Greetings, fellow students! I say “fellow” because, while I’m temporarily serving as the instructor for today, the truth is, I’m one of you. I am not an expert on this subject, by any means; however, I am qualified. So are you. My credentials are the same as yours: I am a product of the United States’ society and culture; therefore I am, by definition, a racist. We all are. We cannot help it. Racism is, after all, an institution: entrenched in our history, thriving during our present, and — despite our best efforts — destined to continue beyond our years. Now, I realize many of you do not consider yourself racist. OK, let me describe it another way: we hold prejudicial, stereotypical, discriminatory, and biased beliefs as factual. If you still feel you don’t deserve the “racist” label, you should drop this class right here. There are untold numbers of professors who would welcome you into their Advanced Denial course at any time.
You’re still here? Well, then you must be interested in an exploration of this thing called race. Great. Before we begin, I must ask you to keep an open mind and heart while taking this course. There are no letter grades given here; the class shares in the final designation for the course. Either we ALL pass this course, or we ALL fail it. To begin the course, let’s explore the standard definition of racism. I consulted several sources for this, as follows:
Oxford English: a belief or ideology that all members of each racial group possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially to distinguish it as being either superior or inferior to another racial group or racial groups.
Merriam-Webster: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and those racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular racial group, and that it is also the prejudice based on such a belief.
Macquarie (Australia): the belief that human races have distinctive characteristics which determine their respective cultures, usually involving the idea that one’s own race is superior and has the right to rule or dominate others.
I think a hybrid of these definitions is probably the closest to the truth. Further, we should explore other words as elements of racism, such as prejudice (prejudgment, or making a decision before becoming aware of the relevant facts of a case or event), discrimination (treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit), and bias (a tendency or preference towards a particular perspective, ideology, or result).
This is really, really hard stuff to study. I know it. You know it. With that said, there are different rules for White people and Black people pursuing this course, because all our lives society has cultivated those differences to the point where they are almost impossible to overcome. One difference between White people knowing and studying racism and Black people knowing and studying racism that can’t be overcome: Black people cannot avoid dealing with racism – even when it’s uncomfortable for us to do so. Many White people choose to deal with the issue honestly (quite a few of these folks are called “liberals”…and some identify themselves as Christians); still, other White people choose to ignore it (and want the rest of us to do the same, rather than allow the “race card(s)” to be played…and some identify themselves as Christians). What no honest person can do is deny that racism exists; yet, every incident that offers an opportunity for a candid exploration of race relations generally fades into the background. As I alluded to in my letter to Pat Buchanan (Affirmative Action), sidestepping, avoiding, and denying the issue prevents us as a nation from getting past the issue. That’s real, y’all.
For you Caucasian students, I’m going to reveal something you may have suspected already, but may have trained yourselves not to think too much about: Black people are angry about this country’s racist past and present. All of us. Yes, even the “good” ones. Yes, that includes those who have “made it:” Barack Obama. Oprah Winfrey. Michael Jordan. Maya Angelou. Bill Cosby. Tyra Banks. Henry Louis Gates. Beyonce Knowles. Cornel West. Lani Guinere. Denzel Washington. Donna Brazile. Michael Steele. Carol Moseley Braun. Clarence Thomas. Condoleeza Rice. Colin Powell. You name them; rest assured, they have some latent anger within them. The difference is in the level of anger…and the channel in which it is expressed (or, suppressed).
To be successful and Black in this society, one has to learn how to assimilate into the mainstream with humility (and, while there are many White people who willingly embrace diversity, it is virtually impossible for Black people to achieve 100% societal acceptance; if it were possible, there would be no need to “embrace” diversity – diversity would already be an organic part of our culture!). Those who struggle with this (shout-out to Kanye West, who’s become a poster boy of sorts for the “dissatisfied Black millionaire”) are ridiculed and denounced by the public; those who quietly accept their status in the “new Black elite” without challenging the establishment’s centuries-old privileged pecking order are rewarded by being granted access to the trappings of fame, wealth and power. Unfortunately, so few African-American success stories are willing to place their status at risk to decry the condition of the people with whom they are most identified; understandably, many “new Black elite” don’t wish to bite the hand that feeds them. That’s not to say that members of the “new Black elite” aren’t outspoken about the plight of racism; oh, there definitely are voices among this crowd (the one I admire the most: Leonard Pitts of the Miami Herald!). I just wish there were more, because collectively this group could, with some degree of certitude, force the conversation to occur with alacrity and regularity.
So, my question to the class is twofold: 1) WHY are Black people still angry, and 2) WHY don’t White people want to address Black people’s anger with anything other than…more anger? The answer is extremely complicated…and cannot be adequately addressed in this class (much less the first lesson). This would have to become an undergraduate major, with a post-graduate degree required to merely “practice” (much like doctors and lawyers). In the interest of time, I’d like to offer a possible shortcut that might help us. It involves a little Y2K “cheerleading” movie called “Bring It On.” If viewed as an allegory, as I have done, this film is a microcosm of the White-Black socioeconomic divide, and the continuing power of institutionalized racism:
The Rancho Carne Toros cheerleading squad is comprised of affluent, modern-day Caucasian teenagers. The current squad (White people) inherited a legacy of championship titles from their predecessors (U.S. “founding fathers”), which affords them national accolades, local fame and tournament automatic bids to retain their crown (privilege).
Meanwhile, the East Compton Clovers (Black people, Hispanic people, and – I assume – poor White people) are just as talented, but they do not benefit from the same privilege as the Toros’ squad – thus, they toil in relative obscurity at the same championship level (discrimination).
Early in the film, it’s discovered that the Toros’ “ancestors” have routinely stolen cheers from former Clovers’ squads, using them without citation to win their competitions. Thus, their “cheerocracy” was built off the sweat of former East Compton cheer squads (slaves). When the head cheerleader discovers this, she brings it to the attention of her squad, who adopt a “so what” and “win-at-all-costs” attitude (free-market capitalism); hey, that cheer-stealing (slave-trading) happened a long time ago. So, the Toros’ captain decides to go with the flow, since that’s how it’s always been done (Jim Crow).
Eventually, the Clovers (revolutionaries – Nation of Islam, Black Panthers, etc.) come to a football game and confront the Toros’ cheer squad. The two captains have a face-off, with the Clovers’ captain telling the Toros’ captain that the Clovers want their shot at the championship (civil rights), and somehow, some way, the Clovers ARE going to nationals this year. The Toros’ captain (enlightened liberal),, desperate to do the right thing, offers to pay the Clovers’ way to the tournament (corporate America’s response to Affirmative Action), only to be dismissed by the Clovers’ captain…who wants to “earn” what they get, rather than accept an undignified, guilt-inspired handout they didn’t deserve (most working Black people…like me!).
The Toros’ captain is disgusted at learning how her entire cheerleading career was based on a lie (“Land of the free” juxtaposed with the slavery institution), and endeavors to challenge her team to work hard at creating a dynamic, original routine that will ultimately win them a championship – in many ways, for the first time. By doing so, the Toros’ captain and the Clovers’ develop what appears to be a genuine respect and admiration for one another as equal competitors (what our future COULD be).
As Christians, we must…MUST…do all that we can to remind others how things should be (Acts 10:34 – “Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.’”), and remind ourselves to temper our own actions and reactions toward those who “drop” this class (Luke 17:4 – “Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”). As for the class assignment: Let’s talk about this, let’s heal this…let’s own this. I’d like to pass this course. I think you do too.
See you at study group.
~Brian Foster
Tags: Black, Bring It On, privilege, racism, understanding, White
