2.20.2009

Equality or segregation?

The subject of race is a touchy subject for me, as I’m sure it is for most white people. I would argue that most white people aren’t racists, though bell hooks would likely disagree. White people might be guilty of stereotyping or categorizing people of other races at times, but I think a lot of times we don’t know we are doing it. That is why I don’t mind bell hooks’ book all that much. Maybe I can learn how to let go of certain racist tendencies that I may have that I’m not aware of. But hooks makes it sound like that not only are white people racist, but they all are on purpose. I vehemently disagree with this. By painting the entire white race with a broad brush, like hooks so often does, she is a racist. Isn’t that what racism is all about? Stereotyping and categorizing people based on their skin color? That’s exactly what she’s doing. But if I can learn from her terrible example on how I can better myself, then great. hooks talks about “loving blackness.” I have no problem with black people embracing their race and being proud of it. Why would I? But does “loving blackness” subsequently mean “hating whiteness”? I get the feeling that hooks would argue that it does. Someone spoke up in class and stated that she was confused to what black people really want. Do they want equality? Or do they want to continue to segregate and block out whites? That’s a totally valid question. The majority of black people that I have met seem to want equality; that is, to be treated like equals along with every other race. But then we have black people like hooks who seem to want to elevate themselves above white people as some sort of retribution for hundreds of years of mistreatment by whites. I don’t know if hooks knows this or not, but I had nothing to do with slavery and other atrocities blacks faced in the past. Unfortunately, my ancestors did. But is it right that I be held accountable for things my ancestors did? My great-grandfather was murdered. Should I go to his murderer’s posterity and demand retribution? Of course not! They had NOTHING to do with it. We should always remember our past, and learn from it. America is progressing, and we are learning from the mistakes of our ancestors. For the most part, I believe White America is ready to move past racism and all its crippling effects. But people like hooks and Al Sharpton see that white people, for the most part, want equality and exploit the situation it to elevate themselves above whites. They are a huge reason why racism still exists in America.

4 comments:

  1. She also states that even if we arent racist as an individual our culture as white people still is. I think thats so funny because I personally believe that there doesnt exist one solid white culture, because there are so many different types of white people and each of them have their own unique culture. The book is catorgizing us just like she thinks we are catorgizing her.

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  2. Tyson, I totally agree. hooks stereotypes and groups all white people together. She fails to account for the high diverstity within this loaded term. White is Russian, Jew, Irish, English, German, French, Slavic, and so forth. She is guilty of what she is trying to condem.

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  3. When President Obama was inaugurated, someone in my class brought up an interesting point and said that since we're making such a big deal about the fact that he's the first black president, we're being racist, because he's just another president regardless of the color of his skin. Racism has a negative connotation, and we don't consider the fact that continually referring to President Obama as the first black president is being racist (whether it is or not, I don't know). Just a random thought that was sparked...

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  4. I agree with what you were saying. I find Hook's perspective interesting. I know sometimes even when I think about how much better in such a short time things have got there is still a lot of problems. I know sometimes I get imbarassed about some of the racial comments my parents make. They don't see the problems with their comments the way that I do.

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