Last week, I made the point that racism exists because people believe it does. It also exists because some White men use it as a defensive tool to protect and maintain control and power.
This week, I add 2 more reasons which are:
3. Racism is a perceived hedge of safety for some. A hedge of safety is a barrier used to divide, block, or somehow impede access of those outside the barrier. Some believe that by separating themselves from others, they somehow gain security for self, family, and assets. Racism can be perceived as a hedge as it can effectively divide groups, block advancement of others, and impede the access of those seeking entrance.
Did you know that school districts are secretly re-segregating? (Please reference http://www.harvardscience.harvard.edu/culture-society/articles/public-school-districts-resegregating-race-study-finds). Seeking safer learning environments and better education for their children, I suspect parents are moving their children to private schools if they can afford the tuition or moving to school districts where minorities are extremely small percentages of the population.
Did you know that many communities today are segregated? Certainly, families are concerned about crime statistics and property valuation. And for some "reason", higher crime rates and lower property values are uniquely linked to minorities and poor people. Therefore, by virtue of safety and motivated by racism, some people seek to distance themselves from minorities.
I submit that these choices are primarily not based on racial biases. Those seeking security via a hedge are basing their decisions on perceived threats. Granted, the threats are based on perceptions of minorities and the poor among other reasons; but we cannot ignore the empirical data that supports many of these perceptions. And then, we're not only talking about Whites, but other races including Blacks make similar choices. And what they all have in common is financial means.
4. Christians support racism. I know what you're thinking...whoa, somebody's been putting a little vodka in his coffee! But it is true. Christians support racism. Martin Luther King Jr. once said “We must face the sad fact that at 11 o’clock on Sunday morning, when we stand to sing...we stand in the most segregated hour in America.” And no matter what city and state one may go, this is a truism that is undisputed to this very day.
Christian customs toward women, minorities, non-believers, and other religions have been discriminatory and prejudice as well as presumptuous. Where there is very little pushback from leadership and members of the Christian faith, that silence and inaction translates into support of truly non-Christ-like behavior in the form of discriminatory and prejudicial customs.
Sadly, Biblical scriptures demonstrate these customs. In the Old Testament, one can find scriptures defining the "clean" group and the "unclean" group. A "clean" person would become unclean if he were to consort with an "unclean" person, food, or activity. So laws and customs were established to ensure everyone knew the boundaries. Sound familiar?
In the New Testament, a similar system was established for "believers" (the righteous) and "unbelievers" (the unrighteous). These groups shouldn't inter-marry. 1st century Jewish converts to Christianity still carried racist attitudes toward Gentiles. Apostles Peter and James were called out by Apostle Paul over their racist attitudes and behavior.
I submit, as a Christian myself, that racism is not a precept of Christianity; however, Christians do practice various forms of discrimination and prejudice. The distinction is Christian practice as opposed to Christianity. When fellow Christians fail to correct this behavior and attitude, in essence, they support it with their inaction and silence. I must note that Jesus did set the counter-example of racism by reserving judgment and accepting people for who they were; but then Jesus was a Jew not a Christian, argumentatively.
Next time, I add my last 2 reasons as to why racism is still around which are wealthy building necessity and Black self-identification. Stay tuned...I'll explain.
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ok Truth. I only agree with one of the reason racism still exist that you have given so far. That is the first reason, because we believe it does. Thatr goes back to what I've been saying... black people perpertuate racism with their thoughts as well as actions. The others, I agree, but perhaps not as strongly! Especially the one about Christians. Christians are not the only group of people who perprtuate racism by not denouncing and correcting 'racist thoughts, actions and comments'. Every group of people and every religion have an element of people who do not denounce stereotypes when they come across them.
ReplyDeleteThatTeowonna, only 1? I have 2 more to go. Maybe I'll win you over on the last 2.
ReplyDeleteA mind is a powerful thing. It creates our reality. Racism is a reality for some because they believe it to be real. But the truth is that humans are naturally selfish. That's why we have to teach our babies how to share. They don't come out of the womb sharing, you know. And from that selfish nature comes discrimination, prejudice, and self-centeredness. Yeah, we label a particular discriminatory behavior as racism, but it's no better or worse than the other types. Yet, there is such an obsession with racism that it effectively distracts us from the true reality that people are naturally pricks (lol).
I only picked on Christians because they are about 80% of the religious population in the United States. Christianity is the unofficial religion of the United States of America. And by far, they wield the most influence on the population. And if Christian leaders would step up and speak out, others would listen and follow.