Racist and Racism. Two terms that cause an uneasy feeling in most people that hear them. They spark an instant defense mechanism in most people when applied to themselves or someone close to them. Indeed it would seem that to be called a racist in 2015 is to be called inhumane, barbaric, uncultured, uncivilized, and unintelligent. The two terms have been linked to each other through time and pain, forever linked to this nation’s dark historical foundation and a period of time that for many Americans is better left forgotten. I mean to be called a racist or to be accused of participating in racism for most Americans means… well… most assuredly it has to be something bad right????

Therein lies the rub, walking down the streets of Charlotte, NC a state and a city famous for a multitude of things, racist views and racism in action are just 2 of them, I decided to ask a few people what it meant to be called a racist and what racism was. Of the 15 or so people I asked, 2 or 3 said it wasn’t something that could be put into words, 1 person said it was when you believed the stereotypes about people, and the vast majority of the people said that it was when you said something bad or negative about someone of another race. Some examples I was given were:

“Like if you say Black People are criminals”
“Like if you say White People are Racist”
“Like if you say Black People are ugly”

When I asked for examples of racism I was given answers such as:

“Like not hiring a Black Person”
“The only form of racism we still have is affirmative action”
“Black Girls Rock”

Most people summed up their thoughts on the matter by saying we need to just move on and stop talking about it so much. A few people even added that in today’s world Black People are the most racist and they have the most advantages when it comes to racism.

All the confusion around these two words reminded me of the time I was at a family get together and I heard my little sister in-law talking with her siblings. A big roasting session had started and all of the younger people started teasing each other, eventually the jokes went to skin color. At this point she immediately stopped the teasing and proceeded to call all of the kid’s racist. A giant argument ensued with all parties eventually admitting that they weren’t entirely sure what racism was they just knew it was something bad.

Doesn’t this sum up the average Americans thoughts on these subjects, it sure seems that way. I was watching a talk show and they were talking about a particular man being racist because he said he was not attracted to women of a certain race. The conversation was such that it made it seem like you were a racist if you didn’t immediately want to find the nearest opposite sex different race person and make a family with them. The obscurity of these words is connected with the obscurity of Race Relations in America, our dark Racial History, and our desire to show that we have moved on vs actually moving on.

A racist is simply someone that believes 1 race is superior to another. Racism is the systematic oppression of 1 race by another. One is a belief held by individuals, the other is a system of activities participated in by members of 1 race against another regardless of their beliefs. A racist is driven by the belief that his race is superior and thus other races are lesser and should not be treated as equals. It is a very specific kind of bigotry mixed in with a heavy dose of prejudice and a massive cultural ego. Meanwhile racism, which is initially created while racist ideologies are culturally and socially accepted, survives on the apathy of its participants. It doesn’t need them to feel superior, it just needs them to keep doing the things their mothers and fathers did.

A person doesn’t need to believe White People are superior to believe a certain type of Black Person is a criminal. Thus as a police officer while you might not be a racist, every time you stop 5 Black People in hoodies and let 5 White People in hoodies walk by untouched (of course that’s not adjusting for proper population proportions) you are participating in racism. As a hiring officer you might not feel whites are better than blacks, but every time you overlook that person with the name that just has to be Black in order to “maintain the comfort” of your work place you are participating in racism. As a teacher you might feel Black Students are just as capable as White Students, but every time you suspend Tyrone for doing something you gave Billy a warning about, you are participating in Racism.

You see racism is an action word, it entails activities that gives one group an unfair advantage based on race typically by oppressing another group. “Racist” refers to an ideology, a belief that may or may not be acted on. While it is true in most circumstances a racist or a group of them are needed to create a system of racism, it is not true that everyone that participates in that system is a racist. Racism is a team sport, Racist is an individual ideology, and simply saying something bad about a Black Person or a White Person does not make you a racist. But not being a racist doesn’t mean you aren’t participating in the system of racism affecting us today.