In the light of a Oklahoma college fraternity’s racist chant on a bus, the biggest obstacle standing in the way of real progress in the battle to move the nation forward from its racist past, is getting past the denial.
The chapter of SAE of Oklahoma University was caught on video chanting an ugly racist chant on a bus. The University’s president, David Boren, responded by closing the chapter, even throwing them out of their building and having the Greek letters used for the chapter removed. The chant’s words seem to be a remnant of another era when racism was openly acceptable within many communities in Southern states.
"There will never be a n*** in SAE.
There will never be a n*** in SAE.
You can hang him from a tree, but he can never sign with me
There will never be a n*** in SAE."
Racism still exist in a huge way in America, however it is much more covert now, with the nation’s laws broadly protective of the rights of minorities, especially when it comes to racial bias.
It is in my opinion that many whites wish to see themselves as non-bias toward African-Americans. Even when one’s actions and words show clearly, there is animosity toward people of color, usually hidden in anonymity through online post and comments, which in turn, is behind a moniker that hides their identity. This makes it safe for them to broadcast their true feelings of racism and bigotry without fear of reprisal.
It is also true that racist who feel comfortable that they are in like company, will open up and share their hatred toward African-Americans, Hispanics and gays, which is most likely, what happened upon that bus. However, just as it is more likely, cops will be caught on camera abusing their authority toward African-Americans; it is also more likely that other racist events will be caught on camera, in this modern age of cellphones equipped with cameras.
The most difficult task to move the country forward away from its racist and bias past is to get beyond the denial. Many from the right of politics refuse to admit there is still a prejudice element that affects the laws they create and the way they vote, or in fact, even look at our current president, Barack Obama.
Many progressives can easily see that prejudice element constantly working to undermine whatever President Obama is trying to do. There is a profound and consistent distrust toward his every word and deed, unlike with any other president. There is no other possible explanation for it except racism, though it is denied adamantly by politicians and right-wing media pundits.
If one grows up around racism, and racism is prevalent within one’s own family, it is easy to follow that same pattern. However, many do escape their bias roots thanks to the integration of schools, colleges and social life, but not all. It is more difficult when a majority of those around you continue their same prejudice upbringing, allowing racism to stick its ugly head out to speak, such as the chanting on that bus of fraternity students.
It is up to each of us to decide if we are going to allow bigotry to reside in our hearts. If we stand by and allow those around us to dictate how we feel toward certain minorities, then surely, we will always listen to the voice of hatred that whispers words of bigotry in our ear. If even one person on that bus could have boldly stood up and loudly declared their disgust toward that racist chant, and made it clear just how ugly and hateful those words were, perhaps at least there would be a glimmer of hope among that group of bigots. No one did unfortunately. Hate ruled the day.
This nation’s politics within the last six years have been driven by the rage of hatred toward our president, who just this last Sunday helped commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of a moment in our history when that hatred revealed its ugly head in Selma, Alabama. The denial from the right will go on, pretending that it is the man, Obama, and not his skin color that motivates their hate. However, it is very clear from those who can see clearly; this man Obama has done nothing to deserve such hate.
The number of young black men and teens who are unarmed and shot by police continue to multiply unabated. Yet, city police departments continue to insist that the killings are all justified and have nothing to do with racism. Statistics say otherwise.
Racism is at the heart of a destructive force that relentlessly attacks our nation through the political motivations of local, state and federal governments, through the hidden agendas of different city police departments throughout the nation, and in the hidden recesses of the hearts of those who allow that racism to breed in themselves to motivate their own actions.
Overcoming that racism will mean first overcoming the denial of that racism within our own hearts in the first place. Until then, we stand frozen in time, unable to see the fault lines that lie just beneath the surface.
This is a republish from my website:Fidlerten Place