The word racism gives everyone mixed feelings. For black people, we live it in everyday life. It's something that we deal with in an overt way and subtle way. For white people, it is a thing of the past. Racism is only associated with the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and Slavery. There is a binary that first has to be tackled. In the 21st Century, there is a belief that if you are in the KKK or owned slaves, then you are a racist (which equates to being a bad person). But, if you are not in the KKK or did not own slaves then you are not a racist (which equates to being a good person). Unfortunately, this is not the case.
There are several aspects of racism that have to be addressed before really constituting who is a racist or not. According to Robin DiAngelo (author of "What Does it Mean to be White: Developing White Racial Literacy"), racism is a form of oppression in which one racial group dominates others. In the United States, the dominant group is white, therefore, racism is white racial and cultural prejudice and discrimination, supported intentionally or unintentionally by institutional power and authority, and used to the advantage of whites and the disadvantage of people of color. Racism has been embedded in our country and there have been many tactics to make America seem like an equal opportunity country but quite frankly there are several laws and policies that gives advantages to the white community and disadvantages to the black community.
In today's society, we are afraid to talk about racism because it forces us to realize the injustices that are still strategically placed in America. When race and racism are talked about, there is a tendency to discredit the concept and make it seem as though it no longer exists. There are few terms that you should know when you are getting ready to discuss the topic of racism. The biggest one is:
White Fragility:
White Fragility tends to happen when racism is the topic of discussion and white people are overcome with intense emotion to change the subject or rush to prove themselves as not racist and that racism is in the past.
Individualism:
The concept of individualism also makes it difficult to talk about racism. It is the notion that we are all unique, therefore, categories like race have no meaning and provide no more or less opportunity for everyone; it is a belief that success is not the result of social structure but individual endeavors.
Universalism:
Lastly, universalism is the ideology that because we are human opportunities are provided to us all.
Once we combat these false ideologies then we can finally get past this monster we call racism. Racism is present everywhere. These three concepts exist to make us believe that racism is just a black problem. Just because you have one black friend does not make you not a racist. In fact, you are rushing to prove yourself which is a defensive mechanism to ensure racism is a concept that no longer exists. Be sure to look for these key defense mechanisms and let's combat racism.
