Rank the following statements in order of the most to the least racist.
_____ “Why Im [sic] voting for Obama He a black n*gga.”
_____ “I’m so glad that Condoleesa Rice [sic] doesn’t have any children. We don’t need any more replicas of her in the race.”
_____ Executive Order 9066 (Japanese-Americans interned during WWII)
_____ “What has it been like, as you shuck and jive, hang out with the men over there, the women over there, in uniform risking their lives every day?”
_____ “Obama’s Shuck and Jive Ends With Benghazi Lies”
_____ “I’m scared ’cause some of that whiteness might rub off on me.”
_____ “Obama doesn’t know how to be president. He doesn’t know how the world works. He’s incompetent. He’s an amateur!”
_____ “I wish this president would learn how to be an American.”
_____ “I’m voting for Obama because he’s black.”
_____ “What Granny had told us scrambled that image completely, causing ugly words to flash across my mind. Uncle Tom. Collaborator. House n*gger.”
_____ “You cannot go to a 7/11 or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I’m not joking.”
_____ “Sorry. I’m going to shuck and jive! Time to shuck and jive.”
Your ranking is your own, but would you be able to define “racist” and then use that definition to articulate why you deem a statement more racist than another statement? The people who use this kind of talk, are they racist? While we’re at it, when is the last time you used the word, “racist”, in any of its variations (i.e., racism, racial)? To whom did you direct it? What was the context? Do you hold to your own standard?
Like we learned in school to look up the word in the dictionary and use it in a sentence, the challenge is to define the word, “racist” and then apply that working definition, consistently, when you are tempted to accuse someone or some action as racist.
Here are a few hints:
1. A racist isn’t someone who lives in the country or the inner-city.
2. A racist isn’t someone who wears suits or boots.
3. A racist isn’t someone who makes more or less money than you.
4. A racist isn’t someone who is smarter or not so smarter than you.
5. A racist isn’t someone who makes different choices than you.
6. A racist isn’t someone who is a different color than you.
7. A racist isn’t someone who disagrees with you.
8. A racist isn’t someone who doesn’t like you.
9. A racist isn’t someone who is a Republican.
10. Just in case you’re tempted, a racist isn’t someone who didn’t vote for Barack Obama.
Back to our exercise. From the following list of names, match the person associated with the statements you ranked. Careful. There are 12 statements and only 11 names.
Snoop Lion, aka the artist formerly known as Snoop Dogg
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Mr. Chris Matthews
Governor Sarah Palin
Mr. Thaddeus Matthews
President Bill Clinton
Governor John Sununu
Ms. D. Barbara McWhite
President Barack Obama
Vice-president Joe Biden
Mr. Jay Carney (White House press secretary)
A Google search of any of the above statements will return the name of the person who said it, except the one about Secretary Condoleezza Rice. I’ll address that particular statement later. Did any of the matches surprise you? Did your ranking change? Did you change your mind all together as to your original judgement that a statement was even racist? Adding the context makes a difference.
People are fast and loose with the word racist, but when challenged, they are hard pressed to give a definition, let alone be able to apply that very definition and articulate why they consider some folks racist and others not. Therein lies the problem. Racist is in the mind of the beholder; therefore, in order to appreciate the mind of the beholder it’s best to consider the context. Here is where I want to be specific.
Just recently, I was asked, “Instead of asking why African Americans vote democrat, how about asking what republicans plan to do to get us to vote republican.” I suspect the latest inflammatory remarks by Republicans doesn’t help “to get us to vote republican”, but considering this exercise, I’m still left asking, “Why do so many black people embrace the Democratic Party?” Be a Democrat, but be able to articulate why you are a Democrat, especially, if you believe the Republican party is racist and the Democratic Party is not. In the exercise I was deliberately Democrat heavy with the quotes to illustrate the point that if you believe the Republican party is racist and the Democratic Party is not then you are the pot calling the kettle black.
None of the 12 statements are helpful. Those kinds of statements do nothing to edify the elected office, nor to improve the strained race relations in politics. There are plenty more of those kinds of statements out there, from Republicans and Democrats. Both parties have their bad actors and people in both parties have displayed bad behavior or demonstrated bad judgement.
Which brings us to the logical end. Race relations in politics is a manifestation of how we carry out race relations in our private lives. How can race relations get better when folks can’t seem to be consistent regarding what’s racist and what’s not? People make accusations, often times, with their own racism and prejudice left unchecked. Who wants to be subject to name-calling or derogatory comments? “Racist” is the last thing anyone wants to be called, so what’s the point in pursuing any racial discussion? It’s too risky. When’s the last time you had any kind of meaningful conversation about race relations focused on fostering better relationships. Hence, the statement about Secretary Rice.
In the midst of “public” statements, I thought it would be thought-provoking to insert a “private” statement. The statement about Secretary Rice was posted on the Facebook wall of one of my Facebook friends. What’s a girl to do? So I replied, “Why would you say such a thing about a woman?” I opened up a dialog (isn’t that what we always hear, we need to have a dialog about race relations?), but alas, I did not receive a reply. Why is that? Most shocking to me was that a pastor made the statement. I extended my hand to have a conversation, but the pastor refused to extend his hand to me.
For me, the statement about Secretary Rice is ranked #1 on my list because it hit the closest to my home, however, those are mere words, right? Executive Order 9066 goes beyond words, no? Where is it on your list?
By: Cynthia Shaffer
Cultural & Political Blogger
