There are of course many negative impacts of racism. The two most frequently noted are discrimination – not allowing people to live the lives they want to live – and violence, both physical and verbal.
But there is another impact which, although less frequently discussed, is in some ways even more pernicious than either discrimination or violence: disrespect. I am not talking here of the disrespect that whites show people of color in various ways, but the disrespect that people of color come to have of themselves.
It is a well-established scientific/psychological fact that if you tell someone often enough, especially in their formative years, that they are bad, inferior, or any quality, that person's mind will absorb that label as part of their self-image. Blacks have for centuries been treated with disrespect, not just as slaves, but also during the entire period since slavery ended.
While the government has passed a variety of civil rights laws and the Supreme Court has spoken on the equality of blacks, and their lives have in many ways improved, there has been little change overall in the attitude of disrespect towards blacks shown by individual citizens and the culture, the centrality of Black music and performers in the entertainment industry notwithstanding. The result is that many Blacks carry a lack of respect for themselves in their subconscious, regardless their coping skills, their success, and how they present themselves in public.
For some time, it has been politically incorrect, certainly outside the South, to use the "N" word when talking to a Black. Such use would make the disrespect shown the person obvious, and that is not socially acceptable. This admonition obviously does not change how the person feels, he just can't verbalize it. In private, the use of the "N" word is still prevalent accept among liberals.
However, Blacks frequently use the "N" word amongst themselves and justify its use by calling it a term of endearment or by saying only they can use the word and that their use is not racist,
I respectfully disagree. Whenever i have heard the 'N' word used by blacks, mostly in plays but also in real life, the tone of voice used has never sounded like it was a term of endearment, and although a Black may not be a racist for using the term, he is certainly showing a lack of respect towards the other person, conjuring up all the stereotypes that use of the term by whites implies.
In anticipation of the push back my argument will face, both from Blacks and liberal whites, I would note that Jesse Jackson's "Black is Beautiful" movement in the 1960s and 70s and Nina Simone's anthem, "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black," were both meant to counter the internalized disrespect that afflicted Black youth.
Unfortunately, the movement was short-lived and did not broadly succeed. Instead, what we have seen, starting in the 90s, are rappers who use all the language of disrespect, especially towards Black women, in their songs. Jackson and Simone would "roll over in their graves" if they heard this music.
Which brings me to the use of the word "bitch" by rappers and others. Regardless what they may say to justify their use of this term, it is never used in a way which indicates endearment and is always a term of disrespect and subservience.
As a comparative point of reference, i would note that I (and I am Jewish) have never heard a Jew in any context use any of the racist anti-semitic terms towards another Jew. There are certainly some Jewish anti-semites and certainly there is much dissension and division, often heated, within the jewish people, but i have never even in such moments or otherwise heard a racist term thrown at a fellow Jew.
Regarding gays, while internalized homophobia is fairly common among gays (and yes, I'm gay), although less so than it used to be, the quite common)use of the term "fag" among gays (or at least it was when I circulated more in gay circles) was almost always used as a term of endearment; the tone of voice was never one of disrespect or disgust.
The motto of the United Negro College Fund is, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." I would say in s similar vein that a human being is a terrible thing to waste, and to disrespect is to waste. Every person, regardless of skin color or background or status, should be exposed to uplifting spiritual mentoring that results in his or her feeling nothing but respect for themselves, regardless what the world around them says.
No comments:
Post a Comment