Support for Greta Thunberg is evidence of "white supremacy", "white privilege" and "white power", activists claim.
The 16-year-old environmental campaigner has gained international visibility for her climate activism, including a fiery speech to world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly where she accused them of stealing her dreams.
However some are questioning however why Greta, a white child, is gaining so much attention over indigenous activists. They say that Greta is benefiting from a "global system of white supremacy" which has given her "privilege and a platform".
"Y'all need to ask yourselves why you find it so much easier to hear from white people, regardless of age, when it comes to the violence they have caused across the world," No White Saviours tweeted.
- Clear the air with some calm, rational discussion
- Fact Checking Greta
- Sky News Australia nails it again!
- The Child Abuse Of Greta Thunberg
"It is a SYMPTOM of global white supremacy that certain people are HEARD & given a platform, certain people have access to the RESOURCES to be the HEROES that the world will pay attention to."
Our GOBAL climate is in CRISIS. We need EVERYONE to care about this & take action. With that said, it is high time that the very people who have caused such problems STOP getting praised & recognized for finally doing the RIGHT THING.
— No White Saviors (@nowhitesaviors) September 27, 2019
"Greta at the UN was the epitome of White Privilege/White power= Save white kids!" another tweeted.
Greta should have grabbed some children from Flint or NJ and took them to the UN. They are impacted right now by environmental terrorism caused by racism, White Supremacy, and racialzed governance. Greta at the UN was the epitome of White Privilege/White power= Save white kids! https://t.co/9QS10GFIWk
— Marley K (@MarleyK20) September 24, 2019
Propping up Thunberg over Indigenous people who have been fighting this battle for ages can’t be reduced to “it’s the message that counts.” Thunberg’s message isn’t an accurate assessment of the threat of the climate crisis (if it was white supremacy would be more explicit)
— Hari Ziyad (@HariZiyad) September 23, 2019
Others point out the work that people of colour have been doing to protect their communities from environmental destruction and say that this is being ignored by the focus on Greta.
"INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WARNING EVERYONE ALL OVER THE GLOBE ABOUT "CLIMATE CHANGE" FOR DECADES!!" one person tweeted. "There is no mention of them now that this is mainstream. Just Greta..."
No disrespect to Young Greta, but a quick tutorial on “White Supremacy”...
— El Viejo Ebro (@oldmanebro) September 26, 2019
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WARNING EVERYONE ALL OVER THE GLOBE ABOUT “CLIMATE CHANGE” FOR DECADES!!
There is no mention of them now that this is mainstream. Just Greta...
𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐒
— emel topcu (@emelkoycegiz) September 25, 2019
Greta is great, but if we’re only centering and uplifting white youth leaders on an international scale, we risk recreating the exact same dynamics of instilling a culture of white supremacy and silencing pic.twitter.com/EVRacOaVUL
"I'm glad to see so many sharing @GretaThunberg 's #HowDareYou message," another tweeted.
"However, Indigenous peoples have been saying this for 500 years. So it is not a new message. Her message has political and cultural authority due to white supremacy."
I’m glad to see so many sharing @GretaThunberg’s #HowDareYou message.
— nupqu ʔa·kǂam̓ (@Skink00ts) September 24, 2019
However, Indigenous peoples have been saying this for 500 years. So it is not a new message. Her message has political and cultural authority due to white supremacy. https://t.co/YMGPcO7amB
We need to question why Greta - in one year - has got attention from the whole world while indigenous/ first nations - who have been protecting and sustaining Mother Earth - have been ignored and killed for centuries. #colonialism #whitesupremacy
— Carolina Cal Angrisani (@calangrisani) September 24, 2019
White environmentalists are instead urged to support and raise awareness of the work being done by people like Canadian Indigenous teen Autumn Peltier, an advocate for water protection of the Great Lakes, and 'Little Miss Flint', a youth activist raising awareness of the US city of Flint's water crisis.
