June 16, 2023 at 3:52 am | Posted in African American, American Bigotry, American history, American Racism, ashley Montagu, C. Loring Brace,, biological races, black inferiority, discrimination, Disrespect, DNA, education, equality, Ethnicity in America, European Americans, Human Genome, identity, interpretations, language, minorities, minority, Race in America, racism, respect, skin color, U. S. Census, whites | 3 Comments
Tags: African Americans, black, Confronting Myths, current-events, ethnicity, European Americans, race, Race in America, white
Many of us sometimes experience remembering placing our keys down somewhere, but when we try to retrieve them, they are nowhere in sight. After we have looked in all the places, we think they could be, low and behold we spot them in front of us right in plain sight. They were not hidden from us; we just did not see them at first. That experience can serve as an example of what happens daily in America and the Western World relative to ethnic bigotry. Ethnic bigotry is present, but just not seen because we have become conditioned to not questioning its presence, but it is present in the language. One reason we do not challenge the language is because we have been conditioned to accept it on face value. That acceptance, however, represents the problem of our not seeing the ethnic bigotry.
We have been told for several hundred years that that the word “race” is socially constructed to represent a particular meaning and as C. Loring Brace has noted that…” despite almost universal belief to the contrary, the concept of ‘race’ as applied to the picture of human biological diversity had absolutely no scientific justification.” The word “race” was developed to represent a subspecies, inferior to the species Homo sapiens, and to promote, to protect, and to preserve the myth of European supremacy and domination. So, how does a society go about making the myth a reality? Stephen Ullmann stated that “Words [language] certainly are the vehicles of our thoughts, but they may be far more than that: they may acquire an influence of their own, shaping and pre-determining our processes of thinking and our whole outlook.” America and the Western World wanted to ensure that the myth remains current, so they ignored the facts regarding race.
In 1997, Ashley Montagu, stated in an introduction to the 6th edition of his book Man’s Most Dangerous Myth, the fallacy of Race, that the purpose of his book was…:
to make use of the scientifically established facts to show that the term “race” is a socially constructed artifact—that there is no such thing in reality as “race,” that the very word is racist: that the idea of “race,” implying the existence of significant biologically determined mental differences rendering some populations inferior to others, is wholly false; and that the space between as idea and reality can be very great and misleading.
Regardless of the many appeals made by many Americans of note, the government and society continue to use the word race as acceptable when we know that its purpose is to support ethnic bigotry. The fact that the word “race” and many of its diversities are used daily and that they are meant to denigrate their target, fails to register on the sender and the receiver. For example, like the word “race,” the words of color black, red, brown, and yellow are not used as compliments to the groups, but as a sign of their inferiority. The obvious exception of color in this group is the color white because it is usually used as a compliment. When only an ethnic group’s color is used rather than the phrase that is intended: black race, red race, brown race, and yellow race, it is a form of bigotry. If race is included in any form, the message shows disrespect because it signifies inferiority. Unfortunately, when an explanation is offered to some individuals and groups that use a color as an ethnic group identity in their business or organizations, they are quick to show their innocence by defending their use of the color. The fact that they do not recognize the disrespect of the group is due to the power of the language and the failure to question it.
Color is not a part of any human being’s identity regardless of their ethnicity and nationality. How is it that the government, and especially the U.S. Census Bureau continue to use the term “race” considering all the facts and evidence to its being bogus? Could that be a sign of ethnic bigotry? The word “race” is just a small part of the language used by the government and society to protect the myth of European supremacy.
Another word that is frequently used by government and society relative to population is “minority.” Like the word race, minority is a biased term. Most dictionaries offer at least two different usages of the word, but both involve numbers. The first states that minority is “the smaller number or part, especially a number that is less than half the whole number.” The second states that minority is “a relatively small group of people, especially one commonly discriminated against in a community, society, or nation, differing from others in race, religion, language, or political persuasion.” If we notice carefully in the second example, we find the evidence to support the disrespect and bigotry associated in referring to a group of people as a minority. Yet, we hear it daily.
The word “minority” while used in America to describe non-European people shows its selective use. If we applied the word minority to the world population, the people of non-European heritage would represent the majority. We know that eighty percent of the world’s population is brown. That fact is seldom referenced in topics focusing on minorities. Although the word is biased, hardly anyone underscores that fact. What lies inside the use of the word is the suggestion that different races are included and therefore they are inferior to the majority. The use of the word minority as an indicator of race is a form of bigotry, but we find it being used at every level of society without regard to the negative implications it carries.
The use of language as a vehicle for promoting the concept of race and the myth of European supremacy has always been dangerous. Again, Montagu pointed out, …” the very word “race is itself a racist [bigoted] term not simply because it represents a congeries of errors, or that it is a spurious ‘reality’ with no objective existence, but in addition, and most importantly, because its baleful influence constitutes a threat to the very existence of humanity.” When we are ignorant of the power of language and never think to question its use, we become complicit in the damage it causes and the negative impact on the lives it affects. Yet, if we look close enough, we will find it in plain sight.
January 1, 2021 at 2:04 pm | Posted in African American, American history, American Racism, anglo saxons, black inferiority, blacks, desegregation, discrimination, education, ethnic stereotypes, Ethnicity in America, European American, European Americans, fairness, immigration, integregation, justice, language, Oklahoma, Oklahoma education, Prejudice, public education, Race in America, respect, segregation, social conditioning, socioeconomics | 4 Comments
Tags: African Americans, Anglo-Saxon, Bo Jackson, desegregation, discrimination, education, ethnic profiling, European Americans, implicit bias, integration, People of color, public schools, tracking
My youngest son entered the 7th grade in the early 1990’s and was excited about matriculation from grade school—he was moving up in the world. Approximately two weeks after the start of school he came home one afternoon in a very disgruntled mood, which was unusual for him. When I questioned him about his mood, he responded that his teacher had placed him in the low reading group. He knew that he did not belong in the low reading group, so his self-esteem was affected. I requested his teacher’s name and immediately called the school and requested a meeting with her. She agreed to meet with me and asked if she could invite a fellow teacher to join us. I informed her that she could invite anyone she wished included the school’s faculty.
