Problem Definition revision
Who are the stakeholders in a discussion about racism and how to solve it?
Everyone on the planet.
It is not as simple as an "us" versus "them" concept. Everyone is implicated in the perpetuation of racism as our conscious and unconscious actions, attitudes, beliefs and responses to one another are coded in notions of race and striations regarding race. A child in calcutta who is starving to death is not merely an agent in matters of extreme poverty, because a caste system (which often codes itself in skin color) places him or her in a position where they have limited mobility or opportunity to change their circumstances. All who participate in the caste system are culpable for the continuation of this oppression, regardless of the magnitude of their power or agency. Here in the US, racism continues to thrive because we choose to participate in what has become a normalcy for our society. It is not unusual for individuals to self-segregate by race, or to marry or date exclusively within their race because we have chosen to perpetuate the notions of exclusivity between the races.
Problem 1.
The world has a particular, biologically-based understanding or belief about race that underlies all attitudes about how society should function.
Problem 2.
Some believe that racism is dead and is no longer an issue in today's society. Many see the accomplishments of people of color and believe that this is a clear cut indication of substantial progress, and that the urgency for universal civil rights is dead.
Problem 3.
Some see racism as someone else's beliefs rather than belonging to ourselves. We use exteme examples of overt racism to distance ourselves from the beliefs and practices that makes one an blatant participant of racism. It does not require that we check our own complicity, because it is somebody else's problem.
Problem 4.
Issues of race are really masking issues of class. The world is not divided by notions of race, but the goals of capitalistic greed.
Everyone on the planet.
It is not as simple as an "us" versus "them" concept. Everyone is implicated in the perpetuation of racism as our conscious and unconscious actions, attitudes, beliefs and responses to one another are coded in notions of race and striations regarding race. A child in calcutta who is starving to death is not merely an agent in matters of extreme poverty, because a caste system (which often codes itself in skin color) places him or her in a position where they have limited mobility or opportunity to change their circumstances. All who participate in the caste system are culpable for the continuation of this oppression, regardless of the magnitude of their power or agency. Here in the US, racism continues to thrive because we choose to participate in what has become a normalcy for our society. It is not unusual for individuals to self-segregate by race, or to marry or date exclusively within their race because we have chosen to perpetuate the notions of exclusivity between the races.
Problem 1.
The world has a particular, biologically-based understanding or belief about race that underlies all attitudes about how society should function.
Problem 2.
Some believe that racism is dead and is no longer an issue in today's society. Many see the accomplishments of people of color and believe that this is a clear cut indication of substantial progress, and that the urgency for universal civil rights is dead.
Problem 3.
Some see racism as someone else's beliefs rather than belonging to ourselves. We use exteme examples of overt racism to distance ourselves from the beliefs and practices that makes one an blatant participant of racism. It does not require that we check our own complicity, because it is somebody else's problem.
Problem 4.
Issues of race are really masking issues of class. The world is not divided by notions of race, but the goals of capitalistic greed.
posted by R. Kiah Morris at 8:49 PM
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