I find nothing more difficult to do than to explain racism to racists—black and white. In this nation, racism is so deeply entrenched, so troublesomely institutionalized, that rooting it out may very well be impossible. It will certainly take both time and education. The more worrisome racists, to me, are the liberals who don’t think they’re racist. I live in a town full of people like that. Community leaders, pastors, and yes neighbors whom, were you to point out racist behavior, would externalize their resentment and perhaps their guilt by becoming preemptively and inappropriately angry at you for having pointed it out. In other words, they’d prove they weren’t racist by demonizing and attacking you for having suggested such a thing.
This was the whole embarrassing saga of Geraldine Ferraro, outraged that the “Obama campaign” had smeared her as racist after she suggested Obama would not be where he was were he not a black male. Obama called Ferraro’s remarks, “ridiculous,” but at no point, to my knowledge, did he even *suggest* she was a racist. Still Ferraro went on the offensive, declaring her outrage and villainizing the Obama campaign for playing the race card.
This is the most frustrating part of the discussion: the stupidity. Most especially among liberal whites, educated and affluent whites, who believe they are either beyond or above such things as racism. Which denies the undeniable truth of the institutionalized nature of racism. By “institutionalized” we are talking about something so endemic, so inbred and handed down from one generation to the next, that for me to stand here and tell you I have no struggle with it is either intellectual cowardice or simple immaturity.
I’ve heard whites ask, “Why do you have to make everything about race?” which is, in and of itself, an absurd question. Women—of any color—know, instinctively, when they are being sexually harassed. Most women have been sexually harassed since childhood—it’s a sensitivity honed over a lifetime of experience. Blacks in this country experience racism every single day of their lives. Usually in small ways, mostly insignificant, but they’re there. And my suggestion would be that all blacks certainly know racism when they experience it. But we’re simply not allowed to point it out. Anything less than a cross burning on my lawn will not meet the threshold most whites have for what they consider racism to be.
Racism isn’t the cross burning on the lawn. Racism is people hating you and then looking for the reason why after the fact. Racism is people not giving you the benefit of the doubt, not hearing your side of the story, but going off on irrational and often illogical tangents while forming lynch mobs.
Saddest of all is the racism deeply entrenched within us. On a recent MSNBC Town Hall Meeting, noted social scholar The Reverend Michael Eric Dyson said, “The Black Elite has internalized the pathology of self-hatred by demonizing the poor, putting their colossal foots (sic) on the necks of vulnerable poor people without reaching out to help them.” Dialogues about race are inevitably also about economics as the problems that plague American society find both cause and effect in the tragic immaturity of racism, including intra-racism within the black community itself.
The last thing I want to do is call anyone a racist. So I bend over backward, usually going much farther than I should, to allow for other factors for why someone is being unfathomably hostile toward me. I feel I need to rule out every one of dozens of possible motives before settling, with great reluctance, on racism. Mainly because I think racism is so utterly stupid, so irrational and so ridiculous and immature. I’d really like to believe we’re moving past all of that.
But I also recognize the seed of race hate is within me. It’s rare that I meet blacks who take an instant disliking to me. Rare, but it happens. With whites, however, it’s quite common. To either be politely avoided, or to sense irrational hostility from people I don’t even know. To have people always assume the worst about me, for no fathomable reason and with absolutely no empirical evidence that I am either a bad or immoral person.
Jesus said, before criticizing your brother, you should first examine yourself [Matt. 7:3]. Before pointing fingers at this guy or anybody else, the first thing I need to do is deal with my own race hatred, which doesn’t present itself in any material way, but I’d be a liar to say that seed wasn’t planted within me after 46 years of being called a nigger. What offends and deeply troubles me, however, is when white people act like they have no racism, that it doesn’t exist for them at all. It’s a lie. It’s there. And I can prove it.
The MSNBC Town Hall meeting begins with a heartbreaking video clip of young black children asked to choose between two dolls—one black, one white—and assail the virtues and insufficiencies of either. The self-hatred, evident already at so early an age, is simply shocking and terrifying. That children too young to even read have already had this evil planted within them. And that racism isn’t only about Whitey, but is, like all evil, ultimately turned back on ourselves.