Less than twenty minutes I arrived at the school and was conducted to the teacher’s classroom where I met her colleague. I explained my reason for wanting to meet with her and asked what criteria were used in determining the reading groups to which students were assigned. She indicated that two exams were given to students and based on their performance they were placed in groups that coincided with their scores. I asked to see my son’s test so I could see how he performed. After retrieving my son’s first test, the expression on her face changed to one of puzzlement. I asked what the problem was. She immediately exclaimed that based on his score he did not have to be placed in the low group. I asked if there was a quota for group size and she said no. I then asked to see the second test my son had taken. Again, the teacher’s expression changed and her face reddened somewhat. Showing me the test paper, she commented that my son should have easily been placed in the high group. She and her colleague had not checked the second test.
She agreed to immediately correct the situation and move my son to the appropriate group. I thanked her and asked that she contact me or my son’s mother regarding any concern with my son’s work. I mentioned to her that she challenged his self-esteem by placing him in the low reading groups because he knew he did not belong there. I mentioned that just before the start of school my son had saved his allowance money to purchase a book, Bo Known Bo, by Bo Jackson, and read it over the summer. She apologized and thanked me for calling attention to the matter.
What happened to my son was not an isolated event in schools across the nation. When desegregation came into being in the public school system, the primary change to occur was that students of color were permitted to attend school with predominantly European American students and teachers. Neither the curriculum nor the cultural biases changed. My son’s teacher, probably unknowingly, in her treatment of my son, practiced ethnic profiling, ethnic discrimination, and implicit bias. Cultural bias and social conditioning of European Americans happens normally, so the teachers never realized the consequence of their actions. Apparently, teacher preparation institutions do little to debunk the myth of Anglo-Saxon superiority that existed prior to and during desegregation and integration.
To the point, the teacher committed ethnic profiling simply by looking at my son and seeing that he was a child of color rather than just another one of her students. Just the sight of a student different from the majority of students would have affected the teacher’s psyche. Many studies have shown that the mere sight of a person of color can affect the emotional state of many European Americans. We know all too well that ethnic profiling continues to be a problem with law enforcement and the criminal justice system, so why not with educators.
Simply profiling my son as an ethnic American did not create a problem for my son, but discriminating against him by associating negative ethnic characteristics generally applied to African Americans caused him harm. She demeaned his value by automatically assuming he was should be in a low reading group; his test scores were of little concern to her. Some public beginning back in the 1980s instituted a system called tracking that placed students, according to their performance on tests, in groups ranging from low group to high group.
While this tracking system initially served a positive purpose, allowing students with needs to receive special individual attention, its negative elements quickly took over and created more problems. Rather than relying on test scores as the basis for group placement, many schools simply began placing African American students, low socio-economic European American students, and immigrant students in the low groups. The middle and upper groups were filled with predominantly European American students, and that arrangement created a two-tiered system-separate and unequal.
Consequently, my son’s teacher’s designating him for inclusion in the low reading group was an act of discrimination based on her biased and uninformed judgment of his abilities. Her judgment, if left intact, could have resulted in not only his loss of self-esteem but also a loss of initiative and desire for self-improvement.
Additionally, the fact that she placed him in the low reading group represented an act of implicit bias. Thinking that he should go to the low group is one, but placing him in that group helped her confirm her judgment. The consequences of the teacher’s actions beginning with my son’s profiling to his group placement could have had a detrimental effect on his entire life. Too many young lives have already been negatively affected.
Recounting this encounter is meant to underscore the possible experiences targeted and marginalized students face in a society and an educational system that does not value them on a par with the majority of students. If America is to be a society that values each individual then we must work vigorously together to replace the myth of European American supremacy and privilege.
(My son went on to graduate high school as a member of the National Honor Society and the school’s top musician. He also managed to earn university degrees including the doctorate—not too bad for a low group reader.) �Y�˪`�]%!
December 26, 2020 at 3:38 pm | Posted in Affirmative Action, African American, American Bigotry, American history, American Racism, Bigotry in America, biological races, blacks, Constitutional rights, democracy, discrimination, Disrespect, DNA, entitlements, equality, ethnic stereotypes, Ethnicity in America, European Americans, Human Genome, identity, integregation, justice, language, law, Media and Race, public education, race, Race in America, racism, representation, respect, social conditioning, socioeconomics | 2 Comments
Tags: African Americans, American Education, Anglo-Saxon, cultural bias, diversity, diversity programs, DNA, ethnic bigotry, ethnic diversity, European Americans, Greater Good Magazine, Lisa Leslie
The primary reason diversity programs are unsuccessful is because the element of race is not debunked, but accepted and used as criteria to separate one ethnic group from another. The objective of any diversity program should be to underscore the similarities among all human beings regardless of their ethnic differences. Many diversity program focus primarily on the differences and stereotypical ethnic characteristics which readily separate the group’s one from another rather than characteristics than unify them. The programs attempt to justify the ethnic differences while not exposing the falseness and myth of the concept of race. Thereby maintaining and promoting the Anglo-Saxon myth of superiority. Let us take a closer look at how the concept works its magic using diversity.
Diversity programs, training, workshops, institutes, and other initiatives, from the beginning to the present day have one thing in common—they fail to debunk the false concept of race and by doing so maintain, support, and promote the Anglo-Saxon /European American system of supremacy. The very word diversity when used relative to human beings implies that some human beings represent a standard that other groups do not meet and so they are different and less than the standard group. For whom and to what objective are diversity programs instituted? Bigotry comes to the front the moment so-called target groups are identified. The group that decides who represents the target groups apparently, maintain a position of dominance over all the target groups. Since the nature of the group differences is not stated, according to the race myth, only the Anglo-Saxon can represent the normal human being. Any diversity program that begins with an Us versus Them perspective implies that some biological component accompanies the difference. That being the case, regardless of the format that diversity takes the results will naturally involve a feeling of inferiority by the target group.
Lisa Leslie in a Greater Good Magazine article, “What Makes a Workplace Diversity Program Successful?” (01/21/2020) underscores the fact that many of these programs do not succeed: “…research suggests that these initiatives often don’t work like they’re supposed to.” She added that “For example, studies have found that a variety of diversity initiatives—including evaluating managers based on diversity and inclusion metrics, and diversity networking and affinity groups—can lead to either more or less representation of target groups.”Again, the primary reason many of these programs do not succeed is bigotry is not addressed: the initiatives never debunk race or the false concept of sub-species. If everyone involved in a diversity program is not seen and accepted as belonging to the same species, the program cannot succeed. Leslie offered three reasons why some initiatives do not succeed.
She listed the 1st as Backfiring: “This is when a diversity initiative has an undesirable effect on the intended outcome, like when the program decreases representation or increases discrimination. A likely cause of backfiring is the implicit signal that target groups need help to succeed.”She added: “Because diversity initiatives are supposed to help target group members, some people infer that target group members might not be able to succeed on their own. And this is problematic because it can lead to stereotyping and discrimination.”
Next, she listed Negative spillover: “This is when diversity initiatives have an undesirable effect on something other than the intended outcome. For example, diversity initiatives may result in negative attitudes among non-target group members. The root cause of this reaction may be the signal that targets are likely to succeed in the organization.”
Finally, she listed false progress: “This is when a diversity initiative has the desired effect on the intended outcome—when the diversity numbers improve, so it looks like things are getting better—but that improvement is not accompanied by true underlying change.”
To address these problems, Leslie’s study suggested that the diversity initiative leaders use language and specific messages to influence the attitudes of the initiative participants. Three messages were given: Diversity is good, Diversity is bad, and Diversity is good but also really hard. After employing these messages the participants were surveyed, and the outcome generally mirrored the messages. When the message was positive, some improvement occurred. When it was negative, no improvement occurred. The results of the last message were mixed as expected. So, what is the problem?
When diversity initiatives are introduced regardless of the targeted groups the primary implication is that this group is inferior to the majority group and needs special attention. If and when that special attention is given it can be viewed as an effort to level the playing field. Since Anglo-Saxons and European Americans are conditioned to view themselves as superior to other groups, leveling the playing field would mean destroying their superiority.
Diversity programs for people with obvious physical and mental challenges are generally accepted because they do not represent a threat to the status quo. However, when people that are not identified with the majority are the focus of the program, their success can and often is viewed as a threat to the superiority of the majority. In other words, they are viewed as receiving advantages that come at the expense of the majority. If the disparity between the Us versus Them attitude is not resolved at the start of an initiative, then failure is assured.
Diversity came with the species of Homo sapiens and was not considered a problem until the invention of false sub-species, first called nations and later called races. The myth of Anglo-Saxon/European American supremacy is dependant on that myth. Without the myth, all human beings naturally belong to the same species which our DNA indicates is 99.9%. If any diversity initiative is to be conducted, it should not focus on the ethnic differences that are not biological but the similarities all humans possess. In essence, the biases against targeted people are a matter of choice, not genetics and that should be the first concern addressed or the initiative will fail. Most people prefer to be seen as a part of the group rather than being seen as apart from the group which diversity presently underscores. ������99�S�w
October 22, 2020 at 2:02 pm | Posted in African American, American Bigotry, American history, American Racism, Bigotry in America, biological races, black inferiority, blacks, Constitutional rights, democracy, Disrespect, DNA, education, equality, ethnic stereotypes, Ethnicity in America, European Americans, fairness, Human Genome, identity, justice, language, Prejudice, public education, race, racism, respect, skin color, skin complexion, social conditioning, teaching race, The U.S. Constitution, tolerance, U. S. Census, white supremacy, whites | Leave a comment
For too many years the concerns of discussing race in a predominately European American setting has been a challenging as well as a vexing problem. The primary reason for educators not becoming involved in such discussions is ignorance of race. Educators or anyone else not familiar with the subject of race should not try to wing through a discussion of it. Lately, the question of how should race be talked about with children, has been of frequent interest. One answer to that question is that race should be introduced as the myth it is, and that it has no basis in science and factual history. Unfortunately, many Americans, especially European Americans (whites) have been condition to accept the myth of race as factual and valid. So, the emotional price to be paid by identifying race as a myth would be great. Rather than talk about race, educators can discuss ethnic groups and the diversity we share as Americans without any reference to biology. First, let us be clear on the myth of race.
The most important thing that the concept of race does is to protect, maintain, and promote the myth of Anglo-Saxon supremacy and dominance over all other peoples. How does that work? The species Homo sapiens includes all human beings on the planet. Science has stated that we humans are all 99.9% alike and because of that fact the possibility of races in the species does not exist. The Anglo-Saxons, however, discovered a way to try and justify their claim of supremacy by inventing the concept of a subspecies of Homo sapiens; these subspecies were called nations and subsequently, races, and were presented as having biological differences from other groups. The Anglo-Saxons viewed themselves as the model group of Homo sapiens, so they set the standards and the concept of normalcy for everyone else.
In addition to inventing the concept of subspecies, each group of humans were said to manifest certain characteristics, such as intelligence, honest, bravery etc…, so that simply by looking at an individual one could apply all elements that matched the individual’s group. Of course, such a belief is illogical, irrational, unreasonable, and unsubstantiated. Two skin colors were introduced to help determine the superior groups from the inferior ones; those colors were black and white. The white skin color represented the superior groups and the darker skin colors represented the inferior groups. Again, this concept lacked any scientific or factual basis; it was all a myth. In spite of the concept’s preposterousness, America accepted and instituted it as valid.
Although the word race became a part of the everyday language, many people were against it use because of its falseness. Rather than use the word race to refer to other people, they suggested the word ethnicity or the phrase, ethnic group, since these terms carried no biological component. Instead of accepting the language change, America decided to confuse the meaning of the word ethnicity and began to use it and race as though they were synonymous. So, how can we introduce ethnicity and diversity without using or referring to race?
When Linnaeus invented the taxonomy system, for the species Homo sapiens he mentioned that there were five varieties of mankind based on geographic and cultural elements. The varieties were not biologically different; they were part of the species. For example, if we were to take a cherry pie and pretend it was a species, like Homo sapiens, we could then cut the pie into many pieces. Each piece would be different, but all pieces would be cherry pie. Scientists would later refer to the varieties of human groups as ethnic groups.
The Anglo-Saxon, however, not did want to let go of their myth and continued to ignore calls to discard the word race. American history records the treatment and experiences African Americans and people of color continue to encounter still today because of society’s acceptance and belief in the myth of race. Educators today can make a difference in replacing the myth of race with the truth. They can explain the origin of the word then move past it by not using it again. The word bias rather than race does a better job of describing the attitudes associated with the treatment and perception of the people of color by the Anglo-Saxons. The word bigotry also clearly attributes the bias of the individuals rather than an anonymous group. Both these words do not carry the implication of biological differences among human beings.
Race and racism is important only if one accepts and believes it. Although America conditioned society to accept and believe that the myth of race was real, common sense and factual evidence readily serves to debunk it. Using the language of race, people do not have to act socially incorrect with indifference to people of color to be a racist, they have only to accept race as valid. If that acceptance leads to them living their lives as racist, then their belief becomes racism, which is a form of superstition. In effect, race is a myth and acceptance and belief in that myth as part of one’s life makes it a superstition. We live with myths and superstitions everyday and know that they can be replaced. How many adults still believe in Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy?
Children as well as adults can be taught about ethnic groups and the diversity they bring to society. Just imagine what would have happened in England had not the explorers introduced the white potato from South America or what Italy would be like had the explorers not introduced to them the tomato, also from South America. We know that diversity adds strength and variety to any society, so teachers focusing on the positive values of ethnic differences while underscoring the fact that we are all 99.9% alike should help to explain our minor differences.
The word race is a linguistic trap that simply moves in a circle and invites other illogical, irrational, and non-sense words into existence , words like racial, bi-racial or multi-racial, racism and many others that simply build on the myth. �����w�
September 24, 2020 at 12:44 am | Posted in African American, American Bigotry, American Dream, American history, Bible, blacks, Constitutional rights, criminal activity, criminal justice, discrimination, equality, Ethnicity in America, European Americans, fairness, incarceration, justice, justice system, language, law, law enforcement agencies, mass incarceration, Oklahoma, police education & training, police force, police unions, race, racism, respect, social conditioning, social justice system, Tulsa, whites | 1 Comment
Tags: African American, American Justice System, Betty Jo Shelby, Breonna Taylor, current-events, discrimination, equal, equal justice under the law, ethnicity, European Americans, justice, Kentucky, law, law enforcement agencies, Louisville, race, Terence Crutcher, U.S.Courts, white
In 1969, Edwin Starr recorded a popular song that still resonates with us today. The song asked and answered an important question: “War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing.” The significant phrase in the question is what is war “good for,” and forces us to place a value on the loss of life and justifying its loss. The answer “absolutely nothing,” can also be the appropriate response to the question what is “equal justice under the law” good for? The phrase is a very popular and often used one when it pertains to the law enforcement establishment. More often than not the phrase is used to protect someone in law enforcement that has been accused of a crime and the system wants to justify the results of the finding by the court, judge, jury or grand jury. Under close examination we discover that the phrase “equal justice under law” is an oxymoron and simply sounds appropriate to a purpose.
The first word in the phrase is “equal” and a mathematics or arithmetic term that deals with fixed elements like numbers. When the word is used relative to human beings, it loses its fitness because no two individuals are or can be equal. Using the term equal suggests that somehow a fixed assessment can be associated with human beings. Unfortunate, that is not the case. For example, in a family of four, the mother, father, and one girl and one boy. The parents can in no way treat them equally simply because one is a male the other female. Their individual needs and wants are different. To treat the equally would mean that every time the girl get a new dress, her brother would receive the same dress or whenever the boy got a new suit, his sister would also receive a new suit. The best human being can hope for is fairness, because equality is impossible. Too often we hear that the law treats everybody equally, but all one has to do is look at the facts of people incarcerated to disprove that statement. We know for a fact that the state of Oklahoma incarcerates more females than any other state in America. Would the females incarcerated in Oklahoma be treated equally in other states? We cannot answer that question because equal has no fixed definition.
The term “justice” is as elusive as equal when one attempts to associate a fixed definition to its applications. Justice in one state is not the same justice in all the other states. Take, for example, the use of marijuana and the fact that in some states it is legal while in other states people go to prison for mere possession. The word justice is often used as an excuse or justification for a questionable action that challenges common sense and logic. For example, many juries and grand juries find that police officers are justified in shooting and killing unarmed individuals, especially people of color when videos and eyewitnesses reveal the contrary. The local criminal justice authorities in Louisville, Kentucky determined that only one of the officers that fired more than twenty rounds into Breonna Taylor’s apartment where she was struck numerous times and died was found to have committed a crime, and that crime had nothing to do with Breonna. So, one wonders just what does justice means when it defies logic and common knowledge?
The last phrase, “under the law,” is closely associated with the word justice in that too many questions are left unanswered relative to the law. In my childhood days when an argument presented a challenge to any one of use we could always win the argument by using the phrase “it’s in the Bible.” In other words, because it was in the Bible, it was the law and the final word. Unfortunately, throughout the history of America the law has been used to control, discriminate, punish, abuse and kill its citizens, especially those of color. More often than not, we are conditioned to accept the laws with the understanding that they will be administered fairly. One has to ask the question how can equal justice under the law be available when the people who have the responsibility to uphold the law also use their own judgment to determine what laws to apply? The attorney general in Louisville commented that the officers who fired the more than twenty shots at Taylor could not be charged with murder because there was no law that applied to their actions. So, does that mean that somehow no one can be held accountable for the death of Breonna? The actions of the officers firing their weapons were said to be justified because Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired the first shot, so the officers had a right to protect themselves. The fact remains that Breonna is dead and her death was the result of bullets shot into her body. The criminal justice agency of Louisville has yet to mention the death or cause of Breonna’s death as though it did not happen.
Facts and the truth are usually the elements that form the basis of most legal decisions, but sometime they seem to get in the way of the law. The police officer, Betty Shelby, who shot Terence Crutcher in the back while he was unarmed with both hands held above his head some ten feet or more in front of her was acquitted of a crime under the law. She later was allowed by Tulsa officials to teach a class in how officers can avoid charges when they shoot someone and what to do when they are bothered by anti-police groups. When the family of Crutcher complained to the law enforcement agency about Shelby teaching the class, they were ignored.
The case of Breonna Taylor seems to underscore the lack of meaning for the phrase “equal protection under the law” except when it involves a member of law enforcement. Then, it appears that the phrase is used to protect only those whose job it is to serve and protect others. So, when it comes to citizens of color, the phrase is good for absolutely nothing.
