Me? Racist?
"Revolutions begin when the people defined as a problem say,
'It's the people who define us as the problem that are the problem."
(John McKnight)
From How to Become an Anti Racist.
“What’s the problem with being not racist? It is a claim that signifies neutrality. I am not a racist, but neither am I aggressively against racism. But there is no neutrality in the racism struggle. The opposite of racist isn’t not racist. It is anti-racist. “What is the difference? One either endorses the idea of racial hierarchy, as a racist, or racial equality, as an anti-racist. One either believes problems are rooted in groups of people, as a racist, or locates the roots of problems in power and policies, as an anti-racist. “One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an anti-racist. There is no in-between, safe space of not racist. The claim of not racist neutrality is a mask for racism.”
From an interview with the author.
"I don’t have a racist bone in my body. What that means is that this is an essential term, you become a racist. And what I argue and show in my work is, no one becomes a racist or even an anti-racist. It is a reflection of what a person is doing in each moment. And people change. And so if in one moment a person is saying that a particular racial group is inferior, they’re being racist. If, in the very next moment, they’re supporting a policy that’s leading to equity and justice, they’re being anti-racist. And there are so many people with both racist and anti-racist ideas who support racist and anti-racist policies. And, because of that, we can’t label them one of the other permanently, right? We can always say what they’re being in each moment."
6 ways to be antiracist, because being 'not racist' isn't enough
Kendi's surprising, arguably risky self-critical approach illustrates how easily racist thoughts take root and how they're linked to policies that create harmful social, economic, cultural, and political disparities. One reason racism persists is because most of us cannot see as clearly as Kendi how the mind — and body politic — casually harbors racist ideas.
Kendi argues that without the capacity for honest self-reflection and critical thinking, we'll remain a nation of Americans who, like President Trump, swear they "don't have a racist bone" in their body all while racism and white supremacy persist unchecked, destroying communities and lives.
Kendi goes further, defining the word racist as: "One who is supporting a racist policy through their actions or inaction or expressing a racist idea." This incisive definition forces the reader to hold themselves accountable for their ideas and actions.
Racism yields racial inequities and disparities in every sector of private and public life. That includes in politics, health care, criminal justice, education, income, employment, and home ownership. Being antiracist means learning about and identifying inequities and disparities that give, in particular, white people, or any racial group, material advantages over people of color.
“What I do know is slaveholders identified as not racist… white supremacists identify today as not racist.“It seems to me, that term is more of a term of denial than a term with meaning.”
- Ibram X Kendi, author of #HowToBeAnAntiracist
https://twitter.com/i/status/1159587528380256256
What causes poverty? Not a lack of money, but a lack of social relationships.
C. Nicole Mason: We’re not talking honestly about what it really takes to get from poverty to the middle class. So, for example, we know that only four percent of people who are born into poverty will ever make it to the upper middle class or to, you know, have middle class success. And so what that means is that 96 percent of people are not making it out. And I think we’re being dishonest when we say everybody has a fair and equal chance of achieving the American Dream. So it wasn’t until college that I figured out that I was poor. I hadn’t – before then I had no context for what it meant to have less than other people who lived around me or across town. And I certainly didn’t know that I was outside of what was considered the middle class. And the first time that I heard about people living in poverty was in a political science class. In there we were talking about welfare policies. And one of the big policies at the time was welfare reform. And the debate was raging about what should be done and a lot of the conversation was up here and really detached from the women and families that were going to be directly impacted by the policy.
So we heard a lot of things about welfare queens, people living off the system, not wanting to work, women being lazy, having multiple children. And that really wasn’t the reality for the women who were actually impoverished.
Born Poor, Stay Poor: The Silent Caste System of America | C. Nicole Mason
Why only 4% of Americans Rise to Middle Class
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtca2-T4CBo
Hate Crime Murders Hit Record High in 2019
158 RESOURCES TO UNDERSTAND SYSTEMIC RACISM IN AMERICA
Talking About Race
Amid escalating clashes between protesters and police, discussing race—from the inequity embedded in American institutions to the United States’ long, painful history of anti-black violence—is an essential step in sparking meaningful societal change. To support those struggling to begin these difficult conversations, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture recently launched a “Talking About Race” portal featuring “tools and guidance” for educators, parents, caregivers and other people committed to equity.
