Love & Rage Archive

by Noel Ignatiev

Race is a biological fiction, but it is a social fact. The white race consists of those who enjoy the privileges of the white skin—freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, the inside track for jobs and careers, not having to fear for their lives every time they leave the home, expecting, if they are female, that the state will protect them from strangers. Its most downtrodden members enjoy a social status above any person defined as "non-white."

To the Editors:

In an article in the November/December 1994 issue of Love and Rage, I wrote that white people are those who enjoy the privileges of the white skin, among which are "expecting, if they are female, that the state will protect them from strangers." In a note appended to my article, the editorial board wrote that the women on it "strongly disagree" with my statement, which "runs contrary to the newspaper's commitment to recognizing the way in which state power is used to uphold patriarchy."

Welcome to the 6th year of Love and Rage! Starting with this issue, we are going back to 20 pages. Reflecting the federation's emphases on anti-fascism, Mexican solidarity, and prison abolition work, we have two-page spreads on each topic. Starting wit h this issue, the ABC section will regularly be two pages. We also have an article on the Love and Rage conference, at which these focuses were chosen.

Welcome to the longest-ever issue of Love and Rage, produced by one of the smallest-ever Production Groups. We want to thank all the members of the Federation who came through and wrote articles for this issue of the newspaper. The amount of stuff in this issue written by Federation members reflects the increased activity of the Federation and the commitment of its membership.