sermons. See #4. The black proxy: Whites like to use blacks to bring down other blacks. See #4.

Thanks to Matari for bringing this up in the comments.

See also: