I Am Interchange: Racism

By Jennifer Sheets

When Barack Obama ran for president in 2009 discussions of race inevitably ran rampant. Although some negative press made headlines, most people welcomed the idea of a black man for president. But then the media pushed the envelope even further, (as always,) and asked, “Is Obama black enough?” Suddenly an African-American running for president wasn’t just ‘black’, but fell on a scale of “black enough,” to who the hell knows what. As ridiculous as this may sound, it actually sheds light on the fact that racism is not as “black and white” as it may seem. The idea of “black enough” was socially constructed by someone in the media defining what exactly ‘black’ is. This social construction holds true for race and racism in general, meaning that they both change based on our country’s socio-political climate.

So what is racism if race is just an ever-changing social concept? While colors, shapes, and sizes may change, the inherent nature of oppression in racism always remains. Therefore, racism can loosely be defined as: the discrimination of, or exertion of power over, another human based on current social, political, or historical definitions of race. Eran Thompson, a social rights activist out of Billings, Montana, simply defines racism as, “power plus prejudice.” He explains that, “the power element has to exist in order to call something racist; it’s systemic and deep,” and it bleeds across America.

Montana, though generally friendly and seemingly welcome, is no exception to the impact of race and racism. A rather homogenous state with almost 90 percent of the population identifying as “white,” many Montanans rely on the media and hearsay for any exposure to those of color. Native Americans make up the largest minority in the state at around seven percent of the population. While the government and state education system have made attempts at highlighting the importance of the Native cultures, cultural genocide has been waged against Native Americans through racist jokes about culture and tradition, stereotypes about education, drug-abuse, and poverty – all creating an overall disregard for an entire race of people living in our communities.

If you are like most people, you are probably thinking, “This certainly doesn’t apply to me. Good thing I’m not a racist!” Just because we may not hear the ‘N’ word on a daily basis in Montana, or see public hate crimes in our communities, it does not mean we are immune to racism. Tim Wise, an anti-racist activist and author says that no matter what our color is we take advantage of racism on a daily basis in The United States, “because from the beginning of our lives we have been living in a racialized society, in which the color of our skin means something socially, even when it remains largely a matter of biological and genetic irrelevance.” Those of “white” skin carry a certain privilege in society giving them a “head start,” as Wise puts it, in front of those of colored skin. Because of the structures of the United States – built by white people oppressing those of color, (i.e. slavery,) – some argue that everyone has certain elements of racism embedded in them. This inherent racism is not necessarily blatant bigotry or hatred for a specific race, but rather a blind acceptance to the privileges white people have in the workplace, neighborhoods, politics, and even a general feeling of comfort in society. When working for Montana People’s Action (MPA), a low-income social justice advocacy organization, Thompson would work on the street-level recruiting members and asking for stories. While knocking on doors one day, Thompson encountered one woman who suggested that a certain clothing store was racially profiling. Intrigued, Thompson set up an extended experiment with members of MPA where people of white skin and people of color entered the store at different times. When those with white skin entered, nothing happened; they were free to shop. When those of color entered, the front store attendant would announce over the loudspeaker, “Security Code 39” – every, single time. In addition to the announcement, staff members would follow those of color around the store until they left. It is no question that those of colored skin have greater difficulty getting loans from the bank, are targeted by law enforcement, and are rarely viewed in the media as successful middle-class citizens, but they are even targeted while running mundane errands.

While the constructs of race and racism weave a deep dark web through U.S. history, there are hopeful steps towards confronting intolerance. Thompson believes, “the only way we’re going to learn and grow is if we’re uncomfortable.” That means, despite the color of your skin, recognize your responsibilities as a human being. For many, this may mean recognizing privilege and acknowledging the institutional racism in this country. Here in Montana that means recognizing the overwhelming white privilege and fighting for those less fortunate by getting involved with groups like, Montana Human Rights Network, Not In Our Town Billings, or donate to the Social Justice Fund Northwest.

Racism will probably never disappear due to social constructs and political structures, but Thompson thinks optimistically, believing there is actually a lot of acceptance and progression in this country that would be unthinkable in other places around the world: “You get the opportunity in America to see the bad, but you also get the opportunity to see the good.”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ti5ZFmglzV4[/youtube]

Get Educated, Get Involved:

•  Coates, Ta-Nehisi Paul. “Is Obama Black Enough?” Time, 1 Feb. 2007. Web. 10   October 2013.             <http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1584736,00.html>

•  Montana Quick Facts from the US Census Bureau, 2013. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.         <http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/30000.html>

• Wise, Tim. White Like Me. Berkeley: Soft Skull Press, 2008. Print.

• Montana Human Rights Network: www.mhrn.org

• Not In Our Town Billings –  www.niotbillings.org, and find them on Facebook

• Social Justice Fund Northwest: www.socialjusticefund.org