April 17, 2020 at 4:18 pm | Posted in African American, American Bigotry, American history, amygdala, anglo saxons, Bigotry in America, black inferiority, blacks, Civil Right's Act 1964, Civil Rights Ats, Constitutional rights, criminal justice, discrimination, Disrespect, equality, Ethnicity in America, European Americans, fairness, incarceration, justice, justice system, law enforcement agencies, minorities, Police, police education & training, police force, Race in America, racism, respect, skin color, skin complexion, social conditioning, social justice system, The New York Times, white supremacy, whites | 4 Comments
Tags: African American, bigotry, coronavirus, criminal justice system, current-events, Danielle Sered, discrimination, Dr. Armen Henderson, ethnicity, European Americans, justice, law enforcement agencies, Police, police lack of respect for minority citizens, Prejudice, race, Race in America, skin color, skin complexion, white
African American men specifically and men of color in general, put their lives on the line every day when they walk outside of their residence or simply appear in public. For the people that are not of color in America, this statement might seem somewhat amusing or offered in jest. On the contrary, the statement is not an opinion, but a fact. The reason for this experience comes directly from the social conditioning of European Americans generally and law enforcement agents specifically. Society and by extension, the governments, local, state, and national have given the law enforcers the power to exercise total control of its citizens without fear of reprisal; that is, they have no fear of repercussions for their actions against citizens. The attitude and action of many of these law enforcers seem to be that people of color have no rights that the officers should respect. For the people of color, once they are stopped by officers, they lose all their rights and privileges while the officers exert total control over the individuals.
The criminal justice system works in favor of the officer, not the citizens of color because the word of the officer is taken over that of the citizens. Historically, the relationship between the African American community and the European American one has been one of dominance and control by law enforcement. According to Danielle Sered, “The racially inequitable legacy of policing stretches back to the formation of this nation, and police have not only failed to protect communities of color from harm, but they have enacted enormous levels of harm.” She continued by noting that “This [harm] is not simply or most importantly about individual police officers, many of whom have the best intentions and even behavior in their work. It is about an institution with a history of enabling and enforcing the worst disparities in our country’s history.” More specifically, she added that “It is about officers who returned escaped people to the plantations they were fleeing, officers who publicly announced the times of lynchings to be carried out in the backyards of their own precincts, officers who drove black residents out of neighborhoods where they had bought homes,” and finally, “officers who continue to arrest, assault, and shoot black people at glaringly disproportionate rates.” So the question of trust in the criminal justice system has never been one that people of color readily embraced.
Americans have been socially conditioned to fear African Americans generally, but especially one with whom they are not familiar. According to one source, new scientific research provides some data into how African American men are perceived: “When people see black men they don’t know, they have a physical response that is different from their response to other people. Their blood pressure goes up and they sweat more. When a white person sees an unfamiliar black male face, the amygdala, the part of the brain that processes fear, activates.” (American Values Institute, March 2013) When European Americans join the criminal justice system they do not leave their fear of African American males at home, but bring them to their workplace. This fear might explain why many European American law enforcers become excited and aggressive when engaging with an African American male.
Fortunately for the Law enforcement agents, their actions against people of color are not often questioned, so the fear of having to suffer any consequences for their unreasonable treatment of people of color is not usually scrutinized. The public record of their actions speaks for itself and supports the fact that officers are not held to the same standard of behavior as other citizens. So, they often misuse and abuse the power granted them by the system. A recent incident underscores the power given to law enforcers who are free to profile, stop, and detain men of color without offering any reasons for their actions. A recent New York Times article noted that an African American man wearing a protective mask and working outside near a white van when a Miami police officer drives up next to this man. Next, “The officer steps out of his squad car. Words are exchanged. Then the officer handcuffs and detains the man, Dr. Armen Henderson, who was recently featured in a Miami Herald article about volunteers who provide free coronavirus testing for homeless people in downtown Miami.”Rather than seeking information from the doctor regarding his actions, the officer ignored the doctor’s informing him of who he was and what he was doing. The doctor did not have any identification on him and would have been taken away had he not called for his wife who came out of their home and confronted the officer. Once the officer realized that he had made a mistake, he removed the handcuffs from the doctor and left the scene without any word of his actions or an apology.
What this incident shows is the vulnerability of African American males to the justice system that ignores everything but skin color in administering their control. The fact that Henderson is a doctor, a volunteer risking his life in helping to fight the coronavirus or the fact that he was working in front of his home wearing a protective mask made no difference to the officer who did not take the time to inquire about or grasp the nature of Henderson’s presence at that location. One wonders what kind of education the officer received at the academy regarding the treatment of citizens.
If society can benefit from this crisis of the coronavirus it should be in the fact that to the virus we are all one. The virus does not discriminate on the bases of ethnicity, age, economic or educational status, social position, religion or health. We, hopefully, understand that by working together even though we are sometimes put in harm’s way, that our combined efforts and sacrifice will help us to finally successfully control and manage this crisis thereby contributing to our mutual survival. We must learn that our strength is our unity.
April 1, 2020 at 7:24 pm | Posted in African American, American Bigotry, American history, anglo saxons, Bigotry in America, biological races, black inferiority, blacks, criminal justice, democracy, discrimination, DNA, equality, ethnic stereotypes, Ethnicity in America, European Americans, identity, justice, law, Negro, Prejudice, President Obama, race, Race in America, racism, respect, segregation, skin color, social conditioning, tolerance, U. S. Census, white supremacy, whites | Leave a comment
Tags: African American, African American History, American History, bigotry, black, Confronting Myths, ethnicity, European Americans, myth, Peter Loewenberg, President Obama, Race in America, skin complexion, Solomon Schimmel, Stevie Wonder, superstition, white
For centuries man has viewed the cat as having mystical powers, some for good, and some for evil and has even included the concept of the cat having nine lives. We generally view the many and various beliefs concerning the cat as myths and even superstitions. However, before a superstition can become a superstition it must first begin as a myth, a story, event, action, person or thing possessing magical, mystical, illogical or irrational powers. The accounting of the myth provides the necessary information for the possibility of belief. For example, at one time it was a common belief that it was a sign of good luck if a black cat came into a house or onboard a ship uninvited. The belief was that the owner of the house or ship would experience good luck and that the cat should never be chased away because by doing so, the good luck would go with the cat. So, the statement simply provides the information relative to the powers of the cat. As long as the information serves as just information, it remains a myth. However, when the supposed powers of the cat become accepted as real and influence the actions and expectations of the home or ship-owner, the myth becomes a superstition. In effect, the information moves from a passive to an active form and become a part of the individual’s psyche.
