General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why I don't like the term "white privilege" [View all]Token Republican
(242 posts)Agreed on both you points, and they really touch on one key aspect of racism.
Human beings are by nature, creatures of habit and patterns. We evolved to spot patterns, and seeing something that is outside of what we know is safe helped keep us alive in our caveman days. Eyes glaring at us in the dark of night usually meant bad things were about to happen. A tribe that looks different than our tribe could mean bad things.
Those traits continue today.
Racism is a complex multi headed beast. The most obvious example is overt racism, such as the old south's jim crow laws. This is obvious and in some ways, the easiest to address.
But such overt racism is only part of the beast. There is the feeling of being concerned for your own safety when people of a different race are around. I've felt it myself and while I'm not proud of it, acknowledging that such reactions exist is the only way to fight them. Yet they exist for a reason too. I've had two less than pleasant encounters with a group of young males of certain ethnic background and since then, I've been a bit more wary about repeating that type of encounter. See above regarding patterns. So while people do have the right to exercise free speech by adopting a "gangsta" look, there are consequences of that choice. I'm not saying its right or wrong, but simply saying it exists.
And there's an even more subtle form of racism I've encountered which absolutely shocked me the first time I encountered it. I did a fair amount of work years ago that involved the foster care system. Many kids grew up in foster care, and social workers assigned would supposedly help them obtain life skills to become independent adults. Most of the kids involved were, due to geography, African American. What was appalling was the complete lack of any resources to living by working. Each and every independent living plan that was offered to these kids was simply a list of social services and government aid. Ok, sometimes its necessary but the point is that not being on welfare was completely outside the line of thinking. Not being on welfare was not even an option. When I tried to address this with social workers, I might have been speaking martian.
The last type of racism really made me open my eyes on how subtle and insidious it is, and it can corrupt even those who are trying to make a positive difference.
Personally, I can't say that I'm free of racism. In fact I won't. Because only being aware that such subtle racism exists is the only way it can be fought, both as an individual and in society at large.