22 Comments
You hit the nail on the head. The racism lies in the assumptions, the gut reactions, not simply conscious actions. We don't WANT to be racist. We so badly don't want to be racist that when we catch a glimpse of it in ourselves we go to great lengths to come up with reasons to convince ourselves we are not. It'd help if we viewed it more as a shared problem; we aren't racists because we're evil individuals, we're racists because we grew up hearing and seeing everyone around us associate behaviors and attributes with race/ethnicity. That kind of conditioning doesn't wear off easily and it'll never wear off if even thinking about it causes us to be filled with shame and self-loathing.
scrawled by Matt Adler | April 13, 2008 6:14 PM
I always love the line when will you get over racism or slavery. It hasn't gotten over me. I still suffer from post traumadic slave syndrome, I spend lesson after lesson trying not to plant the same seeds in my 5yr old. I find myself over compensating and even being offended by certain child games. My daughter has always chose the black doll over the white and she is very conscious and proud of being of African ( Akebulan) decent. Just today she put her little sister's blanket on her back and said "look I am Superman" my mind raced trying to find something to say like, "well baby why don't you be....." Uh yeah I could only think of the black or Ebony or Dark to hell with it I smiled and her young mind shifted to the next fun thing she could do with a blanket. I love all people by them being made by the Creators hand but all people were not created to righteous or true. Racism is that dirty filthy lie that America uses to keep america separate enough to keep the powers that be in control.
I recently had a conversation with a co-worker who is at least 10yrs older and makes substantially more money than I. He is a caucasion and he said Jeremiah Wright was a racist. He said Mr. Wright said that "white people made the aids virus to destroy blacks' I corrected him African Americans can not be racist only prejudice and hateful we do not have the power nor the resources to oppress another race and further more Mr. Wright said America made the aids virus not white people that is a whole different ball game. When I used the internet to pull up house bill 15090 he refused to look at it. He says I make everything about race I don't I just refuse to see injustice done to anyone in general and I will not allow it to be done to blacks specifically
scrawled by mdwaire | April 13, 2008 11:22 PM
Everyone has prejudices, it's how we're wired. Just not enough time to post-judge everyone we meet...but it's a bit of efficiency engineering that tends to get out of control when you meet stangers every day (as opposed to only rarely, as was the case for tribal life in 99% of our evolutionary history). Unfortunately, civilization (literally, moving into city life more) means we meet so many strangers that prejudices harden into -isms. Racism, sexism, sectarianism, etc.
As to sensitivity to these things, we all live in our own skins, and nobody else's. It takes a huge amount of effort to even start to understand how someone not part of your group feels about their particular fallout, and even if you're inclined to make the effort, it doesn't always work out. And one of the "joys" of modern civilization is that almost everyone gets to be part of a misunderstood/hated/oppressed group, even nominal members of the oppressing groups. Run through your descriptors, eventually you hit one that's minority and unpopular. And anyone looking to avoid the effort of understanding someone else's problem can then simply cling to their own.
In other words, the "what about MY problems?" defense may not be very convincing to others, but it's available to almost everyone these days, and always convincing enough for oneself if you're looking for an excuse.
scrawled by David Van Domelen | April 13, 2008 11:50 PM
Distinctions that unecessarily cause rancour:
Tomatoes are a fruit, not a vegetable.
Zebras are white with black stripes (or is it the other way round?)
Spiders aren't bugs.
Person of race=(nonwhite) is not a racist, he's (a bigot, predjudiced, chauvanist, etc. etc.)
Why work so hard to prove someone's bad behavior is called y not x? Wright clearly hates Whitey, in abstract. Just as Falwell clearly hates Gays, in abstract.
And there are so many reasons for people to make us feel bad. Most of the time, we don't even realize we're making another feel bad. The only way to know is for the person to tell us. No one can apologize for something they're not aware of. But it takes so much emmotional energy and courage to tell someone, especially a stranger, that we're hurt.
I'm sure you're familiar with the akwardness of trying too hard to buck stereotypes. This makes being "not racist" difficult. Especially for those of me who are socially akward. Like at the awesome soul food restaurant that has openend in our area of ceegar chompin' rednecks. The greens are fantastic though, so as long as they let me in the door I'll do my best to behave.
