One problem I've noticed around my college campus is ignorance. Another thing I've noticed is how quickly people will call those ignorant people "racist." So, I thought that I should write about the distinction between racism and ignorance in our community.
Ignorance
Ignorance, according to Google, is the lack of knowledge or information.
As a black woman on a predominantly white campus, I met a lot of people who showed me their ignorance for black culture. Then, I realized that their ignorance can stem from the simple fact that they never came in contact with black culture.
Think about what I'm saying for a second. Hypothetically speaking, what if there's a white student who lives in rural America with an almost nonexistent black population? What if that student literally never came in contact with black culture. What if the only "knowledge" of the black community this person has, stems from propaganda and reality TV? Or what if their only knowledge of the black community stems from their family's experiences and examples.
My example is a bit extreme, but it's a good example. I was raised to think before I spoke, and I always put that into consideration when people say ignorant things to me. When people say "you don't sound black" I ask them what a black person is supposed to sound like, so they can hear and understand the stupidity that just came out of their mouths. Usually, my response will puzzle the questioner and they will sit and think about what they just asked me and why it was wrong. This could be the first time someone corrected their language/question. I could be the first person to tell them that what they asked me is wrong.
Racism
The Oxford Dictionary defines racism as "The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races."
Racism is hatred, period. It is level 100 on the petty scale, in my opinion, because people don't have legitimate and factual reasons for being racist. A huge problem with racists is that a lot of them don't like to be called racist. When you call someone out for their racism, they act like they're the victim and meant no harm.
If you see/hear racism, call it out. Do not be a bystander and call it as you see it. Unlike ignorance, this racist person knows what they are doing. They know how their actions and words affect others. There is a difference between not knowing/understanding something and hating a specific race of people.
What should you do about this problem?
Say something. You should always say something. It's OK if you don't know what to say right away, but never allow someone to silence another. Even if they do it unintentionally. But most importantly, know the difference. Don't be too quick to call someone a racist; always think before you speak. As hard as it may seem, especially if you're a person of color, thinking about that person's background may help you decide on what to say next or how to approach the situation. Some people literally don't know or understand what they're saying because no one ever called them out on the topic before. And if they don't understand where you're coming from, say this:
"I understand why you don't understand. But, now that you know, respect my understanding."
This is a quote that I came up with, and I say it to people who don't see things from my point of view when then say ignorant/hurtful things to me. I think that ignorance is a disease that needs to be killed with education and intelligence. Hopefully this article can clarify and help someone else tackle this problem as well.
