Ms. Sherrod got caught doing something blackfolk often do-and I wish more whitefolk would do it, too

She was caught on camera not only talking about race in a very open way but in a deeply personal way, sharing her struggles with and evolution about her own racial prejudices.

This is something that black folks tend to be much more comfortable doing than most white folks are - at least in my own experience. Perhaps it's because race and racism are such deeply personal and concrete things to us that we are much more comfortable recognizing and acknowledging our own struggles with it. I often share with people various experiences I've had in which my prejudices became apparent or were pointed out to me. I then discuss what I learned from these experiences and how they helped me grow closer to being the kind of person I like to think I am or can become one day. For example, the time I almost cancelled a job interview because my potential employer's thick Southern accent on the phone led me to assume he was a racist redneck. I was absolutely mortified to find out that not only was this man not a backward-thinking bigot, he was a brave and kind stallwart who had literally risked his life in the civil rights movement. What an important lesson I learned. (And if someone decides to edit a tape of me discussing this incident, I could likely come off sounding like a close-minded racist.)

On the other hand, I find that many whites are very uncomfortable with speaking about their experiences with race, believing that acknowledging their prejudices means that they are or will be perceived as being racist. In fact, these kinds of conversations only serve to foster greater understanding and growth.

However, I suspect that many people saw the Sherrod video and assumed that if she was talking about her prejudices, she was either bragging about them or had gotten "caught" talking about something she meant to keep "in the family." (After all, she WAS talking to the NAACP!) Sadly, these people don't realize that we all need to do more of what Ms. Sherrod was doing that day - using herself as a living example of why we must work to overcome our prejudices and the enormous benefits of doing so.

I realize that I'm speaking in generalizations - that there are white folk, public and private, who discuss race openly and personally. Bill Clinton and Bill Bradley come immediately to mind. And there are plenty of black folk in public and private realms who do not. But in general, I think my observation is accurate.

Let's hope that this very unfortunate incident will encourage well-meaning people of all races to try just a little harder to talk about these difficult issues in ways that can help us all take two steps forward.

(and I include my own post in the - er - less than thoughtful) :-)

Excellent analysis.

the first thing I asked was, "What was the context?"

unaware that they themselves are racist too.

If you're not struggling, you're not alive.

all white people are prejudiced.
I hope you don't, but it sounded rather like a blanket statement.

The other way round, concerning communication, is needed too.
For example,

and this is my experience only of course,

when I've mentioned that I've had my share of "lynch stories" too --reversed race of course, & using the phrase as not being actually lynched, as obviously they weren't either but as being attacked because of the color of one's skin--
when I've mentioned being attacked on the streets for being white
which happened 5 times: 4 times by black people, once by an hispanic along with one vicious gun-in-my-mouth home invasion although the primary, yet secondary, in that instance wasn't race
(To this day I still can't answer the door no matter who is knocking)
& all by men, strangely, or maybe not so much;
my black friends invariably were quite surprised. "You have?!"
It's also been my honor to help a few people, during or after the fact, when they've unfortunately had those types of experiences. (I have never said this to any of my friends -- & I'm just saying it here not for kudos but because I feel it may be pertinent information towards what I'm about to say
...ANYHOW *gasp*)

there is one especial couple friends (although there seems to be a limit, to one degree or another, on how deep the conversation can get with all my different groups of friends) who will not discuss race, no matter how close, no matter how gently, at all with me even though I'm am wholly on equality's side; even moreso as in this subject I'd rather be too liberal than too conservative (pro-reparations for example, what can it hurt, at the minimum -- & pissing off teabaggers is only a bonus ; )

they just clam up. Almost a veil can be seen going over their faces :(
We love and respect each other very much, best friends in fact, but in that way, that subject, they won't dialogue even though every other subject is wide open (although as of the past 2-3 years I would NEVER criticize Obama to them -- they are so proud & emotionally invested in him I could NEVER be that inconsiderate). Even though I know their reticence is probably based on fear --probably to a great degree on those aforementioned 'lynch stories', at least as far as I can figure out-- it makes me very sad.

We all have a long way to go to be able to discuss absolutely everything in a full & completely honest fashion, after all fear can really fuck a person up,
and it's MHO we won't be able to truly heal as a society, as a country, until we all can do this.


