In the interest of helping us bridge the divide of race, we need to clear something up. We are burying ourselves in racism accusations. Just because someone says or does something stupid, related to race, a racist does not this make. This is important because there is much more stupidity in the world, than racism.In ethnically diverse surroundings such as ours, the probability of a person of one race saying or doing something stupid concerning race, which in turn is seen, heard, or felt, by someone of that or another race is pretty good - nearly a sure thing. Many comments about race can be either true or false, and stupid, but not racist. People – we really need to resemble this difference.
Being Black, and growing up around Black people has allowed me to hear stupid comments about race from Blacks, but without concluding the people or the comments are racist – perhaps just stupid. I assume many non-Blacks have experienced the same. As well, I have experienced Whites discussing race and spouting tremendous silliness, but with no honest call to use the R-word against them.
So whether we are talking about KFC soccer ads in Australia, or Nevada Senator Harry Reid talking about a ‘light-skinned Obama who speaks ‘Negro’ when he chooses’, or millions of others we interact with each day, we need to become more discerning about what is racism and what is just good old honest stupidity. Oh yeah, sometimes comments about race (that some might not like) aren’t even stupid, but hey, baby steps.
James C. Collier
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Technorati Tags: Stupidity + Race ≠ Racism, Harry Reid, Obama, Racism, Apologies, Acting White
Anon 4:18, I introduce the notion that racial incorrectness does not always equal racism (demeaning intent). By example, a seventy year-old white man referring to me as a "Negro" is not the same offense as a thirty year-old, even though both would be incorrect.
ReplyDeleteAt what point does "racial incorrectness" as you coin it stop being simple lack of awareness and starts to point to a mind frame that considers blacks or other people of color as less than? I am pretty sure the individuals that used to hang Black people from trees and that currently engage in racial profiling use "racial incorrect" language all of the time. Either way you look at it the people on the receiving end of "racial incorrectness"(people of color) still suffer a REAL psychological toll.
ReplyDeleteAnon 7:02, When words and behaviors reflect codification of demeaning intent assigned by ethnicity, I say slap on the R-word. Codification means establishment of said intent in laws and mores.
ReplyDeleteSo, are you saying that what reid said was "good old honest stupidity?"
ReplyDeleteWhat if Mitch McConnell would have said it? Do you really think that you would be saying that it was just "good old honest stupidity?"
If Mitch McConnell would have said what Harry said the entire membership of the DNC, along with their mainstream mouthpiece's, would be calling for him to be hung. At high noon. In public.
But Harry gets a pass. Just "good old honest stupidity."
Sabra, I don't know, yes or no, if Reid is a racist - but rather that recognizing the significance of light skin and bi-lingualism/cultural-ism does not make him a racist, per se. Same for anyone else.
ReplyDeleteAssnonymous 1:12pm, One of your biggest pet peeves? Yea right, nice try with your attempt to re-frame how racism is operationaized in this country. What really occurs in contrast to your foolish example is that the person who calls out an obvious example of racism, is THEN CALL
ReplyDeleteRACIST,and thus the incident is ignored, or in the case of tomish individuals such as yourself, stupid rhetorical questions are then asked such as "Where is the racism in that"?? (in reference to Reid's Negro dialect statement). Please explain to me Mr. self identified "negro" what exactly is a "negro dialect"? And if such a dialect exist, I would assume that Whites have their own "dialect" as well. Could you explain that dialect?
p.s. please do not use any racial stereotypes in explaining this "negro dialect".
MK
Tom huh? Ok. Who was attempting to re-frame anything? Racism exist. In this instance no. In general in general (just wanted to make sure you saw that)Black people and white people have different speech patterns which has nothing to with the "correctness" of how we speak or the range of their vocabulary. Black people have a different tone. Black people use certain word that might be foreign to whites. All this makes a dialect.
ReplyDeleteoh and that Ms. negro to you.
I stand correct Ms. Negro.
ReplyDeleteMK
First off, great post James. I think there a lot of times when the term "racist" is used way to easily. Remember the tale about the boy and the wolf and be careful using the term or it will lose it's impact.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I'm not getting any racism in Reid's remarks. OK, maybe Negro is an outdated term. But, to me, he was basically saying "America wouldn't elect a dark skinned man " - which is a reflection on America, not disparaging of African Americans in any way.
As for the "Negro Dialect", is Ebonics a better way to say that? I'm partially kidding. But seriously, what's the correct way what he meant? (I can't even think of a way to express it without coming off racist!)
"America wouldn't elect a dark skinned man " - which is a reflection on America, not disparaging of African Americans in any way."
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS THE WAY HE SHOULD OF SAID JUST AS YOU DID.
REID IS A RACIST, PERIOD.
60% of black males have white ancestry. The idea that genetics precludes black identity is absurd. Millions of African Americans are just as white as Obama.
ReplyDelete"If America really wants to move forward with race relations blacks have to fight harder for our constitutional privileges and whites will have to go through the anger, anxiety and pain of knowing that white supremacy still holds sway in America."
ReplyDeleteYes, the only way race relations can move forward is if whites are punished for what their ancestors did and blacks are rewarded for what their ancestors went through. That will definitely improve race relations.