As a white guy who lived many years in denial about racism really being a thing anymore, I understand there is some confusion over the matter. After all, chances are YOU don’t hate someone for the color of their skin. But that doesn’t mean others don’t. And it especially doesn’t mean that we haven’t been unintentionally trained toward racial insensitivity or racial ignorance. Indeed, the fabric of our society, unfortunately, tends to disadvantage minorities, especially blacks.
This article does not exist because I’m virtue signally or “woke” (though I am now awakened to this being a problem we need to address head-on). I’ve been silent too long, even though I’ve held these convictions. My silence is a sin.
I say these things as a Christian, first and foremost. Our gospel is weak and dare I say worthless if it’s only about “getting saved.” No, the gospel transforms our whole lives. It should prompt Christians to be the biggest agents of change and justice in the world. When Paul became a Christian, one of his favorite topics was actually racial reconciliation (or racial conciliation) between Jews and Gentiles. There is neither Jew nor Greek he said. He got on Peter’s case for ditching his Gentile friends when he was around Jews. Racism cannot be tolerated in our faith. Indeed, our faith necessarily prompts us to be advocates for racial justice.
So let’s talk about racism–but above all, how American society has a big scale problem.
Am I Racist?
“Am I racist?”
Most of us would answer “no.” Of course, racism is a tricky word to define (Church of Christ minister and writer Jack Wilkie recently offered the definition that racism is unfairness, not just hatred). It’s different than just outright disgust toward a person. It’s often imperceptible and it happens unconsciously.
So do we unfairly prefer one person over another? You might be surprised that you do. The Harvard-sponsored Implicit Association Test attempts to note your hidden biases. For instance, I took the race test (Free test, takes about ten minutes long). It measures the “go-to thoughts” that our brain swings to when we don’t have time to think quickly. It tries to tell if your associations with black people are more negative or positive. I found I had a “moderate preference for whites over blacks.” A sobering finding. I encourage you to take the test, or the other implicit bias tests as well.
As a white person, do you clench your fist or hold your purse tighter when walking by a black person? Do you think that by and large black people “deserve” their lot in life? Are you angered at the very idea that we are talking about race? Are you more worried about the status quo than the unnecessary deathes of minorities? If you answered yes to any of these, you may be racially insensitive. If you see this in yourself, it’s your duty to get help.
Systemic Racism is Real (Even if You Do Not Want to Admit it)
Okay, okay. Here’s the tough one: To what extend is racism entrenched into the fabric of our society?
It seems cold and callous to define things in terms of numbers when there are very real lives “behind the numbers” that are being denied basic opportunities or even being killed for the color of their skin.
But here are several articles that outline the reality of systemic racism in easy to understand language. I’ll highlight a few facts after this list.
- A helpful YouTube video that explains systemic racism well
- Ben & Jerry’s ice cream has a great explanation, surprisingly!
- The Washington Post highlights the racist nature of the criminal justice system.
- The Center for American Progress, a nonpartisan institute explains the problems our society has with race.
- The Smithsonian even weighs in on how the past affects today, and how the present is worse in some cases than the past.
Some improtant facts to highlight:
- African-Americans make up five times the prison population compared to whites (Source: The Sentencing Project)
- A black person is far more likely to get the death sentence compared to a white person for similar crimes (Source: The Washington Post)
- Blacks and Latinos are more likely to be pulled over while driving than whites (Source: The Washington Post)
- Black college graduates have a harder time getting a job than white college graduates. Even white people with criminal histories are far more likely to receive calls back for a job than a black person with no criminal history (Source: The Atlantic)
The concept of “bootstrapping”, that is, just try harder and anyone can succeed, cannot apply if a person of color has difficulty getting a job due to the color of their skin! It’s not about trying harder if they keep getting pulled over for just being black. Your chances of upward mobility are more difficult if you are born into poverty thanks to rezoning 50 years ago. And if a minority breaks a law to survive, then they are thrown into prison for the minor infraction, this practically destroys their chance of ever making enough money to support their family since they can’t get a decent job.
So, systemic racism is real. If data isn’t convincing, ask a close minority friend (not just random people, please, let’s be respectful of their individual traumas).
I know these data points makes the problem seem “too big” but there are very real things you can do. Many of these sources have action points, but let me tell you it takes political and personal action.
Suffer with the Sufferers
In a previous blog post, I argued that lament is a valuable way to approach frustrations we don’t totally understand. One approach to all of this is not to counter with a “yeah, but” or a “but I don’t like they want they are demanding justice.” Stop. Listen. Lament. Before you go crazy, let’s not forget that people are hurting–listen to their hearts.
What Do I Do Now?
There is no one solution to this colossal problem. Smarter people than me have come up with some good ideas. Personally, you can surround yourself with minority friends. Reach out to minorities in your community–not to find a token black friend, but to intentionally surround yourself with the experiences of the oppressed.
Politically, vote for candidates that are actually going to change some things. Call your senator. Go to protests and rallies. Share informative articles on social media. Sign petitions. All these things can make a difference over time.
While it’s about global poverty, I think Rich Sterns, President of WorldVision and author of The Hole in Our Gospel has sound advice about what the church can do for big problems. He lists four things Christians can do to make a difference: pray, act, give, influence.
- Pray – As believers, we can pray for change and pray with those who are suffering.
- Act – Let’s not forget to actually do something–to partner with organizations of change, sign petitions, protest.
- Give – We can give money to organizations helping fight racism or churches doing a great job of assisting minority communities.
- Influence – Advocate and education are valuable tools to fight against systemic racism.
Hopefully, this has been informative and insightful. I approach all things through my commitment to Christ, as you probably noticed. This commitment has lead me to this point. No longer will I remain silent. No longer will ignore the injustices. I will speak.
