By Eric's definition, all whites and no people of color are "racist." You can
tell someone is or is not a racist by skin color and other physical traits
that are used to classify a person as white or a person of color. I think
reality is different and more complex than that. A person who thinks that racism is
a bad thing and bases their actions on judgments about who is and isn't a
racist per Eric's favored definition (e.g., Carol Johnson=black=not racist=must
support) will often hinder rather than help to advance the struggle to
eliminate racism.
Eric responds:
That's not true. I don't (and certainly didn't) always support Carol Johnson in her policies. Reasonable people disagree.
BUT, if Carol Johnson were to relate her life experiences having to do with racism, as an anti-racist, I am obliged to believe her - and support her, as I could not possibly have her experiences or her perspective.
As is shown over and over again, many white folks will question claims of racism out of hand. "Oh, they were misunderstood. I'm sure it wasn't meant like that." "Let's hear the other side before we draw conclusions." "I think that's a reasonable action considering the circumstances." "It's a culture that doesn't respect work or education." Blah, blah, blah...
Dennis Plante writes:
As a white living in an impacted neighborhood, I am treated with hostility and contempt (because I'm white) by the MAJORITY of my neighbors. I am NOT afforded anywhere near the same level of security, safety, or livability of my counterparts living in non-impacted neighborhoods. Be they white or black.
I end-up being just another statistic, just like my minority neighbors. My house is burglarized, my garage is broken into, my property is destroyed. In fact, I am probably MORE of a target, BECAUSE I am white.
I struggle on a daily basis, to not let my personal experiences become the basis of prejudice against a race or ethnicity. It is only through becoming personally familiar with INDIVIDUALS in my neighborhood that this happens.
As long as we (as a society) continue to allow the majority of MINORITIES to live in very finite sections of our city, we will continue to experience this type of discriminatory culture. For it is only through one-on-one experiences that we are given the opportunity to realize that a person's skin color has very little to do with their character.
Eric Responds:
Dennis has made my point EXACTLY! Institutionally, people of color tend to be concentrated in segregated neighborhoods - especially in Minneapolis - year after year, leading the nation in segregated poverty. Is this a mistake, or an institutional, power/authority related social condition based on who makes the rules, enforces the rules, and changes the rules as they see fit?
Dennis' own personal experiences in his neighborhood are also most likely the result of institutional racism. At whom are the powerless able to lash out at? Symbolic individuals perhaps? Yet, I suspect Dennis has better relations with the various authorities (police, government, etc.) than many of his neighbors.
Again, we are NEVER the guys they're looking for.
Jim Mork wrote:
Racism Here's my question. There can only be "racism" if ALL members of a given race are treated in the same prejudicial way. America has received a sudden influx of Africans, and Minneapolis is no exception. Do all the behaviors we call "racism" happen to these Africans at the same frequency? Or do we really have a MIX of race and BEHAVIOR prejudice.
Eric responds:
Actually, our African immigrant friends learned very early to draw a bright line between "African" and "African-American", and to make sure everyone that matters pays attention to that bright line. Even United Way changed their demograpic surveys a couple years ago to reflect this. Why? Because immigrants learn very quickly that it's important to NOT be associated with the descendants of American slaves - the one immigrant group that didn't come here willingly.
Just an anecdotal story - a few years ago I attended a conference in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus also has a significant Somali population. At the time, their Columbus police dept. was about to come under Federal oversight because of rampant racial profiling. On the way to the airport, I was discussing this issue with the cab driver, who was Somali. He said, "I don't pick up Blacks. No one does. What do they expect?" He had been in the country less than a year and he knew the deal. In his mind, he wasn't Black, he was African. BIG difference. He confided this in me because he knew by my skin color that I knew the deal as well. It was our little secret.
Have I experienced bigotry? Sure. When I was a kid in Rapid City, there were kids who weren't allowed to come to my house because we had American Indians who came to our house. BUT, that had no impact on any other aspect of my life. It didn't limit my educational opportunity, work, housing, credit, healthcare - any of that. It was just an ugly side effect of other peoples bigotry. And, in fact, my "whiteness" has undoubtably opened doors for me that would be closed or even invisible to others - particularly in Minneapolis. I'm also overweight and there has been stuff with that, especially as a kid, but again, it doesn't affect every aspect of my being.
That's the difference between bigotry and racism. Racism does it all, and it's our little secret.
I'm just trying to let the secret out...
Eric Oines North Minneapolis Lind-Bohanon
"When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall - think of it, always."
~ Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948), Agitator
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