Steele does argue that today’s form of racism is not gentle, but it’s fundamental difference comparable to other common faiths: the common practice of looking down unwed mothers, shunning drug use, or even those who do not attend church regularly –the point being that while racism is still in existence, it is not the violent, brutish form seen is yesteryear. Today’s version is nothing more than a social “no-no” than grounds for exclusion from the community or worse. The “victimization mentality” serves as the most prominent form of racism, which argues that “black progress will come from more black effort that from white goodwill –even though white oppression caused the underdevelopment in the first place” (Steele). Yes, blacks were subjected to racial slurs and treatment that can be deemed cruel, and that is has caused a slower rate of advancement, but with the change in racism today, those who were treated unkindly were older generations, and today’s population cannot blame their current problems on what happened to their elders. Steele argues that, “although racism continues to exist, it no longer stunts the lives of blacks.” The idea that racism currently hinders the growth and prosperity of the black population is outdated and obsolete; today’s version of racism is more easily classified as passed on from generation to generation as a historical reminder of what happened and as more of a cultural piece of heritage. The difference is great –it can no longer be deemed ‘white supremacy’ and a each individual, no matter their skin color, has equal footing in the competition for success, as opposed to years ago.
A final response is presented when the author states: “[Racism] as a faith has destroyed out ability to know the reality of racism in America…a terrible ignorance that will do doubt last until we take race out of every aspect of public life –until we learn, as we did with religion, to separate it from the state.” This quote epitomizes my personal opinion that today’s racism cannot be equally compared or measured to that seen during the Civil Rights era. Steele argues that since racism is now more like a faith, his argument that until it is separated from the state, as with religion, we can never fully put its current form to rest.
- Report
In looking for sources of information relevant to the subject of today’s racism, I began my search with the “Further Readings” section included with the original article. After reviewing three periodicals and conducting my own search, I have concluded that while Steele presents a relevant topic of today, his article is seemingly just his opinion, and not one of majority, lowering the legitimacy. Elizabeth Atkins, writer of “Do Light-Skinned Black People Have an Advantage?” article, her argument is based on personal, negative experiences, making the article appear biased, which outweighs any validity that only those with the darkest of skins are still the most highly subjective to racism.
The New York Times published Benedict Carey’s “Tolerance over Race Can Spread, Studies Find,” in November of 2008, and presents the argument that, like most other social things, people over time accept more than in the past. Carey compares race to be of the same grouping as homosexuality, same-sex marriage, alcoholism, and other social attributes that while still not deemed ‘social norms’, each are becoming more and more mainstream, allowing for less sensitivity. Race, according to Carey, will be inexistent in the next few centuries, arguing that reproduction outside of one’s own race will create a “melting pot of people…no color, just people.” This argument, in my opinion, is flawed due to two reasons: Firstly, one cannot predict how long it could take for a master race to arise out of all the different races now, which causes me to doubt his validity since he jumped to assume it could take centuries with no research to back it up. Secondly, Carey argues that with this new race, it will be impossible for one race to stay ‘pure’. He argues that this is similar to royal families seen in the past, which had to resort to incest to carry on a royal line, so that interracial reproduction should be encouraged. While he presents this in an analogy form that may draw the attention away, one must break it down to catch the full meaning: Carey is pushing for the non-discernable race –he argues that absence of a distinct race will eliminate alienation. I feel that while removing the option to discriminate with race will stop racism, it will just turn on to another feature, whether it is height or nationality or gender –what I believe Carey does not understand is that a majority of people LOOK for reasons to think of themselves better than others. Eliminating race as an option will just let those who wish to discriminate move on to the next topic.
The third periodical, by Peter Baker, entitled: “Whose President Is He Anyway?” was published in the New York Times in November 2008, in alignment with the presidential election, and the belief that President Obama would be the “black-mans man through and through.” Barker, who used research conducted prior to President Obama’s win, concluded that “of the potential voters polled, eighty percent were African American and of that eighty percent, seventy-nine percent believed that by election Barack Obama, racism would greatly decrease while black empowerment would soar” (Barker). With this data, Barker asserts that many blacks feel personally affected by racism today, while forty-two percent feel that they are “entitled to more than whites.” This sense of entitlement, says Barker, is a direct reaction to the racism present up until the past decade or so, when racism has gradually become less of a social issue and more of a personal preference (Barker).
In evaluation of these periodicals, the first, by Elizabeth Atkins, is what I would deem more of an opinion column. Her conclusion that only darker-skinned blacks suffer a higher amount of racism seems impossible to prove. The second, by Benedict Carey, appears more research based than the first. By using statistical data gathered over a period of time, Carey strengthens his argument that race tolerance is growing, but I do disagree with his want for a mixed super-race. Peter Barker’s article, the third evaluated, is the option I would deem the most trustworthy for the original author. I think that Steele would be most comfortable with Barker’s article on the now theory that racism is less fact and more faith, which coincides with Barker’s conclusion of entitlement, that racism, as seen during Civil Rights, is in the past, and today’s form is more commonly passed through culture and upbringing.
Overall, my opinion of racism has changed slightly through my research. While I do continue to agree with Steel’s agreement that racism is drastically different than the form seen in yesteryear, it is still a presence in today’s society, I have altered my reasoning by what racism is here. Originally, racism was created from whites, direct towards blacks, and was an endless cycle of oppression, hatred, and anger. Today’s racism is not confined to either race, and is no longer in majority. Today’s racism seems to be passed most commonly from parent to child in both of the two original races –if a white person is racist towards a black person, it is commonly from family feeling that way, and the same applies to blacks, although the foundations are different. I believe that whites today are racists out of tradition, while blacks are racists for revenge from the treatment their elders were subjected to. Neither is justifiably correct, but you can’t change someone else’s mind. With the research, I have concluded that the average person does not let race infiltrate every aspect of life, but that race is still a major factor in today’s society. Hopefully, through more cordial relations and time, race will become the gender, hair or eye color, shoe size or face shape –just another factor that all HUMANS have. Yes, race is practically only skin deep, but we, as humans, should look past and examine what is within as what truly matters.
Works Cited:
Atkins, Elizabeth. “Do Light-Skinned Black People Have an Advantage?” Ebony, February 2008. Web. 10 April 2010.
Baker, Peter. “Whose President Is He Anyway?” New York Times, 16 November 2008. Web. 10 April 2010.
Carey, Benedict. “Tolerance over Race Can Spread, Studies Find.” New York Times, 7 November 2010. Web. 10 April 2010.
Steele, Shelby. “Does Racism Matter?” Hoover Digest, Winter 2001, pp.76-79. Print.
