How racism has adapted in order to thrive in our modern culture.
We seem to live in a world today (at least in America) where people feel comfortable suggesting that we are in a post-racial era. That somehow race ceases to matter. The fact that we now have a President of color seems to prove to some that race no longer matter. If he can do it, anyone can do it. Right? Wrong. While the fact that we have made such great strides since the eras of Slavery and Jim Crow is impressive, it in no way means that we have solved the issue of race. Racism rarely takes the overt form of cross burnings, lynchings, or segregation laws anymore. And this may be part of the problem. Racism lacks the overtness it previously had. It has adapted to our modern culture in an effort to trick us into believing we are colorblind. As racism has become covert it has become more difficult to directly identify and address how racism pervades our culture. But do not be so ignorant as to believe it doesn’t. Racism infiltrates every facet.
This is something we all need to accept. We need to come to terms with the FACT that we are raised in a racist society and therefore WE ARE RACIST. I know this is an incredibly difficult reality to come to terms with. It is one that I tried to deny for a very long time, but the more classes I took, the more research that I read, and the more I began to critically analyze my surroundings the more I came to realize this as truth.
People are uncomfortable by this. And I get it. When you hear “racist” you think of the Nazi’s and the KKK. When you hear racism you think of intent; that someone is purposely discriminating against someone else because of their race. And yes, that type of racism still exists. But it appears to me that is the least threatening version of racism today because it is so easily recognizable and therefore easier to confront and address. Covert racism is the greatest threat. It is the racism that tells people employment, healthcare, housing, education, the legal system, etc etc etc treat everyone equal. It tells us that differences in the quality of any one of these things has to do with individual defect or that it may be racially specific but not racially discriminate. Covert racism tries to focus on class, a major issue, without recognizing how intertwined race and class really are. Covert racism fails to acknowledge the lasting and detrimental effects that slavery and Jim Crow laws still have. Race relations are what they are now because of what they were. I am not nearly smart enough or knowledgeable enough to explain this but I suggest that EVERYONE read A People’s History of the United States. **I also suggest that high schools require this to be used as a textbook for history classes.
When your wealth and your advantages are given to you at the expense of someone else (or an entire population) they are discriminating. “Whites” inherently have advantages. It’s the way our society is setup. And we are threatened by the idea of others receiving the same advantages as us. Not only because it would level the playing field but it inherently would take away many of the advantages that have been inherently ours. I understand that we all want our children and our families to have the best foot forward, but your step forward should not come at the price of someone else being three steps back. You have these advantages because our ancestors stole and forbade them from others and since then we have maintained this unequal footing.
It is not the responsibility of people of color to educate us on the reality of racism. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves, to seek knowledge, and to challenge those around us. I would not be so foolish as to believe I have somehow beat racism in myself. I am constantly confronted with ways in which my thoughts and words are racist. That is part of the territory when you are raised in America. The difference is that I strive to learn and be different and to educate my community. I strive to be an agent of change.
I refuse to accept “better.” I hate to break it, but it really doesn’t take a whole lot to be better than slavery and Jim Crow. If that’s your bar, you didn’t set it very high. I strive to be good, to be equal, to be just... not better.
I strive to live in a society where we take care of each other, where we are invested in the health of our community and its members, and where we don’t want wealth at the expense or misfortune of someone else.
To be continued...
(**put down the FB, twitter, email, whatever you are wasting your time on. ignore Perezhilton. check out this amazing website: Color Lines)
This is something we all need to accept. We need to come to terms with the FACT that we are raised in a racist society and therefore WE ARE RACIST. I know this is an incredibly difficult reality to come to terms with. It is one that I tried to deny for a very long time, but the more classes I took, the more research that I read, and the more I began to critically analyze my surroundings the more I came to realize this as truth.
People are uncomfortable by this. And I get it. When you hear “racist” you think of the Nazi’s and the KKK. When you hear racism you think of intent; that someone is purposely discriminating against someone else because of their race. And yes, that type of racism still exists. But it appears to me that is the least threatening version of racism today because it is so easily recognizable and therefore easier to confront and address. Covert racism is the greatest threat. It is the racism that tells people employment, healthcare, housing, education, the legal system, etc etc etc treat everyone equal. It tells us that differences in the quality of any one of these things has to do with individual defect or that it may be racially specific but not racially discriminate. Covert racism tries to focus on class, a major issue, without recognizing how intertwined race and class really are. Covert racism fails to acknowledge the lasting and detrimental effects that slavery and Jim Crow laws still have. Race relations are what they are now because of what they were. I am not nearly smart enough or knowledgeable enough to explain this but I suggest that EVERYONE read A People’s History of the United States. **I also suggest that high schools require this to be used as a textbook for history classes.
When your wealth and your advantages are given to you at the expense of someone else (or an entire population) they are discriminating. “Whites” inherently have advantages. It’s the way our society is setup. And we are threatened by the idea of others receiving the same advantages as us. Not only because it would level the playing field but it inherently would take away many of the advantages that have been inherently ours. I understand that we all want our children and our families to have the best foot forward, but your step forward should not come at the price of someone else being three steps back. You have these advantages because our ancestors stole and forbade them from others and since then we have maintained this unequal footing.
It is not the responsibility of people of color to educate us on the reality of racism. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves, to seek knowledge, and to challenge those around us. I would not be so foolish as to believe I have somehow beat racism in myself. I am constantly confronted with ways in which my thoughts and words are racist. That is part of the territory when you are raised in America. The difference is that I strive to learn and be different and to educate my community. I strive to be an agent of change.
I refuse to accept “better.” I hate to break it, but it really doesn’t take a whole lot to be better than slavery and Jim Crow. If that’s your bar, you didn’t set it very high. I strive to be good, to be equal, to be just... not better.
I strive to live in a society where we take care of each other, where we are invested in the health of our community and its members, and where we don’t want wealth at the expense or misfortune of someone else.
To be continued...
(**put down the FB, twitter, email, whatever you are wasting your time on. ignore Perezhilton. check out this amazing website: Color Lines)
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