I was in Florida this last week with Thomas and we went to lunch with some friends. We got on the topic of public schools and racism. Having studied several cases on race and urban politics, I was thrilled at the debate ensuing. We came to the conclusion that today racism is often self-inflicted.
What is racism? The dictionary defines it as “Discrimination or prejudice based on race.” Each person has their own view of what racism is, shaped through the their own life experiences. Whether positive or negative, the foundation of racism tends to be irrational.
The status quo for racism in America has been the idea that a minority people group, i.e. African Americans, have been treated differently in a negative manner on the sole basis of their skin color. The history of the United States is pretty clear that indeed this group was severely victimized at one point on the sole, irrational, basis of the their skin color.
I respect the history and struggle that black people have overcome in our country and do not take this lightly by any means. However, I fail to see how the African American people in our country are still being victimized on the sole basis of their skin color. And by this comment I mean to say that I do not believe their race is being any more victimized than any other race here in America.
Sure there are still cases where a white person will victimize a black person on the sole purpose that they do not like the person because of their skin color. But isn’t that same scenario happening with the black person that victimizes the white person for the exact same reason? And doesn’t that happen to the Hispanics, Middle Eastern groups, and well pretty much every other people group living here in the U.S.?
I fail to see how things haven't changed for the African American people in the last 40 years. They have every right white people do and are seen in every level of government. So why is there still this big sense of division or as some people call “racism against black people” or any other minority group for that matter?
Well I guess we just have to look around us. I see black student unions and yes, most people will embrace this as “Black Nationalism”, but do I see white student unions? No because that would be racist. I see Kanye West stating his opinion on national television that the former President hates black people. I would assume that is false as he had black people on his committee. I see a pro-black organization trying to file a class action lawsuit against a white person who used the ”N word” in a standup comedy show. Yes, I agree that is an offensive and racism term. But don’t Black standup comedians refer to each other in that manner all the time?
Maybe I’m not seeing this right, but if I was black and didn’t want to be looked at as different based on the color of my skin I probably would not be O.K. with a “black student union.” Doesn’t that in and of itself defeat the whole purpose of trying to “bridge” the gap? There is no reason why any race should not appreciate the black history in America, but isn’t forming “black” unions, groups or anything else the exact definition of racism?
At one point, during the civil rights era, there was a very legitimate need for groups like that. The government needed to wakeup. But I think that time has come and gone and now the pendulum has swung to the other side and it is the people who are choosing to live as historic victims of racism that need to wakeup. There tends to be a double standard here and like I said earlier; positive or negative, racism is irrational and at this point seems to be self-inflicted in the macro society of America.
