Many times racism is confused with discrimination or prejudice. Prejudice is an irrational dislike of a person or group of people based on a stereotype and discrimination is when prejudice is acted on. However, racism describes patterns of discrimination that are institutionalized as “normal” throughout an entire culture. Racism is based on the ideological belief that one race is better than another, at this point it’s not just one person, but an entire population operating in a social structure that makes it difficult for a person not to discriminate. One of the main reasons racism today is so dangerous is because it’s inherent and because of that we are blind to it.
When most people think of racism in their mind they see ‘white only’ signs and ‘colored’ drinking fountains and this may have been the blatant outright racism of the 1950’s however, it’s 2014 and just as times are changing and evolving, racism is right along side it. Today racism is sly and covert, voter-ID laws, the unequal distribution of wealth, lack of job opportunities, disproportionate education systems, and ineffective government programs. These are all ways society continues the systematic oppression of minorities.
New forms of racism also include the denial of racism altogether, the belief that reverse racism is real, and the denial and blindness of white privilege. When people deny racism it dismisses and invalidates peoples’ claims of racism so injustice carries on unscathed. Colorblindness is something that many people are practicing today, this is the total disregard for the color of someones skin or their race. This sounds okay on the surface but ultimately causes more harm than it does good. If we were all equal in society then maybe colorblindness wouldn’t be such a bad thing but, colorblindness negates the cultural values and life experiences for people of color. The thinking is that if the color of the skin is ignored then it can’t be racism and if everyone does this then racism will disappear and what this argument fails to realize is that there are few people that are intentionally racist, most prejudices are unconscious and we don’t even know that we have them. Colorblindness is ultimately more hurtful than racism itself because what it’s saying is that you think being a person of color is so bad you have to picture us as people of no color in order to give us an equal opportunity, where at least the color of my skin is at least acknowledged in an institution of racism. Many who are unaware of what racism truly is will advocate the validity of reverse racism, which does not and cannot exist. Reverse racism is essentially when a race that is neither oppressed or put at a disadvantage cries racism at ‘injustices’. Systems of racism are developed over time and are put into place by a race in a position of power, therefore it’s not possible to experience racism when the political and social systems put into place have always been in the interest of your race. This perpetuates racism because people believe that minorities and majorities are equally subjected to racism, therefor everyone should just stop complaining. Reverse racism increases racism against minorities by encouraging people to believe that there really is no racism against minorities because in this mindset racism is simply two sides of the same coin when it’s not. White privilege is unearned power conferred systematically, it is granted to those who resemble the people who dominate the powerful positions in our institutions. White privileges include: access to resources not available to those of other races, white history being taught as a core class while the history of a minority is not even offered as an elective, being able to speak out and fight against injustices without fear of the repercussions of your actions, and just simply because institutions in place cater to the needs of white people more readily than they ever have towards people of color. White privilege furthers the institution of racism because most white people are unaware that they possess these advantages and when they use them it says that they are okay with the fact that the privileges given to them aid in the preservation of the systematic oppression of colored people and as long as no one speaks out against it the cycle will continue on.
I went through 15 years of my life without truly understanding a concept that has such a strong effect on my life. I remember the moment so clearly, it was another long day in APUSH but I was just happy that we were done discussing WWII and moving on to something else. That something else happened to be the 1950’s and the Civil Rights Movement, one of the first things my teacher told us before we began the unit was “I need you all to understand two things before we begin this unit, 1. Racism does not happen towards white people and 2. What racism really is is an institution designed to keep a race oppressed”, and after he said that everything I thought to be true about race and racism changed. It never occurred to me that this was a systematic institution with rhyme, reason, and an agenda, up until then I never really thought about race or racism like most people the topic made me uncomfortable and I avoided it at all costs.
After my enlightenment it’s as if the world became a much worse place and I started to question people and things I previously wouldn’t have thought about. It’s as if something within me awakened and yielded an awareness of not only the institution of racism in the world around me but my place in that institution. I began to question my own actions, whether or not I was helping the situation or fueling the fire and it became more and more important to me to assess my surrounding and reassess the people I surrounded my self with. My recognition of my lack of knowledge about racism has only helped me in the sense that I am better able to educate myself on such a relevant subject. It’s far easier to confront your adversary when you understand their motives and the way they work.