You may ask 'Why don't you ask them? Ask them what they're uncomfortable about?'
After a few tries & I saw their unwillingness I just never brought it up again as I didn't want to cause any additional discomfort & since I've moved I only see them every 3-6 months or so when I visit home and our time together has been too short, too fleeting, & of course full of important conversation like how they've been, how their families are & other friends are (good gossip. Yay!) that even when I've wanted to ask these other things --just to understand, just to grok-- what we have talked about in the few hours we've had, had taken precedence to the extent where I had completely forgotten until well into the long drive home :shrug:


***Sorry for this being SO long ...I just wanted to be as absolutely clear as I can possibly be-- as an admirer & follower of Gandhi and Archbishop Desmond Tutu I take the seriousness, and importance, of this subject very much to heart.


edit: personally I don't think that Truth should strictly be for just one group/set's ears only (as in the NAACP or African-Americans in general). Ms. Sherrod's truths are absolute no matter what ears receive them IMHO.

But even with this post I still give a hearty K&R

ARRGH I've now made this even longer!


2nd edit: removed one redundant word & fixed a typo
Sorry!

Well, having been attacked on the streets multiple times just for being white, I'm glad you don't harbor any racist attitudes towards your attackers. Its easy for racial attitudes to develop in those situations, as life experiences often shape us, but often its class not race that brings about those tensions, and it just happens along racial lines because race is so stratified economically.

Clearly, this nation still has a lot of racial healing to do.

and I AM extremely leery of unknown men 'of color' on the streets (heck, ALL colors) but I TRY not to cross the street when they approach, even though I tremble when in proximity
-- I HATE to admit that but it's completely true :(

I have always known and purposely remembered that only a comparatively few bad apples does not taint (for me, you understand) ALL people of any certain group

and it would be illogical, not to mention highly unfair, for me to do so.


WOW you read fast! :D


edit to add:
Actually only one turned physical, but every verbal assault was quite the vicious tirade. I don't know why they all happened but I was young, pretty & very femme if that means anything -- not to mention alone.
I was truly shocked & speechless.. guess you can never get used to that kind of thing
And to give fair & full disclosure, in one case one Hispanic & in another one black gentleman was driving by, stopped, and defended me -- at least got the guy off of me and waited until they got back in their cars (in every case but one I was walking alone*, they were driving) & left;
so with that, HOW could I negatively react against all? :shrug:

*Department of
Redundancy
Department
:)

wrong place

but I can't be sure it was due to race, it could have been for being punk rock.

they freaked out on you in the street?! --talk about a ridiculous reason!

Unfortunately in my cases they left no doubt whatsoever it was race

...I have always wondered what happened to them --the specifics, you understand-- that they grew such hate. It doesn't spring up out of nowhere :(

young blacks in a university area while we were walking down the street---- well, we were the only white kids there but we were also visibly punk rock too-- so like I said, can't be certain the reason. We had become accustomed to much hostility from the usual suspects but were surprised at that. There were no skinheads in our group. I didn't assume it was hate then--just they didn't like us and didn't want us around. Hate is a pretty strong emotion to be wasted on strangers.

Edited to add= other incidences were really small, not major, I was just aware the people in those situations were angry/hated on me for no personal reason. But back when I looked punk rock we were typically thrown out of stores and people didn't like to sit next to us on the bus unless they were either really drunk or on a day pass from the local state mental institution. For some reason, this population felt very safe with us lol.

As far as bullying/physical intimidation related to race (inverted--black or hispanic on white) -- at least in the NYC area-- My husband used to get beat up frequently when he was a kid and lived in Yonkers from other ethnic/racial groups. My friend who is about 10 years older than me (about 56) remembers being physically intimidated and threatened frequently when she was in high school in Staten Island by a group of black girls. She said everyone was afraid of them. I know this is not a popular topic to bring up and I'm sure there were horrible experiences these young people had to grow up in the time of the late 60's mid 70's with but it happened. There are victims of victims. I don't have a judgement on it. First, it was not my experience and second, I am only told of their perceptions of the situation.

Many folks say they aren't racist, but then when they are looking for a neighborhood to
move into, and they the school their kids might attend, the more Blacks are in attendance at the school, the less those non racist folks will decide maybe the neighborhood is not so nice.

Or if they walk into an establishment where mostly a minority race works, a lot of times,
they'll think less of the place.

Or like the landlords that won't rent to "Lakisha", but will to "Emily".....

Or even sometimes deciding who to sit next to on public transportation if
there is room for choice.....

Happens in a lot of important and hurtful ways everyday!

But I hope that we start talking about more,
and attack this President less.....
Cause we ain't always helping any!

Oh....I appreciate your OP.

Ms. Sherrod is someone to admire, someone who can be used as an example to follow, imo.

Recommended.

:kick:

Wow..just Wow! (A statement I stole from a Kinder while substitute teaching)

:yourock:

because unless your opinion is in lockstep with the Jesse Jackson's and Al Sharpton's of the world who want us all to feel sorry for ourselves, you're called an Uncle Tom, a House Ni**a, and all kinds of terrible things by people who you otherwise generally agree with politically.

