Summary

Racism. Racial. Let’s understand and get comfortable with the vital differences between these two useful terms. Importantly, if something is simply racial, let’s not brand it racist.

Links and References

School Funding

“We Must All Hang Together…”

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Transcript

Racial or Racist. Let’s understand and get comfortable with the vital differences between these two useful terms. Importantly, if something is simply racial, let’s not brand it racist. Racism--both vocal and physical--is ignorant at best, often ugly, and can be criminal. Racial can be very useful; for example, if you know a criminal suspect is white, then you can eliminate all minorities from the search. This will make for a much better use of always limited resources. Let’s take a look at some statements, facts, people and organizations and decide if we think they are racial or racist--or neither:

Averaging the 2008 and 2012 elections, 94% of blacks voted for Obama; 6% voted for his opponents, McCain and Romney.

Averaging the 2008 and 2012 elections, 57% of whites voted for the Republican.

Congressional Black Caucus.

One in 12 blacks have sickle cell anemia; it is rare amongst whites.

Seventy-five percent of NBA players are black.

Two percent of NBA owners are black.

Black men with wealth and/or fame, often prefer lighter-skinned women.

The KKK.

Affirmative Action

Nation of Islam

Trump

Louis Farrakhan

Skinheads

Keith Ellison

School vouchers--for

School vouchers--against

The Movie, “White Men Can’t Jump”

Five percent of the black population is in jail or prison; one percent of the white population is incarcerated.

Seventy-two percent of black births are out of wedlock; twenty-five percent of white births are.

Churches

Some of these are wonderfully easy to classify. For example, the KKK is racist--and hateful; the statistics about sickle cell anemia are racial--and helpful. The Nation of Islam is racist, as are skinheads. I would maintain that the stats on incarceration and out of wedlock births are racial--and should be helpful. But too many people are ready to label anyone, well-intentioned and wanting to improve things or not, who merely cite these stats as being racist.

Hurling the “racist” accusation is all-too common. As a result, too many people become intimidated and take a hands off approach in areas where they might have done some real good. It is much easier to accuse others than it is to do your homework on the facts, come up with non agenda-based logic, and make an actual argument. Accusing and character assassination is much easier. And does major and lasting damage. I posit that it is borderline evil to take racial statistics, which in the right hands could lead to positive change, and drive away the good people and the good they might do away by accusing them of being racists. A cheap copout, and a destructive one at that.

Okay, Will, why did you include churches? The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., once said, “It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o’clock on Sunday morning.” Is this at least partly self-segregation? If yes, is self-segregation an example of racism? Or simply personal preference?

If you are on the fence about any of the above or the many similar questions (my list is hardly exhaustive), try this test: Switch the statement around. For example, if 94% of whites had voted for McCain and Romney,