Anti-Racism Activist Saira Rao Gets Swift Takedown After Attacking TIME’s ‘White Nonsense’

File Photo by: zz/John Nacion/STAR

Political activist Saira Rao was lambasted on X (formerly Twitter) after tweeting her take on Taylor Swift’s anointing as TIME’s Person of the Year.

In defending the publication’s choice, TIME’s Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs wrote, “Taylor Swift found a way to transcend borders and be a source of light. Swift is the rare person who is both the writer and hero of her own story.”

Clearly, Rao didn’t see it that way.

“The white American woman billionaire who could end the genocide of Palestinians with on [sic] IG post is TIME Person of The Year,” she posted. “White nonsense, white violence, white love of Black and brown genocide.”

Rao has a history of calling out “racism” as she sees it, as perpetuated by “liberal white women.” She is the co-founder of Race2Dinner, an organization described thusly by The Guardian:

A white woman volunteers to host a dinner in her home for seven other white women – often strangers, perhaps acquaintances. (Each dinner costs $2,500, which can be covered by a generous host or divided among guests.) A frank discussion is led by co-founders Regina Jackson, who is black, and Saira Rao, who identifies as Indian American. They started Race to Dinner to challenge liberal white women to accept their racism, however subconscious. “If you did this in a conference room, they’d leave,” Rao says. “But wealthy white women have been taught never to leave the dinner table.”

Reaction to Rao’s tweet was, well, swift — and brutal.

Read about TIME’s choice for 2023 Person of the Year here.