I love, by the way, how Obama handles negative comments (to a point.) He's good at using neutral language. Other people are always filling in Gaps.
scrawled by greg zywicki | April 14, 2008 7:34 AM
RE HB 15090 - you got a link to anything more than just a coversheet and p 129, which is ambiguous and contains no proof of any damn thing?
scrawled by greg zywicki | April 14, 2008 7:48 AM
It's tough to watch that 'doll test'. It's even more telling to see the children being more honest than the adults. My Mom and a friend clued me into a teacher named Jane Elliott, who conducted an experiment with her class in 1968, producing interesting results as well.
scrawled by circ | April 16, 2008 7:15 AM
Funny enough I had this conversation fairly recently in regards to a video game. In the trailer for the upcoming game Resident Evil 5, a white protagionist is in an African village which becomes infected by zombies. Begin scenes of said white protagionist blowing away many black zombie villagers. He even monolouges about it as if it was a sacred duty.
Then a journalist named N'Gai Croal had the "gall" to say, effectively, "Umm this make anyone else uncomfortable?" He pointed out that it brought lots of racist images to mind. Now he didn't say the game itself was racist, or ask for a ban, nor anything extreme, he just pointed out his observation of what the game brought to mind.
But of course, since it's the internet, people explode. Lot's of comments, exactly as you say Priest, were variations of "It's just a game. Why does it have to be about race?" A lot of people seemed to bend over backwards to defend a game they want to play, which is fine. I don't think Mr. Croal wanted people to not play the game, he just wanted people to be aware. But the self-defensive ones read a lot of anger into his statements that, at least for myself, I couldn't find.
And I'm about as white as they come and I can see the problem with that. It's kinda frightening that when someone says "Hey open your eyes" in order to further discussion so we can make progress and some people close their eyes even harder.
Oh and a completely unrelated note, they just announced that BET is going to be doing a Black Panther animated series. Presuming he hasn't already approached you, perhaps you could talk with Reggie and see if could work with the creators in some fashion (even if it's just a consulting thing).
scrawled by JasonD | April 18, 2008 7:53 AM
Hey Priest.
I was last here roughly about a year ago. I was working as a security guard in primarily low income apartment complexes, and on my part, I was feeling frustrated and disgusted with the black community that I was seeing. You advised me to get another job if I was internalizing this disappointment, and so I did.
I now work at in a Georgia State Prison.
Day after day, I work with black men and women (I am white). My warden is black. My supervisors and my mentors are black. My subordinates are black and white. 40% of the inmates at Phillips State Prison are black, 60% are white (mostly, because of the fact that Phillips is what the warden calls "a meth hub, and meth is primarily not a black person's drug").
I was thinking that down here in Atlanta, that black folks are just as racist, if not more, than whites. Working in the prison has altered that perception. Perhaps it's the institution, or the confines of the Department of Corrections, but after a while, black inmates and black officers seem to be more concerned with who you are and not what you are. The inmates are more concerned with if whether or not you're fair, firm, and consistent. I was just recently promoted to Sergeant (after 7 months, almost unheard of in the GDC), and I have more black inmates congratulating me than white.
Now, perhaps that's because it is a tightly controlled environment, or these inmates are institutionalized, or they're trying to manipulate me into going easier on them - whatever. But I've had, on the whole, much more positive personal interactions with black folks working 'in the chain gang' than I was out on the street. They know who I am, they know how I act, they know that I am fair as I can possibly be to rapists, murderers, thieves, and the like.
Now I'm not going to posit that the prison system is some magical place where I'm finding equality - far from it. But I will go so far as to say that while I was looked down upon because of the color of my skin entering the job (inmates see another white officer, the other black officers didn't trust me), once they knew who and what I am, the question of race has been, as far as I know, been taken out of the equation.
And that's also not to say that race ISN'T a factor. Can't tell you how many times I've been called a cracker, the term cracker usually married to some imaginative cuss word. Or that there are racist officers, both black and white. Or that a minority of white inmates in a cell block will come to me asking for me to cut them a break since "We're outnumbered, man. Them black officers always side with them black boys. We gotta stick together". It exists, no argument from me. And for me, I simply have to rise above that. I have to be better than that. And it's paid dividends for me.
Maybe that's a subjective experience and maybe I sound like a jerk, but it's been a night and day experience for me, going from working on the street to working in a prison. And I suppose one can make a lot of other observations and corelations between the two, but to me that doesn't matter. I don't suffer from some species of white guilt, I no longer hold this mythical view that black folks are somehow more noble because they simply are black. They're just folks, same as white folks, same as anyone else. You just have to talk to them, treat them with respect and fairness, and hell, just remember thier name.