“Talking About Race” joins a vast trove of resources from the Smithsonian Institution dedicated to understanding what Bunch describes as America’s “tortured racial past.” From Smithsonian magazine articles on slavery’s Trail of Tears and the disturbing resilience of scientific racism to the National Museum of American History’s collection of Black History Month resources for educators and a Sidedoor podcast on the Tulsa Race Massacre, these 158 resources are designed to foster an equal society, encourage commitment to unbiased choices and promote antiracism in all aspects of life. Listings are bolded and organized by category.
Table of Contents
4. Protest
11 FACTS ABOUT RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
During the 2015–2016 school year, Black students represented only 15% of total US student enrollment, but they made up 35% of students suspended once, 44% of students suspended more than once, and 36% of students expelled. The US Department of Education concluded that this disparity is “not explained by more frequent or more serious misbehavior by students of color.”[1]
In New York City, 88% of police stops in 2018 involved Black and Latinx people, while 10% involved white people. (Of those stops, 70% were completely innocent.)[2]
In one US survey, 15.8% of students reported experiencing race-based bullying or harassment. Research has found significant associations between racial bullying and negative mental and physical health in students.[3]
From 2013 to 2017, white patients in the US received better quality health care than about 34% of Hispanic patients, 40% of Black patients, and 40% of Native American patients.[4]
Black women are 3 to 4 times more likely to experience a pregnancy-related death than white women, even at similar levels of income and education.[5]
Black Americans are more likely than white Americans to be arrested. Once arrested, they are more likely to be convicted, and once convicted, they are more likely to experience lengthy prison sentences.[6]
Black Americans and white Americans use drugs at similar rates, but Black Americans are 6 times more likely to be arrested for it.[7]
On average, Black men in the US receive sentences that are 19.1% longer than those of white men convicted for the same crimes.[8]
In the US, Black individuals are twice as likely to be unemployed than white individuals. Once employed, Black individuals earn nearly 25% less than their white counterparts.[9]
One US study found that job resumes with traditionally white-sounding names received 50% more callbacks than those with traditionally Black names.[10]
In the US, Black workers are less likely than white workers to be employed in a job that is consistent with their level of education.[11]
US Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights. “2015-16 Civil Rights Data Collection: School Climate and Safety.” https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/school-climate-and-safety.pdf. Accessed Feb. 5, 2020.
New York Civil Liberties Union. “Stop-and-Frisk Data.” https://www.nyclu.org/en/stop-and-frisk-data. Accessed Feb. 5, 2020.
Structural Inequalities and Discrimination
Summer of Racial Reckoning: The System (NPR - Up First: Bonus)
The History of Racism in America | History | Smithsonian ...
www.smithsonianmag.com › history › 158-resources-u...
Jun 4, 2020 - These articles, videos, podcasts and websites from the Smithsonian chronicle the history of anti-black violence and inequality in the United ...
Systemic racism and America today - Brookings
www.brookings.edu › blog › how-we-rise › 2020/06/11
Jun 11, 2020 - John R. Allen writes on the origin of systemic racism in the United States and the ways in which it continues to impact, and even define, ...
The Foundation of White Racism - A Journal of Policy ...
www.huduser.gov › Periodicals › CITYSCPE › feagin\
Housing segregation, and the systemic racism it reveals, are still not on the official tour. Widespread housing discrimination against Americans of color in U.S. ...
by JR Feagin - Cited by 59 - Related articles
The Three Degrees of Racism in America - The Atlantic
www.theatlantic.com › business › archive › 2020/06 › t...
Jun 21, 2020 - Only when people align on what racist behavior looks like will we be able to take practical steps to make those behaviors costly.
Black, Latino and Native American people are nearly three times as likely to be infected with Covid-19 than their White counterparts. Those three groups are about five times as likely to be hospitalized. And people of color across the board are more likely to die of the virus.
Race affects who is able to flee from a viral hotspot to a second home and who shares a roof with family members across generations. It affects who is able to work remotely and who has to leave home to keep society afloat. It affects who has easy access to testing and who puts off treatment because they're worried about the costs.
Race affects where you live
It affects whether you can work at home
- It affect your risk of severe illness
- It affects your access to medical care
White Americans Say They Are Waking Up to Racism. What ...
www.nytimes.com › 2020/06/22 › racism-white-americans
Jun 22, 2020 - Floyd's death has compelled many white Americans to acknowledge the anti-black racism that is prevalent in the United States — and to perhaps ...
