Yes, Racism is Still a Problem

     On the heels of the long-overdue Supreme Court decision on marriage equality, and more than a week after the murder of nine black people in a church prayer group by a white supremacist, I have witnessed so much hate on social media.
     The kind of hate I'm seeing is most surprising coming from young people. We have greater access to information than any generation past: reputable sources flash on our screens within seconds of executing a search. And yet, the hate and ignorance abound. Somewhere along the road to equality, we made a wrong turn and have gone back in the opposite direction.
     The police brutality on black Americans is shown almost daily, and it feels frighteningly reminiscent of the Civil Rights Movement. I recently read "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett which explores the lives of black maids in 1962 Mississippi. We really haven't come that far as a society. The bizarre outrage over the removal of the confederate flag is a prime example. I just don't understand. Unless we so strongly want to hold on to the racist history of America that we must preserve and display the symbols of it, what is the problem with sticking it in a museum?
     The simple unwillingness to put away the confederate battle flag is evidence enough that there are those who wish to keep things the way they are; too much white privilege at stake if we let racism and slavery actually be a part of history and not current affairs.        To say we don't have a racism problem in this country is to just accept that a 12-year-old black boy can be shot and killed by police for having an Airsoft gun. A toy. A little boy, at the playground, with a toy. 
     And then there are those who say, "Don't want to be harassed by police? Don't break the law." So, having a tail-light out on your car and then running away from police is reason enough to be killed? Racism is so institutionalized in this country, that we don't even question those who make racist remarks or who try to rationalize hate crimes (for example, the photo making its rounds on Facebook with the Charleston church shooter burning a flag with a caption saying that he didn't hate black people- he hated Americans).
     I am not saying white people need to have white guilt over slavery.
     I am saying white people need to recognize their privilege, and accept the role they must play in eradicating racism.
     I have also seen the argument, "Why are white people the only racist ones? How come we can't have 'white pride,' but 'black pride' or 'Mexican pride' is okay?" Because white people have, in this country, always been the oppressors, not the oppressed. Here's an illustration that might help those having trouble with the concept.
     A woman finally escapes her abuser, receives counseling, and goes on to become a successful speaker who educates other women about domestic violence. She proclaims that she is not a victim, but a survivor. Then the abuser comes out and says that the woman is exaggerating, he is proud of the husband he was, and that she would be nothing without him. 
     It's the same as the evil Chardon High School shooter wearing a shirt reading "Killer" to court. It's not something to be proud of. It's spitting in the face of those you have wronged/ hurt/ abused/ killed. 
     Pride and greed are the root of all evil, and racism is made up of the two. The wealthiest families had slaves- exploiting people as commodities to get free labor and childcare- along with the status that came along with having "help." Fast-forward to now. Employers are 50% less likely to call back someone with a "black-sounding name" than someone with a "white-sounding name" even when the credentials are identical. Low-paying jobs, substandard housing, and underfunded schools create a vicious cycle of poverty, drugs and violence that is all too familiar here.
     Something has to change, and it starts with our attitudes. It starts with us and our children.
     My five-year-old son is now in a preschool with more black and Hispanic children. He said to me last week, "Mommy, some of my friends are dark brown, and some of them are light brown." I said, "Yep. People all have different skin colors. Even me and you. You are much darker than I am." And we compared our arms. That's all it takes. Children don't know racism. They aren't born with ingrained hate. They learn it. Teach them better. You know better.

For more information on institutionalized racism, see this informative video, and learn more about racism in hiring practices here.

Note: I didn't even get to address the hate toward LGBTQA+ folks that I have been seeing. #LoveWins. If you have a problem with others being afforded the same rights and liberties you already enjoy, there is something fundamentally wrong with you.