I am currently taking seminars on Hegel, Kant and Hume. Yes, that racist Hegel, that racist Kant and that racist Hume. Of course, in no seminar was their racism mentioned. I only had to wait until the second meeting on Kant & Hume before I encountered the first racial slur. There was one brave White student who made a minor remark on it, but that was all. No word from our White lecturer. Meanwhile, I sat there in silence, swallowing the humiliation, the pain, the rage. But I was also silent because induction from experience taught me that saying something would be no use. Obviously, that oh so enlightened White lecturer was not enlightened about racism (because then they would have said something) so speaking up would be painful or exhausting or both:

„He was a child of his time!“
„His racism is not relevant for his overall theory!“
„His racism is not the topic of this seminar!“

Those are some of the typical reactions. Let us take a closer look at these supposed arguments.

He was a child of his time!

Oh, and everyone in the 18th century was a racist and a slave owner? That would be quite a daring assumption. Abolitionists existed, wrote and performed anti-slavery plays in theatres, organised themselves. Kant, Hume, Hegel – none of them had to be racist. Anyways, even if we would grant that they were in predominantly racist environments: One would expect thinkers deemed as smart as Hegel, Kant and Hume to not just go along with the opinions of the masses without thinking, would one?

His racism is not relevant for his overall theory!

If the significance of someone’s racism to their theory is open for discussion – then present you arguments. But please don’t bring me that killer argument. Most of all: don’t withhold the fact that there is something to discuss about by not bringing it up in the first place.
Even if the racism turns out to not be relevant: Is it not worth mentioning? After all, the racism IS relevant to the few people of colour in the seminar.

I am aware of his racism but it is not the topic of this seminar!

So you are aware of someone’s racism and it doesn’t make them compromised? You still want to discuss them but only „the good stuff“ and not the „bad bad racism“? You don’t even want to mention it? Sounds a lot like cherry picking. Anyways, it’s another punch in the face of aspiring philosophers of colour. If you are aware of the racism, bring it up and use that five minutes in the first meeting to clearly, explicitly distance yourself from racist mindsets. That’s the least you can do if you decide to dedicate another seminar on a racist and force students of colour to endure their racist statements.

Why is it so hard for philosophers to address the racism in Kant, Hegel and Hume? Are they so deep into philosophy’s supposed universal-race-and-genderless-ness that they regard racist remarks as unimportant particulars and can’t see the colour of their students? To be honest, it is hard for me to trust lecturers who don’t explicitly distance themselves from racist philosophers. They won’t warn me of racial slurs and there is a high chance that they reproduce them in quotations. Maybe they are actually agreeing and convinced racists? How could I know? Their silence isn’t telling me otherwise.

At the beginning of the paper I said that speaking up would be painful, exhausting or both. It simply should not be necessary. Lecturers should automatically dedicate three minutes or at least three sentences on a philosopher’s racism and their aversion of it. I no longer want this topic, which is quite important to me, be deemed unimportant by those not affected by it. I no longer want to sit there in silent shame when racist remarks occur in texts. I no longer want to have to assume that my lecturer is anti-racist. All I want is an explicit acknowledgement of the problem and that they openly display their aversion. Everything else is not at all creating a welcoming environment for students of colour but instead reproduces racism and perpetuates further marginalisation.

So yes, racism in famous philosophers is at least worth a mention.