Why do myths and superstition still exist when the knowledge to explain the so-called mystical or magical powers posited in them can easily be debunked? Scholars say that present-day myths and superstitions are the remains of faded or forgotten faiths, rituals, and beliefs and that in spite of the passage of time the acquisition of information has not robbed them of their powers to still influence people today. For example, “When we touch wood to avert misfortune or drop pins into a wishing-well, or bow to the new moon, we do so only because of a vague idea concerning luck.”That idea of good luck is something passed down to us: “Our pagan forefathers did much the same, but they were moved by a genuine belief in the sacred character of trees, or water, or the moon, and their power to affect those who reverenced them for good or evil. Because of that belief, their actions were rational.”Unfortunately, Christianity and science have not been sufficient to eliminate the power of superstition from many modern-day minds.
In one of his hit songs, Stevie Wonder summed up the primary mental condition and challenges in American society: “When you believe in things you don’t understand, then you suffer. Superstition ain’t the way.” America has been living a life based on superstitions in that it accepted the story of the myth of race and then began living life as though the myth was real. Because the majority of society invented and instituted the myth, the rest of society went along with the program. However, when we take the time to examine just what society has believed relative to the superstition of race, we must ask ourselves, why? The answers are easily recognizable: social control and dominance based on ethnic biases especially of African Americans and other people of color.
Believing that bad luck will follow when a black cat crosses your path is one thing, but believing that simply because of a person’s skin complexion that each and every person of color possesses the same exact characteristics and that these characteristics are biologically fixed in every individual is lunacy. Nonetheless, America has been embracing this concept as real since its beginning. We can see evidence of this lunacy in practically every institution in society. In many rural towns across America one can still find cemeteries marked “Colored” and “White” as signs of just how deep and ubiquitous superstitions can affect a society. Ethnic bigotry has been a part of the American social fabric for so long that trying to acknowledge its existence causes a challenge—the preverbal elephant in the room.
People of color and especially African Americans have had to pay the price for America’s superstition but the changes in the nation’s demographics escaped notice, for the most part, until Barack Obama was elected President of the United States. That election sent a shock wave through a part of America that challenged the myth and subsequently the superstition because Obama represented the antithesis of how the African American is perceived. According to Peter Loewenberg, “In the unconscious of the bigot, the black represents his own repressed instincts which he fears and hates and which are forbidden by his conscience struggles to conform to the values professed by society.”He added that “This is why the black man becomes the personification of sexuality, lewdness, dirtiness, and unbridled hostility. He is the symbol of voluptuousness and the immediate gratification of pleasure.” Finally, he noted that “In the deepest recesses of the minds of white Americans, Negroes are associated with lowly and debased objects or with sexuality and violence.”In essence, the superstition that had been in effect since the founding of the nation had been debunked by Obama’s election and the country was turning sane, almost.
Leaders in Congress, rather than accept the reality of the race superstition being debunked, gathered forces to combat the sanity and reinforce the superstition. We must remember that myths and superstitions are based on belief and according to Solomon Schimmel, “…beliefs are often affirmed even when they are highly implausible, irrational, or even absurd, because of their actual or presumed rewards for the individual and community who affirm and reinforce them.” He further noted that the reason for resistance to letting go of a belief can be extremely difficult in spite of all the evidence against it because of “…the actual or imagined aversive effects of doing so, for the individual and the community. The believer is not always fully aware of these underlying fears and anxieties.”Therefore, while beneficial changes are being made to replace the superstition of American bigotry, efforts continue to promote, maintain, and support it.
With the rapidly changing demographics and greater involvement and participation of people of color in politics and government, the battle for America’s sanity is gaining momentum. The first order of business for America in removing ethnic bigotry, however, is to recognize and then acknowledge the myth and superstition of race.
March 5, 2020 at 9:08 pm | Posted in African American, American Bigotry, American history, Amira Donahue, biological races, discrimination, Disrespect, employment, ethnic stereotypes, Ethnicity in America, European Americans, justice, law enforcement agencies, race, racism, respect, skin color, social conditioning, U. S. Census | 1 Comment
Tags: African American, American Education, American History, Amira Donahue, anglo saxons, bigotry, Confronting Myths, ethnicity, European Americans, Indiana, Janelle Griffith. U S News, Olive Garden, Olive Garden, Prejudice, Race in America, skin color
An incident in an Olive Garden restaurant in Evansville, Indiana reported in the U.S. News, (3/4/2020) by Janelle Griffith, involved a European American female customer requesting that she and her party not be served by a person of color. The manager of the restaurant accepted and accommodated the customer’s request. Obviously, the manager’s action relative to the customer’s request caused a number of problems for a variety of people at the time. His reactions to the customer’s request affected the employees, all the employees, but especially those of color. His actions also affected the customers, and again, especially those of color. Regardless of what the manager’s objective was in acknowledging the request, the repercussions revealed at least four levels of social conditioning in society relative to ethnic bigotry.
The first level of social conditioning was that of the customer who felt well within her rights and privileges to make the request. Since the Anglo-Saxons came to American from England, they have sought to instill their myths and superstitions about their superiority and dominance over all people of color; they do not consider themselves to be of color but to represent the human race. Therefore, everybody but them is identified as belonging to an inferiority ethnic group. That attitude of superiority became a part of the American fabric of belief that was conditioned in the homes, schools, churches, courts, jobs and every place that people frequented. Whenever an Anglo-Saxon/European American person felt uncomfortable in the presence of a person of color, they simply requested that the person color be removed usually by the local law enforcers, and their request was honored. That practice still exists today in many places as many of the videos on social media attest. So, for the customer to make her request was not something out of the ordinary; she has been socially conditioned to believe her request would be honored given past experiences.
The second level of social conditioning appeared in the actions of the manager. The primary reason for his accepting and honoring the customer’s biased request was due to the fact that he shared her mindset. What he did not consider at the time was where he was and what he was doing. Had he not shared the same attitude of Anglo-Saxon bigotry he would not have even entertained the request from the beginning. In essence, he ignored the rights and privileges of the employees who were people of color to accommodate the wishes of this Anglo-Saxon European American customer. He might have thought that he was following the business mantra relative to the customer being right, but the customer is not within his or her rights to assume an unreasonable request would be honored. Again, social conditioning is very difficult to overcome when it has been a part of a person’s everyday experience and generally, not questioned.