Now I'm not sure how that ties in with the Doll Test, the topic at hand. I just wanted to tell you how I was doing, and how my views of black men and women down here in Atlanta have changed since changing jobs.
Also, it's really funny seeing a black female coworker blush and laugh when you refer to them as 'My beautiful black goddess of the earth'. Takes them instantly out of any bad mood they're in.
It works!
Thank you for listening, and much respect.
Sam
scrawled by Sam | April 18, 2008 7:54 AM
I enjoyed this and hope to share this site with my friends.
scrawled by Drepants | April 20, 2008 3:53 PM
"the stupidity"
"In this nation, racism is so deeply entrenched, so troublesomely institutionalized, that rooting it out may very well be impossible. It will certainly take both time and education."
"That children too young to even read have already had this evil planted within them. And that racism isn’t only about Whitey, but is, like all evil, ultimately turned back on ourselves."
------
Thus is the mantra of many a predator: Get your enemy to continue your work. A very effective strategy that sadly plays out in droves today. It's way beyond Keyser Söze... I just saw the 'interview' with Clinton on today's Countdown, and I doubt I'll hear about the distinction she made between "children" and "black children". I found that, odd...
scrawled by circ | April 21, 2008 8:27 PM
The video is INDEED disheartening and disturbing.
It's kind of funny that you mentioned being so ticked off with Liberals that claim that they don't have a racist bone in their body. I have a friend who was born and raised in South Carolina. Back in 2001 we took a trip to Atlanta and parts of South Carolina and Georgia. It was a SERIOUS eye-opening trip for me to A)finally be in communities where I was a minority and b) just to see how deep the roots of racism were in the South.
I saw first hand how both whites AND blacks practiced institutionalized racism at many levels. My friend explained that "practiced segregation" was one of the many reasons he left SC and moved up here to the Pac. NW. One thing he commented on though, was that many people down South actually appreciated that people were at LEAST up front about their racism and didn't hide behind polictical correct-ness!! Sounds crazy to me, but in a way, it almost seems more open for honest dialogue about race than to just claim everything is perfect! There were numerous times where he and I would be hanging out somewhere and we'd be the only caucasian dudes, and we would constantly get asked where we were from, and from there we would spark up great conversation.
Now I am not saying that "practiced segregation" is the answer to ANYTHING, but up where I live in Seattle, I am surrounded by PC thugs who would tell you this city is too "progressive or liberal" to be racist, yet we have very little diversity and I have witnessed the ugliest of racism with my own 2 eyes. I am surrounded by these hypocrite Liberals in my City.
At the same time, I think you blur the lines between racism and prejudice a bit. I don't believe everyone you may be coming in contact with is racist (if we are looking at it's LITERAL term and feelings of superiority), but I do think everyone has prejudices regarding race that are learned through upbringing, media, bad experiences, etc., etc. I do believe everyone AT THE LEAST, is filled with these prejudices and it takes self-awareness and time to work through these. (I don't want to take anything away from hostile situations you have experienced in the past, but this is just my thoughts.)
IMHP, in order to get healthy dialogue started (inevitably leading to educating each other and quelling fears), I think it's imperative to stop tossing around the words RACIST and RACISM so much. Frankly, I think many people know they have prejudices, but to be labled as a racist brings up images of burning crosses and KKK and such, and I truly don't think most people fall into that category (of course, some do). I just think white people are as afraid to talk about race candidly, for fear of being labeled a hate-mongering racist, as black people may feel about pointing out something racist if it's short of a burning cross.
Of course, like you mentioned, I don't really know if we will EVER be able to scour our collective minds clean of ugly thoughts and prejudices. Prejudice and Racism have gone on since the beginning of time and will no-doubtedly be with us in some shape or form until the end.
As much as I do empathize with you Priest (and other African-Americans and minorities in this country), and the prejudiced AND racist people you may come across in life, please make note that there are MANY white people out there that are constantly striving to educate their minds, show empathy and love, and pass that down to their offspring.
In relation to the Doll Test, that's all we can do. Raise our children to love themselves NO MATTER WHAT COLOR THEY ARE, show them how much we love them each and every day, and then show through ACTIONS and words how to love and be compassionate towards people of all color and background.
Much respect, Priest,
D.
scrawled by Dee | April 22, 2008 6:27 PM
ooo...
2nd to last paragraph....
MAJOR sentence structure error...