Structural Racism - Racial Equity Tools
www.racialequitytools.org › Definitions-of Racism
Examples include prejudice, xenophobia, internalized oppression and privilege, and beliefs about race influenced by the dominant culture. Institutional Racism.
by K Lawrence - Cited by 28 - Related articles
www.pbs.org › articles › 2020/06 › racism-in-america
July 9, 2020. By Taryn Stewart. Police brutality has always been prevalent in the Black community. As "The Talk" explores, many discussions around the topic ...
Education Inequality and Discrimination
http://parentsacrossamerica.org/civil-rights-discrimination-standardized-testing/
Economic Inequality
Healthcare Inequality and Discrimination
Reproducing Racism: reproductive inequality
https://revealnews.org/episodes/reproducing-racism-rebroadcast/
Russell et al. “Adolescent Health and Harassment Based on Discriminatory Bias.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3487669/. Accessed Feb. 5, 2020. Rosenthal et al. “Weight and Race Based Bullying: Health Associations Among Urban Adolescents.” http://www.uconnruddcenter.org/resources/upload/docs/what/communities/WeightRaceBullying_PhysicalHealth_JOHP_10.13.pdf. Accessed Feb. 5, 2020.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. “National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.” https://www.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/research/findings/nhqrdr/2018qdr-final.pdf. Accessed Feb. 5, 2020.
National Partnership for Women and Families. “Black Women’s Maternal Health.” https://www.nationalpartnership.org/our-work/health/reports/black-womens-maternal-health.html. Accessed Feb. 5, 2020.
Employment Inequality and Discrimination
Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab. “Discrimination in the Job Market in the United States.” https://www.povertyactionlab.org/evaluation/discrimination-job-market-united-states. Accessed Feb. 5, 2020.
Employment, Housing, Economic related to welfare:
Economic Policy Institute. “Black Workers Endure Persistent Racial Disparities In Employment Outcomes.” https://www.epi.org/publication/labor-day-2019-racial-disparities-in-employment/. Accessed Feb. 5, 2020. ↩︎
https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-racial-discrimination#fn7
10 Myths About the a Racial Wealth Gap. 7/23/20 Axios
https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-am-e36ae16d-80a9-43b1-bf8d-1b504d2e7328.html#story0
Housing Inequality and Discrimination
https://www.nbcnews.com/specials/american-dream-while-black-homeownership/index.html
https://stateofopportunity.michiganradio.org/post/pushed-out-documentary-housing-grand-rapids
https://www.michiganradio.org/post/data-analysis-modern-day-redlining-happening-detroit-and-lansing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5FBJyqfoLM
Racism and Religion
White Supremacy Shaped American Christianity, Researcher Says
Additional facts
(https://www.insider.com/reddit-content-policy-changes-new-black-moderators-racism-2020-7)
https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/us/racism-questions-answers/?active=8
https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/us/racism-questions-answers/?active=3
https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/us/racism-questions-answers/?active=1
What is the Official Language of the United States of American?
Not only is English NOT the official language of America and never has been, the law stands with those that do not use English proficiently and says we must accommodate those that are not proficient in English.Limited English Proficiency (LEP):
- U.S. census bureau defines LEP as an individual’s “self-assessed ability to speak English less than very well."
- Refers to an individual whose primary form of communication is something other than the spoken English language.
- The inability to speak, read, write, or understand English at a level that permits effective interaction with behavioral healthcare providers.
LEP is Supported by the Law!
A legal basis has been established to ensure meaningful access to behavioral healthcare services. This legal background or basis for providing LEP accommodations comes from several different laws (click on each law to learn more about the law)
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Executive Order 13166 (Aug. 11, 2000)
White Saviorism
"People were bought and sold and raped and abused. Land was stolen. Countless lives were ruthlessly destroyed by people who claimed to follow the ‘Prince of Peace.’ This was how Westernized Christendom was built: violently and as a weapon to help establish white-dominated social structures of colonial rule.
"As white Christians blissfully sing ‘God Bless America’ in their sanctuaries adorned with American flags, they look upon their country — and its many structures — with nostalgic pride, while others see betrayal, hurt, and suffering.
"Beyond reaffirming patriotism and nationalism to idolatrous levels and aligning itself with white conservative politicians, racism is just as rampant among white progressives and “liberal” Christians. In her bestselling book ‘White Fragility,’ author Robin DiAngelo notes that “I believe white progressives cause the most daily damage to people of color. I define a white progressive as any white person who thinks he or she is not racist, or is less racist, or in the “choir,” or already “gets it.” White progressives can be the most difficult for people of color because, to the degree that we think we have arrived, we will put our energy into making sure that others see us as having arrived. None of our energy will go into what we need to be doing for the rest of our lives: engaging in ongoing self-awareness, continuing education, relationship building, and actual anti-racist practice. White progressives do indeed uphold and perpetrate racism, but our defensiveness and certitude make it virtually impossible to explain to us how we do so.”