The third level of social conditioning involved the people of color in the restaurant who were employees. For the employees, the manager and customer seemingly joined forces in honoring the obviously bigoted request. In addition, while the customer’s request was despicably biased, the actions of the manager were equally despicable and denigrating to the employees. Rather than standing up for the principles and the dignity of the employees, the manager sided with the customer and thereby lost the respect, trust, and confidence of his employees. Why would anyone want to work for or with someone who does not respect them as human beings with all the rights and privileges of any other human being? The problem is Anglo-Saxons/European Americans are not conditioned to view people of color generally, as valuable human beings.
Amira Donahue, 16, a hostess at the restaurant said she was so upset by the incident that she began crying, all of which was witnessed by Maxwell Robbins, a customer: “The young lady was in tears and had no one to support her,” Robbins said Wednesday. “So I felt if I didn’t write this post, nothing would have happened and she would continue to go to work for a place that she feels uncomfortable at and unwanted at.”
The people of color who were customers in the restaurant experienced the fourth level of social conditioning that all too frequently occurs in America today. Fortunately, as customers, they expected to be treated with the civility and respect as the other customers, but when they see an injustice taking place, they no longer ignore it but call attention to it so that some positive action can be taken to prevent it from reoccurring. However, the people of color also understand that the social conditioning in America has been to accommodate the requests of Anglo-Saxon European Americans where possible in spite of the concerns of the people of color. In other words, after the request has been honored, an apology is forthcoming to the people of color with promises of a repeat occurrence not happening again. Of course, the request should have been denied at the start, but old habits die hard.
Education in America has failed to promote the truth about the myth of race and the superstition of accepting it as legitimate and factual. We are asked to believe that the characteristics of one individual are representative of an entire group of people and so anyone that looks like or shares some cultural characteristic of that group become fixed forever. That is exactly what happens when people are identified on the bases of their skin color or ethnic history. Society and the government are complicit in the promotion, maintaining, and supporting the concept of a race without ever defining it. The U.S. Census Bureau continues to use the words race and ethnicity as though they are synonymous with each other which they are not, but not being able to define a word does not seem to represent a problem for them.
The incident in the Olive Garden was not something out of the ordinary from both the customer’s request and the manger’s honoring the request. Several years ago, a European American male entered a public hospital in Pennsylvania with his pregnant wife and requested that no people of color attend her during her visit. His request was granted. Of course, apologies followed after the birth of her child and the wife’s release from the hospital.
January 8, 2020 at 12:34 am | Posted in African American, American Bigotry, American history, Bigotry in America, discrimination, Disrespect, European Americans, fairness, myths of pain for African Americans, Prejudice, Race in America, respect, whites | 1 Comment
Tags: "All Rise", "Evil", African American, CBS, CPR, current-events, discrimination, ethnicity, European Americans, Medical myths and people of color, medical treatments of African Americans, pain, Prejudice, Race in America, skin color, thick blood, white
For some reason, I had a recurring nosebleed that turned into a nuisance, so I went to my family doctor and enquired about it. My doctor, in turn, sent me to local eyes, nose, and throat specialist for treatment. When I arrived at the doctor’s office, I checked in with the receptionist and soon was taken to a treatment room. After a few minutes, the doctor came into the room, introduced himself and asked about the problem. I explained to him about the recurring nosebleeds. He asked me to sit back in the chair and then began to examine my nose. He, evidently, discovered the source of the problem and decided to address it. However, he said very little to me about the problem and how he was going to correct it.
He asked me to hold my head back while he sprayed some aesthetic into my nostrils. After waiting a minute or two he took his cauterizing instruments and began applying pressure with the instruments inside my nostrils. The pain was excruciating and I called out to him to stop, but he ignored me and continued to apply pressure. When he finally stopped I told him that I was extremely disappointed with his method of treatment and lack of patient courtesy. I got out of the chair and walked out of the room telling him that I would never return nor would I recommend him to anyone I knew.
The doctor’s demeanor to my negative experience was to remain silent, and never acknowledging or reacting to my concerns. Later, I recounted my experience to my family doctor who had arranged my visit to this doctor. He seemed surprised by the treatment I had received. After considering my experience with this young doctor, I thought that I might possibly have been the victim of cultural and medical bias based on myths relative to people of color, especially African Americans. Let me explain.
Along with the myths of Anglo-Saxon superiority, myths about Africans and African Americans abound. For example, many European Americans believe that people of color have a higher tolerance for pain, thicker skin, and thicker blood than they have. The belief in these myths continues today and in many instances affects the treatment offered people of color. Two recent television shows included references to these myths.
The first show was on CBS with the title of “Evil” and dealt with aspects of religion and the supernatural. In this particular episode, a young African American lady supposedly died and for some unknown reason returned to life. So, the question posed by the show was how did this happen? The show examined all the activities of the young lady, who happened to be an athlete, to try and discover what might have contributed to her death and subsequent return to life. The religious approach to the investigation suggested that possibly a miracle had occurred while the scientific approach searched for a rational explanation for the experience. The answer was discovered when the African American investigator reviewed the procedure involving the administering of CPR. What he discovered was that rather than applying CPR on the young lady for at least 30 minutes, it was applied for just over 20 minutes. Fortunately, when the young lady was about to undergo an invasive procedure, the contact with her body caused her to resuscitate. In essence, a myth relative to the CPR treatment of African Americans indicated the belief that they do not need to receive the full 30 minutes or more treatment.
The other television show that referenced the medical mistreatment of African Americans was an episode of “All Rise” also on CBS and involved the relationship of a European American doctor and the treatment of a young African American pregnant woman. In this episode, the young woman had given birth to her child but subsequently died from a lack of adequate treatment from her doctor. The story followed the husband of the dead woman in his efforts to show how his wife was ignored, mistreated, and not treated by her doctor that contributed to her death. An important feature of this particular story was the focus on the lack of understanding, respect, and value the European American doctor displayed towards his African American patient. For example, when the woman complained of certain experiences and requested the doctor order tests to verify or discount her concerns, he dismissed them. When the woman complained of severe pain, the doctor ordered medicine that under-medicated her. When she tried to explain to the doctor that she felt he was not listening to her and considering her concerns about her health, he ignored her and continued to treat her following his own ideas and opinion.
