Time To Put Racism On A Permanent Lockdown!
Just like the novel Coronavirus, racism is a pandemic that has infiltrated every nook and cranny of the world. It’s been here for centuries and overstayed its welcome. Racism needs to be eradicated and curbed!
The South African constitution states that every single person out of South Africa’s 59 million people of our massively growing population is entitled to being treated fairly, equally and, not being discriminated against. Is this truly the case? Doesn’t the so called constitution also perpetuate racist, discriminatory ideas and notions about other races?
Racism From My POV:
These ideologies perpetuating racism affect people of color in their everyday lives. I’m sick and tired of having to prove the fact that just because I’m black doesn’t mean I’m ‘poor’, ‘not smart’ and that I don’t speak English ‘that well’. I’m sick of wishing that if my skin color weren’t black, maybe people would treat me differently. I’m tired of being on the lookout to see if I’m under the gaze of anyone’s scrutiny. I’m tired of people moving away from me out of fear that I will steal their goods. I’m tired of people asking to see or feel my hair. Lastly, I am tired of people asking me if my mum is my ‘madam’.
Firstly, being racist does not mean simply saying a derogatory term applied against a particular race. Racism also does not mean hating a group of people. There are many steps and procedures that have to be set in motion before racism can permanently be put under ‘lockdown’. It should be “that person is a thief who happens to be black” and not “that black thief”.
There Is A Difference Between Prejudice And Racism:
Many people believe the misconception that all races can be racist. Can all races have prejudice? Yes. I’d like to highlight the fact that there is a difference between racism and prejudice. Racism is defined as the systematic unequal distribution of power between races whilst prejudice is a perceived opinion or belief about a group. Every race generally harbors negative and positive feelings for each other.
The difference between people of color making prejudiced comments about white people and vice versa, is that white people are the dominant group in power (even if they are the minority, like in apartheid South Africa). If a black person living in an affluent, predominantly ‘white neighborhood’ called the police about a suspicious white man with dreads and baggy jeans walking down the street, the police would typically pay no or little attention to the matter. If the situation were in reverse however, the police would typically take the man in for questioning or physically assault the man for being in the neighborhood. Whilst both the black and white caller may hold prejudice against the suspect, the difference in each scenario is that the white caller has more institutional power than the black caller and their prejudice and racism can potentially harm other races.
Racism Exists:
Acknowledging the fact that racism exists is the first step toward eradicating racism. Denying and ignoring the effect of racism on people of color is a part of the problem. You have to acknowledge the fact that another race is being treated differently because of their skin color. We don’t live in a society where every racial group has an equal ‘power status’, and opportunity. Yes, other races all over the world and throughout history have experienced atrocities like slavery and persecution. But in the very specific context of African (or to be more specific South African history) other races have not been enslaved, colonized, or forced to segregate on the scale and to the extent that black people have. Have you ever walked into a very expensive shop and noticed the person’s eye following you everywhere you go almost as if expecting you to do something?
Yes, slavery ended two centuries ago and Apartheid ended in 1993 which is not too long ago but the ideology (i.e. racism) still exists today. Apartheid (“apartness” in the language of Afrikaans) which was a system of legislation that upheld segregationist policies against non-white citizens of South Africa. After the National Party gained power in South Africa in 1948, its all-white government immediately began enforcing existing policies of racial segregation.
Eradicating Racism Begins with ourselves?
We have to also address the biases that exist within ourselves by doing the ‘inner work’. Most people have inherited notions about other races that are very restrictive from their family or surroundings. Sometimes we play a part in this system by inadvertently perpetuating racism. We have to be mindful not ‘color blind’. The inability to see a person’s skin color is not the goal, as their skin color is a part of who they are. The goal should be to not treat them differently. Mindfulness deepens our insight into how we perceive other races. Inner work also helps to understand the experiences of those on the other side of the racial veil.
Reverse Racism Simply Does NOT Exist!:
Secondly, we have to understand the fact that ‘reverse racism’ simply does not exist. Let’s look at the standardized definition of racism. Racism is prejudice, discrimination or antagonism directed against a person or people on the belief that one’s own race is superior on the basis of their membership of a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized.
The definition is standardized, low level, basic generalization on the concept of racism. The definition gives people an idea of the concept of racism. That definition simply does not go into any depth of what racism actually is. It doesn’t include any information about institutionalized racism, individual, systematic, overt or covert racism, macro aggressions and the by-products of racism such as colorism or tribalism. These and much more are what makes racism… racism.
Not to mention the fact that even if we did use the standardized definition, it merely states that racism is ‘on the belief that one’s own race is superior’. There has not been evidence (so far or at any given moment in time) to show that black people are superior to white people. There are no events to indicate that narrative. But on the other hand, there have been plenty incidents of white people being perceived as ‘superior’ to black people such as slavery, colonization in Africa and apartheid.
That is the belief in which white supremacy comes from. Many people think that racism is an individual act and that is the basis that they use to prove ‘reverse racism’ exists. The impulse behind the reverse racism argument seems to be a desire to prove that people of color don’t have it that bad, they’re not the only ones that are put at a disadvantage or targeted because of their race. Basically meaning, the oppressor becomes the oppressed.
#Black Lives Matter and Why?:
There has been outrage over the recent black lives matter protests but you have to remember that after years, even centuries of oppression, suppressed anger and hurt — there will be a breaking point and outburst to follow. Maybe, burning shops and destroying property isn’t the right way to go about addressing Racism. We are told that all we do is moan and complain about being discriminated against and treated unfairly and we should “do something about it”. When we “do something about it” we are told to stop making it a big deal and stop getting offended by everything. By saying ‘All lives Matter’ you are saying that all races experience oppression which is not truly the case.
Internalized Racism:
“ You know, it’s not the world that was my oppressor, because what the world does to you, if the world does it to you long enough and effectively enough, you begin to do to yourself.” — James Baldwin. This is ‘Internalized racism’. As a person of color, you are rarely comfortable in your own skin, you find yourself constantly approving the things being said to you to be true. You find yourself believing and internalizing racist ideologies. This is not supposed to be the case but is unfortunately true.
“Always put yourself in others’ shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person, too.” — Rachel Grady. So for racism to be put on a permanent lockdown, the change has to begin with ourselves. We have to try to understand what people experiencing racism go through and acknowledge your privilege. Ending racism is an individual and collective task. We should stop the concept of self and others and simply treat everyone, whatever their skin color, equally. We can start by stop believing in white supremacy and ending the condemnation of people of color.
I want to live in a world in which I am judged based on my ability not my skin color.
Here are some resources to read and educate yourself more about this topic:https://www.adl.org/racism https://www.britannica.com/topic/apartheid
http://www.aclrc.com/myth-of-reverse-racism https://www.adl.org/education/educator-resources/lesson-plans/black-lives-matter-from-hashtag-to-movement
Hey Everyone! Thanks for reading my first post. I hope to publish more soon!. A little bit about me. My name is Sakeenah. I’m a teen who’d like to make an Impact. I love writing poems and short stories. I’m passionate about quite a lot of things which include, Biotech, Neuroscience, AI, Climate Change and Human Rights. Connect with me on Linkedin or chat with me on Gmail.