White Fragility
For More on White Fragility, see the tab to the right or click here: https://livingwithopenhands2.blogspot.com/p/white-fragility.html
A Banquet of Whiteness
"It is quite understandable that in a situation where one culture has vanquished another, that the vanquished should wish to join the victors. Traditionally, conservatives have said, “Too bad, we won and you lost,” while liberals have said, “Oh, we must be nice and make a place for the less fortunate.” Neither questions the desirability of the victory itself that spreads modern medicine and education, politics and science, money and markets, to all the world.
"It may also look like here is a white person telling everyone else that they shouldn’t want what I have, when all the world actually does want modern medicine, modern schooling, and economic development. They themselves say they want it – case closed. One must question, though, the context of this wanting. If I may quote myself, here is a passage from The Ascent of Humanity about how to destroy a culture and make it want to be like ours:
"Disrupt its networks of reciprocity by introducing consumer items from the outside. Erode its self-esteem with glamorous images of the West. Demean its mythologies through missionary work and scientific education. Dismantle its traditional ways of transmitting local knowledge by introducing schooling with outside curricula. Destroy its language by providing that schooling in English or another national or world language. Truncate its ties to the land by importing cheap food to make local agriculture uneconomic. Then you will have created a people hungry for the right sneaker."
"As you can see, to argue, “They want their Nikes (i.e., modern lifestyles) and it is racist of you to tell them they can’t have it,” leaves the whole process of colonization unexamined.
"Please don’t take this as an argument to do nothing about racially unequal access to medicine, food, power, and money. To the contrary, it is about meeting those needs outside the hegemonic white model. And do not take it as a criticism of those in oppressed groups who have striven to succeed in the white world. Theirs is a natural response to circumstances. What I am saying is that racial healing (and reparation) is much bigger than inclusion in the white-constructed and whitewashed world.
"If hot dogs are cheese fries are all that is available, it is better to have them than to starve. Absent wealth equality, it is better to be rich than to be poor. Absent a system of communal land ownership and vernacular architecture, it is better to afford to buy a house than to be homeless. Absent community-based ways to regulate social behavior, it is better to have the police on your side. Absent strong traditions of folk medicine, it is better to have health insurance than to be locked out of the only healthcare available. Absent robust local food systems, it is better to be able to shop at Whole Foods than at the convenience store. Absent a robust gift culture, it is better to have money than to have none. In current circumstances, one is better off privileged than not; however, the privilege discourse implicitly elevates its own values. It posits the life of the wealthy suburbanite with full medical insurance, well-funded school, secure investment portfolio, friendly police force, well-equipped modern hospital, and easily accessible Whole Foods as the good life, if only it could be available to all, if only room could be made for others to sit at the banquet of whiteness."
The Many Ways of Berating BLM (using the political motivation of devaluing anti-racists)
The ‘Marxist’ appellation is not simply false, though. It is also both counter-productive and dangerous. George Orwell warned about the political implications of using ‘meaningless words’ in his great essay, ‘Politics and the English Language’. Bemoaning the abuse and overuse of the word ‘fascism’, in words that ring truer today than ever, he said that word now had ‘no meaning except insofar as it signifies something not desirable’.
In recent years, there has been a resurgence of this desire to brand all political opponents as extremists, without much serious consideration of the terminology deployed. Such hollowing-out of language inevitably leads to confusion and misunderstanding. But it also inadvertently eats away at independent thought and expression.
Orwell said that, rather than pick the words that best and most clearly convey our meaning, many people often choose the easier route of ‘letting the ready-made phrases come crowding in’. If you do this, you allow these phrases to ‘construct your sentences for you’, and even to ‘think your thoughts for you’. Ultimately, this can lead to ‘partially concealing your meaning even from yourself.’
This is one of the ways we end up with commentators and politicians attacking their enemies by using little-thought-out terms which they cannot ultimately justify. This is how parts of the modern left are able to brand everyone and everything they disagree with as ‘racist’. But it is also how people can use the word ‘Marxist’ in a similar way, in place of proper analysis or critique. If we are fairly to reject accusations of racism made against anyone who does not take the knee for BLM, we must lead by example. We have to make sure that the words we use have meaning, and that we understand what that meaning is.
https://www.orwell.ru/library/essays/politics/english/e_polit/
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