The husband was able to bring charges against the doctor relative to his wife’s death. What the trial revealed were the many myths the doctor embraced in treating this woman relative to providing or not providing medicine based on his idea of what this woman of color needed. In addition, the trial showed how the doctor ignored the complaints as well as the suggestions and requests made by the woman regarding her treatment. In essence, the show revealed how the myths were a part of the doctor’s psyche and how they represented no element of concern in his treatment of his African American patient. He neither acknowledged nor accepted any responsibility for what happened to his patient as a result of his mistreatment of her.
American history is replete with instances of the maltreatment of African Americans from stories of James Marion Sims, the “father of modern gynecology,” who conducted experiments on enslaved African American women without anesthesia to the African American men of Tuskegee, Alabama, who were injected with syphilis so the disease could be observed and studied. Many other stories tell of the abuse and suffering endured by African Americans due to the ignorance and persistence of many of these medical myths.
Whether we realize it or not, ethnic bias is very much a part of our American life even when we cannot see it. What people of color must not forget is that biases against them has been part of European Americans’ social conditioning and does not reveal itself to them as something not socially acceptable. All Americans, and especially people of color, must accept the responsibility to call-out and address medical myths as well as any other myths detrimental to our society’s well-being when and where they occur.
November 27, 2019 at 12:56 am | Posted in African American, American history, Brown v Topeka, democracy, desegregation, discrimination, Disrespect, education, equality, Ethnicity in America, European Americans, fairness, integregation, Oklahoma education, respect, social conditioning, the 'n' word | 2 Comments
Tags: African American, African American History, American Education, American History, bigotry, conflicts, Confronting Myths, current-events, discrimination, ethnic americans, ethnicity, European Americans, KFOR, literature, Peyton Yager, Teachers students, the 'n' word, white
Sitting in her classroom listening to her teacher read a passage from a classic novel, a sophomore English student asked her teacher if she would stop saying the ‘N’ word because hearing it offended her. She suggested that the teacher use another word instead. The teacher responded that she always said the word, which was an indication that she was not about ready to change the way she read the work. The teacher noted that to change the word from the text would be lying. The teacher suggested the student talk to someone about feeling offended. This was a situation that could have easily been avoided had the teacher been properly educated relative to the rapidly changing demographics in society, educated in how to teach works that include socially unacceptable language, and educated in how a school system should have the vision to anticipate these types of situations.(KFOR.com 11/22/2019, by Peyton Yager)
The student was in her right to inform the teacher that the language she was using although in the text of the novel, offended her. The teacher’s response to the student showed a lack of understanding and a disregard for the student’s feelings or education. The teacher’s attitude reflected a combination of ignorance, arrogance, stupidity, and bias. When the public schools were desegregated in 1954, the primary change from that time to the present was the classroom became more diversified with students from many ethnic identities. Because the schools did not integrate, the European American teachers did not have to change their method of teaching to accommodate the changes in the student body. What desegregation meant to the non-European American students was that they had to adjust to the traditional curriculum that generally excluded them. The exception to the exclusion was to be found in the literature that reflected the ethnic biases of the society during the time pictured in the work. The teacher’s comment that she always said the ‘N’ word indicated not only how she felt about offending the student, but also her ignorance of how her use of that word affected the other students and reflected directly on her character.
This incident points to another concern that should be addressed by society relative to teachers’ education. Unless someone lives in an exclusive area peopled with one ethnic group, most public schools will have a diversity of student populations. Teachers must be taught to recognize the importance of respect for each and every student regardless of diversity. The luxury of ignoring the diversity of students has passed because more and more will be represented in the schools. The traditional curriculum was written, in general, for European American students by European American Educators. Until recent times, the contributions of African Americans and other ethnic groups were not taught, with few exceptions. In other words, American society was seen as belonging to and controlled by European Americans and that being the case, the ethnic groups should learn to recognize their superiority and imitate them. Although that was more apparent in the past, today’s students have access to much more information and are willing to questions social assumptions especially about the way non-European Americans are viewed and treated in society. The educational institutions that prepare students to become educators should take into consideration the many societal changes that will confront the new teachers, especially regarding changing demographics.
The incident involving the student and the teacher and the use of socially unacceptable language could have easily been avoided if the teacher and school had been aware of the changes in our society. Unfortunately, many European Americans believe that no change from their perspective is necessary and that if the change is to come it must come from the other Americans. Well, as the student indicated, change has come and it is placing the responsibility for social adjustment on the European Americans as well as the people of color. The classroom is an important atmosphere for becoming aware and learning about one’s self and society.
Society recognized in 1984 that language and visuals presented in some movies represented a conflict to the values it wanted to be instilled in their young children. So, on July 1, 1984, the motion picture industry issued the following advisory: “Parents Are Strongly Cautioned to Give Special Guidance for Attendance of Children under 13 – Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Young Children”. In addition, television warned its viewers before questionable language or pictures are presented that what will follow may not be suitable for children. So, the viewers should take the proper precautions.
Likewise, teachers who know that works to be assigned to students that include socially unacceptable language should take the time to inform the students about the language. An introduction of the works, their setting and history would help the students to gain an appreciation of the works. The teachers should initiate a plan on how to deal with the offensive or unacceptable language. Ignoring the language is not an option if the students will be required to read the texts. One option, as the student in this incident, suggested is to use other words when the text is read aloud. Another option would be to allow the students to read the text silently. Still, another would be to engage the students in a discussion of how they want to treat the language since they know it would offend some of their classmates.
The incident involving the student and her teacher discussed above is not unique and has happened and probably, will continue to happen until we realize that America is and has been a diverse society and that many European Americans have been deprived of learning about many of their fellow Americans. The process of learning about who we are as a society will be slow and challenging but rewarding and enriching. For too long the educational curriculum has focused on the story of the European American experience while neglecting the stories of the other Americans and often picturing them is uncompromising ways. The young student at the beginning of this piece has given a signal to the educational community loud and clear: things are not like they used to be, you have got to acknowledge and respect me and my classmates.
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America's Race Problem 