I only empathize with YOU of course (in dealing with hostilities from prejudism or racism)
-sorry ;)
scrawled by D. | April 22, 2008 6:32 PM
Hi Priest.
scrawled by thelmon | April 23, 2008 11:14 AM
I hate the scientific mind sometimes.
It just occured to me - maybe the test reflects something else - the children's attitude towards babies, or their experience with parenting.
I do know that parenting styles in black and white communities are different (speaking in huge generalities.) I'm not going to evaluate the two, though.
More controls needed in that test. If a kid picked, say, Fred Thompson over Morgan Freeman, as well as other choices that trended towards black=bad despite age, appearance, etc., that would be a better measure.
scrawled by greg zywicki | April 25, 2008 7:51 AM
Good point...
scrawled by circ | April 25, 2008 10:01 AM
Racism by nature is “institutionalized” and the hard fact is it is woven into the foundation of many countries and societies. The Human Genome project for example, offers DNA ancestry searches and counseling for minorities who seek to know more about their lineage. This is due to the fact that 55% of all minority inquiries in the US, IE African American results have resulted in white ancestry. It speaks volumes to the massive and significant rape of black female slaves during its campaign. I believe this hardens the hearts of those liberals for whom you speak. How can you get past such a legacy. The common refrain is it happened long ago and it doesnt effect you. But the truth is it does. Denial is a guilt.
scrawled by RJ | April 26, 2008 11:04 PM
"Denial is a guilt."
You're a racist. A murderer. A pedophile.
Now, if you deny those things as attributable to you, you must be "guilty".
Bedazzling logic. Stupefying, really.
scrawled by Quentin | May 1, 2008 4:03 AM
The doll test is heartbreaking. I swear one of the kids seems to even feel the shame in choosing a white doll over a black one. Shame on us human beings? what are we busy doing-building things? Shame!!
Now if only the white people I meet were as smart as Einstein, then I might understand their feeling of superiority. The fact is most of the white people that I meet are just as stupid as me-or worse. Race is merely a social construct-an ugly one.
scrawled by Lilliok | May 1, 2008 10:13 PM
The Priest run of BP has been voted #73 of the top 100 greatest comic book runs of all time. Not to shabby for a book supposedly no one read.
http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2008/04/18/the-top-100-comic-book-runs-master-list/
On the topic of this post I quote Dave Chappelle, "Hahahhahaah... oooooh... this racism is killing me inside."
scrawled by Cooper | May 4, 2008 10:27 PM
Here's one that'll make your mind move. Why not try the same experiment with college aged black people. Or black adults, period. With the unfortunate lingering effects of the slave mentality a lot of grown black people still have, you might be surprised at the responses. (I'm particularly interested in the responses of black inmates. No real reason there, just have a feeling they might offer some interesting answers.)
Getting off on a tangent, just yesterday I suggested to a black female co-worker that she should wear her hair "naturally" when she was talking about a perm. She said something to the effect that i'd be looking for a long time to find a woman who only hot combs her hair, and doesn't use chemicals. No, I said, NATURALLY, no straightening, no anything. Her exact words, and I quote, "That's crazy!!!" And this isn't a young girl; she's in her 40's. (I'd love to know which doll she'd pick.)
Also, why has no one explored this further? Why not Asian doll vs. white doll, or asian doll vs. black doll for an asian and/or black child. Why not the black/white experiment for a white child? Why not blonde white doll vs. redhead white doll for a white child. (yes, of both hair persuasions, or one who has neither.) Or black child? There's a virtually endless assortment of variations on the theme.
scrawled by The Doc | July 3, 2008 5:31 AM
Also, the part where he asks the little girl which doll she looks most like, and she gets this heartbroken look on her face and sort of resigns herself to the black doll... kills your spirit a little bit.
God, I just want to grab that little girl and say, baby, you come from royalty and your skin is beautiful.
scrawled by The Doc | July 3, 2008 5:37 AM
Dear Brother Priest, You might find this interesting.I am a fortysomething African American martial artist.When I was in my formative years of training my sifu was visited by one of his colleages from China. This gentleman commented about how my sifu was lucky to have predominently black students because we are better athletes than the average Chinese. My sifu to his credit atributed our secess and skill not to racial advantages but to us simply wanting it more than the Chinese kids, thus we were willing to work harder.
scrawled by Darrin Kemp | July 5, 2008 1:13 PM