Recently, I read the article from the Democrat and Chronicle entitled “Ok, so what do you think Racism
is?” The author talks about an article he recently published where many readers
disagreed with his interpretation of racism, and has instead presented a number
of questions that present a scenario and ask whether they are racist or not. I
am going to respond to five of these.
1. Is it racist for a person (of any color) to tell
race-based jokes? (Is it worse if it’s a white man telling the joke? Is it less
of a problem if it’s a black man?)
I don’t consider race-based jokes to be racist as they
address stereotypes of different races rather than assert a specific race’s
superiority over them. But I think whether or not they are racist depends
entirely on context. When you’re around friends, you have established your
personality, beliefs, and values to a point where if anything arises to the
contrary of them, they know it. So when things like race-based jokes are told,
your friends know that you are not really prejudiced and that you are simply
making a joke with no real mean for harm. But switch the context to telling a
joke with strangers who know nothing about you, then it does come off as
prejudiced, whether it was intended or not.
2. Is it racist for a white man to forbid African-American
nurses from holding his newborn baby?
This action I do consider racist. While the child belongs to
the man and he therefore has the ultimate say in who gets to hold his child,
using the nurse’s color as an excuse to deny her this is unacceptable. This
action calls into question the nurse’s qualifications, all of which are in line
with the standards set by the hospital and by the schools in which she earned
her license. If they are even working in a hospital, then it must be understood
that they have the knowledge to properly do their job. Calling into question the nurse’s
qualifications also calls into question the qualifications of the white nurses
as well. This view is filled with racial bias and prejudice, and since it
assumes that white nurses are superior, it can be regarded as racist.
3. Is it racist for a school district’s staff to not reflect
the diversity of its student body?
I say not at all. Those who are hired as teachers are done
so because they are qualified for their job and are seen as being positive influences
on the lives of the students. Here, whether or not they are the same or
different race than the student population makes no difference.
4. Is it racist for a police officer to pull over a black
family out for a Sunday drive simply because they happen to be in a “white”
neighborhood?
Putting it simply, the answer is yes. The police officer has
no reason other than the family’s color to pull them over. This also makes
apparent the officer’s assumptions that black families somehow disturb the
peace and cause trouble for white people. These kinds of assumptions should get
him fired, for he is compromised in how he administers justice. The family is
simply trying to enjoy a Sunday drive; whether or not they pass through certain
neighborhoods is not germane to the point.
5. Is it racist for anyone, regardless of color, to use the
word “nigger”?
The problem with the word “nigger” is that it can be taken
in many different ways depending on who says it and with what kind of intention
behind it. In some instances, it is interpreted as very derogatory and taken
very offensively, especially since it has roots in the unethical treatment of
other human beings. Conversely, it can be understood as referring to another
person and go unnoticed. In many instances, the word can be taken either way
depending on the person and cause greater confusion. Most often, it is taken
offensively when spoken by a white person, but not when an African American
says it. Because of this, saying it is not inherently racist, but if said with
the intention of offending someone or putting someone down, then I consider it
racially prejudiced, regardless of race.
