by Attica Scott
The "color-blind theory"...has as its main premise that after 365 years of slavery and legal segregation, only 25 years of governmental laws and actions were necessary to reverse the historical systematic and legalized segregation and inequality in this country, and no further remedial effort is needed. The net effect of the color-blind theory is to institutionalize and stabilize the status quo of race relations for the twenty-first century: white privilege and black deprivation.... This does not sound like the racial utopia Martin Luther King dreamed of. Indeed, it may be his worst nightmare.
—Robert Staples, 1993
Well, what a way to end the year. I'm sure that you were expecting—maybe even hoping—that I would write a nice, compassionate piece during this holiday season about the need for peace and love in our communities. You've kind of gotten your wish.
In reality, I'm ending the year realizing that maybe—just maybe—East Tennessee isn't all that racist. Maybe I've just misunderstood some of the actions against people of color over this past year. See, although I wear glasses, I am not color-blind. And I cannot be color-blind or forget that I am African American, nor would I want to do such a thing.
I cannot ignore race or racism when a white employer wants to know why there is a need to follow equal employment opportunity guidelines in hiring when they've got me! Surely the fact that there is one token black out of the 10 employees in the office should suffice as equal employment. It's difficult for me not to see what's right in my face.
Then again, maybe I need to explore my own ignorance about the impact of race and racism on the white community. There is a lot about history that I do not know. I am not aware of the European slave trade and how whites were placed in shackles and chains and forced to this country as unpaid labor. I am also not aware of white lynchings in the United States of America, so I need to become more aware.
Locally, I've come to understand that maybe a cross burning on the front lawn of a white family occurs more often than I realize. A hate crime against a white person because they are white is of extreme concern in our region.
My awakening to the racial landscape in East Tennessee tells me that it could be possible that the hate rallies in Newport, Tazewell, and other parts of our region against African Americans and Latinos is simply a form of free speech that is not meant to hurt anyone. So, I shouldn't have called them "hate rallies." What's really going on is that people of different ethnic groups are overly sensitive.
I also need to acknowledge that white face is a common costume for black people to wear for Halloween. There is probably an entire history of white face where black actors have painted their faces white and acted like idiots as a way to degrade the white race. This is something that I never knew or even thought about because it didn't affect me.
While I'm at it, the graffiti that was spray painted on Bearden High School in February may have seemed like racial slurs and religious bigotry to some of us, but it may have just been artistic expression by someone who simply wanted to use the school as their canvas. Never mind that the words and symbols were offensive to some of the students. When you're talking about a small group of people, who cares, anyway.
Wow! I'm feeling much better as I close out this year and come to grips with the fact that racism in East Tennessee has come to an end. Now, I'm still not color-blind. But some of you might feel more comfortable if you don't have to think about race. It might put you at ease to be able to ignore issues that do not concern you. Doesn't that make it easier to celebrate this holiday season?
December 18, 2002 * Vol. 12, No. 51
© 2002 Metro Pulse
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