Earlier a friend of mine posted this article on facebook:
"Why White People Don't Like To Talk About Race" by Barnabas Piper
This blog is a response to this article.
Let me first say that it's good he is trying to speak out and be a part of the conversation and is doing so with intent to bring understanding. I respect him for that. But I also find his view narrow and even misleading. He is accusing white people who don't want to talk about racism as either outright racist or subtly prejudiced. That may be so in some cases, but I beg to differ.
Let me bring some clarity to why I--and many of my friends--have not wanted to talk about racism, or why the responses have been... well, poorly informed. (Obviously my view has changed now, but I will admit, I was one of these, which is why I understand it).
The thing is, most of us were taught in school that racism is over. We were taught about the abolition and Martin Luther King Jr. And civil rights... We actually were taught to look at each other as equals. And we do. So when black people talk about racism, those in my generation who don't face it simply don't know what everyone is talking about. "Why are you talking as though we're not equals? That's racist." This is the first thought. A lot of white people think they are being accused of what their ancestors did to Africans. They think black people are just digging up the past. The knee-jerk reaction is offense because they don't think it's fair to be accused of being racist for what their ancestors did or for what other racist people are doing... because they are not racist. They don't even think of black people as any less than equals.
But they also don't know that the system still works against black people. It is ignorance, but it's not prejudice. It is the lack of knowledge of what's going on today. Some of my friends actually don't believe there is such a thing as systemic racism. They think its existence is something to debate about.
Many in our generation suffer from willful ignorance in almost every way. They don't want to know where their food comes from, they don't want to hear about the damage we are doing to the environment, they don't want to know about the harmful chemicals in city water, they don't want to know about the ocean being depleted, they don't understand how their government works, and they know little about politics... It's not something that white people have against black people, they don't know what's going on in the world except for what they see on Facebook and the insanely biased news stories from CNN. It's the American lifestyle of willful ignorance. Racism is yet another thing ignored. (not everyone falls into this category, but a great majority do).
And those who are racist don't believe in systemic racism either. This is mostly the older generation. Take mortgages, for example. They were set up to keep certain people from getting into certain areas, which resulted in non-white races being stuck in low-income zones. White people (not all, but some) see that and think its because of a lower standard of living, or a lack of responsibility that caused it. I have older friends who honestly believe black people just have no self-respect because they see a trend in how badly run down their neighborhoods are. They have no idea that it was set up that way by white people. And so it's difficult for them to understand the problem. To them, this talk about racism sounds like a bunch of irresponsible people trying to get hand-outs from the government (in some cases that is true). And they see all those you tube videos of those women who are telling people how they got more money by having another child... It reinforces their racist thinking. Not that they are justified in their thinking. But Piper makes it seem like it comes from an inherent desire to be the only race... That's just not true. It's more complicated than that.
The rest of this blog is addressing the issue in general, not the above article...
Ignorance is one thing... But speaking out on a subject in ignorance is a big problem. It only adds hurt. This Ferguson case brought to light much of the feelings that black people have, and on Facebook, so many are just railing in defense. White people are getting frustrated because they don't want to be accused of something they didn't do, and they don't want to take on guilt, saying things like, "Why is it that every time a white on black crime happens, it has to be about race?" and being defensive and angry that people are making it into an issue that "isn't real". It's true that sometimes people make a mountain out of a molehill. But there is a trend. Let's look at the trend and admit that there is something deeper going on here. Let's not be flippant and defensive.
It's easy to get defensive. I said in an earlier blog that I get frustrated when my friends ask, "Is it because I'm black?" when it has nothing to do with their race... but they've had to deal with racial disadvantage, it's no wonder they suspect it.
I'm not saying white people should feel guilt and go cry and feel ashamed. I'm simply saying, lets try to understand the situation rather than spout off stuff that is hurtful and reinforces the problem. Let's change our attitude. There is a people group that feels undervalued and is hurting. Let's not think that racism is over. Let's listen to those who feel they don't have a voice.
If a bully hurt a kid, and the kid cried about it, would you feel angry at the kid for crying? Not that black people are kids and white people are bullies, but when racist acts occur against black people, and black people cry out, and people respond with offense, isn't that the same thing? That's what all this ignorant ranting feels like to my friends who are black. It is adding insult to injury. I know my white friends who are ranting aren't racist, but it can sure feel like it to my black friends.
Let's know what we're talking about. Let's admit that there is a problem and let's listen to the hurting and broken people. Let's make this world a better place.
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