The views of most black people I know (including me) are NOT in lockstep with Rev. Jackson and Rev. Sharpton (whose views aren't even in lockstep with each other), yet they feel perfectly comfortable discussing race.

In fact, your blanket condemnation and dismissive mischaracterization of "the "Jesse Jacksons and Al Sharptons of the world" reveals an attitude that may be the real reason your views are not taken seriously.

Why? Because it's not worth the risk that either a comment you make will be taken out of context - like Ms. Sherrod - or that something you say will be misconstrued horribly because most people of all races aren't very eloquent, and the end result is that from now til the end of your days you will be thought of as being a racist. No one wants to be called a racist - I don't even think KKK members like it - and there are very serious social repercussions for being labeled a racist.

It's definitely a conversation we need to have, but it's not going to happen unless you can guarantee a non-judgmental audience, which certainly won't happen publicly.

people get so defensive

However if, for example, Rwanda can do it over genocide
and South Africa over apartheid (historically very similar to the US, IMHO)
I hope we can do it for our problems, for the greater good

You can unilaterally enforce legal protections and civil rights - it doesn't require an amicable relationship among the races, just an acknowledgment that we're all human. That makes it a far easier thing to do.

Changing opinions of each other and broaching an amicable discussion, on the other hand, aren't things that can be enforced. They have to occur naturally, and there's really neither anything anyone can do to force that to happen, nor is there any guarantee that such a thing would ever happen organically. Unfortunately, our zeal in stamping out racism is ironically going to be the biggest barrier to transcending it.

progress is based DIRECTLY on an amicable relationship among the races.

And your claim that the efforts to stamp out racism are the biggest barrier to transforming it is, frankly, a crock. That's the excuse that's ALWAYS given for either failing to address problems or trying to stop anyone else from doing anything about it. But blaming those of us who are trying to move this country forward for causing t.he problem we're trying to address is false and misguided.

relations as anything BUT "amicable". And I certainly don't think they were amicable in this country when we abolished slavery and passed civil rights legislation in the 60's, so I'm not sure where you're coming from at all on that.

So true, so true.

Explicit racism needs to be confronted.

But what about unconscious racism? The person who is an unconscious racist needs to first recognize that they are that way. But the way our society is dealing with racism is to punish the explicit racist, and drive the unconscious racist toward either denial or explicit status. It seems to me that, in practice, this leads to folks increasing their denial of their unconscious racism because of a real or perceived danger to their status either at work or in society.

Losing your job for an unconsciously racist statement doesn't happen often, but there are high-profile examples that the media, with its right-wing bias, usually highlights. I remember a college coach fired 8-10 years ago for a statement that he repudiated and apologized for immediately - he otherwise (as far as the accounts I read) had an exemplary career of fairness. Maybe people remember a case where a person was fired from their post (although they were later reinstated) for using the word "niggardly", a word which comes from a northern European language (Norwegian) and means miserly - it has no etymological relationship with the n-word. These examples are promoted by the right wing, to increase fear of "political correctness."

Unfortunately, the way we deal with unconscious racism is, I think, actually promoting a lack of self-awareness. If a right-winger realizes he or she has unconscious racist beliefs, they interpret it as a threat, something to be repressed. In the long run, this doesn't help, the person encourages themselves to avoid self-awareness.

From a point of view of society, too, it seems to me, revelations of unconscious racism that result in remorse and contrition might better be treated as forgivable offenses. This would have the danger of pretended remorse becoming a cover for explicit racism, but would promote self-awareness. The explicit racist isn't likely to enjoy the remorse cover very much, I don't think.

(I've posted this reply before, in another thread years ago)

:kick: for that chance.

Just like they did to Shirley Sherrod. And Rev. Jeremiah Wright before that. Remember all the hysteria over "God Damn America!"?

The whore media never showed enough of Wright's sermon to put that statement in the proper context. A lot of people probably would have agreed with him, if they had. Or if they had known that Rev. Wright was a Marine who once served as part of LBJ's White House guard.

Of course the bad news there, is that Candidate Obama couldn't run away from him fast enough. And while he DID deliver an excellent speech on the subject of race in the aftermath of that mediawhore created "controversy", it really sucked, in my opinion, that he turned his back on his pastor for merely speaking the truth, as he saw it.

Ironically, many of the right wing/tea party crowd are now echoing Rev. Wright's sentiments, with no consequences.

But I do challenge your recollection about Obama's treatment of Rev. Wright. He did NOT run away from him as fast as he could. In fact, his refusal to denounce him when many demanded he do so caused him a great deal of trouble. It was only after Rev. Wright totally showed his ass and, instead of respecting and appreciating Obama's refusal to throw him under the bus for short-term political gain, went out of is way to offend people that Obama called him on it and walked away from him.