The Tea Party is racist. Arizona’s immigration law is racist. The NAACP is racist. Standardized tests, the criminal justice system, and song lyrics are racist. The list goes on and on. YouTube even has the “Top 10 TV Racist Comments.”
What is racism? Well, it depends who you ask. Many definitions point to feelings or beliefs that convey racial superiority. Some refer to racism as what we think (prejudice) while others view racism as what we do (discrimination). Racism ranges from overgeneralizations (racial stereotypes) to harassment to other forms of intolerance and aggressive behavior. Depending on who is doing the talking, it can be abusive or aggressive behavior by an individual, a group or organization, or even a society. Lastly, there are those who argue that only people with power can be racist. Given this line of reasoning, some maintain that only Whites can be racist while others say not so fast. They point to numerous situations in which blacks or other racial minorities have power. Pain is pain they argue; regardless of the race of the perpetrator or victim.
What are we to make of all this? When someone uses the word racism, do we know what definition s(he) has in mind? Has the word become so widely used that it is losing its punch? And is there one definition we can all agree on?
What do you think?
It’s seems that whatever racism is, it’s bad; it carries connotations of assumed racial superiority (which tends, historically, to be black over white, so that the exceptions to this seem not to count), probably based on bad science. I recently read an item on The Awl blog defending Obama against allegations of racism, which defined racism as something like use of race-based arguments to your advantage/the other person’s disadvantage; which I thought contained an interesting distinction. There are obvious reasons why racism is condemned – it has brought nothing but misery; and there is a whole industry devoted to fighting it. But even the most intelligent strategies seem unable to make it away; indeed the growth in identity politics (here in the UK at least) tends to prod it back into life.
I always think of racism as a decision we make about another person’s value based on race before we get to know them as a human. It can also be general, directed toward one group by another group, but I think about it in a more personal way. I am convinced that either way it is based on fear that comes out of ignorance, leading to education as the eventual cure.
Congratulations on your new blog. Your dedication to diversity is second to none. Keep up the good work. I know your blog will be well received. In this day of intense and intensifying bigotry at all levels, your clear and dedication to equality is a welcomed sight.
I think that racism is an historical system of domination and exploitation. It is systemic and institutionalized in the United States. It systematically disadvantages people of color and conveys privileges to those who are socially designated as being “white.”
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