Thursday, February 19, 2009

Past and Racism

So today in class we were talking about racism and the question of past influence of past problems.  I in some ways believe that yes, it should be talked about but not used as a tool of "my brothers" or " my people".  I think it's great to know where someone came from to know how things have changed but the point of it was not you is very valid.  
Also i do believe that it is generational to pass racism but I also believe that it is also generational to NOT pass racism along.  If we start now trying to teach some form of  equality, just like all negativity it will eventually subside.  But also like all negativity and change it will take awhile.  It is also a regional thing.  I think it is more blatant racism in the south but more subtle when in the north.  That is a huge generalization but it really does depend on the region.
And this is the last thing i swear...lol... the confederate flag thing at Ole Miss today really bothered me.  This was mainly because it is simply a heritage thing it is not necessarily a racism thing.  I am from the south and my dad is from the south.  We are proud of that but because we have a few confederate flags and proudly have then elsewhere does not mean that we are racist or that it is a sign of racism.  And if I remember, it wasn't even the official flag of the confederacy.  So just because someone flies a confederate flag  does not mean that they are racist.

2 comments:

  1. While someone flying the confederate flag may not necessarily be racist, I think the symbol itself is a pretty good indicator that racist beliefs may be present. I honestly don't know of a single black person that is okay with the confederate flag being flown, and I know of complaints from black people about the confederate flag being seen on Saint Mary's campus. The fact is, the flag induces a lot of troubling history and memories to not only black people but plenty of white people as well. I thought of this the other day when I was listening to the song "Georgia Bush," by Lil Wayne. In the song, he talks about the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and how it was compounded by the lack of action by the government. In the song, he talks about the confederate flag being flown, and although he is from the South, Wayne makes it abundantly clear that he has NO pride for that flag. I won't quote it because I don't want to get into politics, but you can always google if you're curious.

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  2. I don't think racism is generational. There are young people now who are racist and people from the same family past who are anti-racist. It's a matter of a person actively choosing to be aware of racism and do something about it which can vary over time and space.
    People aren't less racist today than they were 5o years ago--it's just that the form of racism had changed. It has become covert instead of blantant (check out books by Tim Wise or Patrica Hill Collins).

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