The Root of Racism

            Not since 1991 has a single subject been so projected into mainstream discussion. If you recall, it was in 1991 that the confirmation hearings for Clarence Thomas brought sexual harassment to the fore of public consciousness. In much the same way, the comments and rhetoric of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the statements made by Geraldine Ferraro, and yesterday's (March 18) speech by Barack Obama have propelled the topic of racism to the forefront of American discussion.

            While most people will not argue with the fact that there is a huge racial divide in this country, no one truly wants to get to the root of the issue of racism. I want to remind the readers of a few things that are relative to this discussion:

• This country was torn apart by the question of whether or not states had the right to allow slavery. We bear the pain of slavery to this day, to wit the discussion going on right now.


• It is well established that American slaves were brought over from the African slave trade. West African tribes had a competitive and thriving slave trade. The operators of this slave trade were black tribal leaders.


• The Richards Sugarcane Plantation in Louisiana had 152 slaves. The Richards were free blacks.


• American slaves were very often physically beaten and tortured, and many slave families were torn apart by the selling of their family members.


• Slavery is not limited to blacks. Jews were enslaved many times in their history, most notably in Egypt. Some black historians believe that this Egypt was a black Egypt.


• Today, the slave trade is rich, especially in the Middle East, and in African nations like Sudan.

 I bring these facts up not to repudiate or excuse the white man’s role in slavery. If there had been no demand for slaves, slavery would not have existed. I do bring it up to show that blacks, and specifically, black plantation owners as well as black African tribal leaders, also played their part in slavery. The black tribal leaders are doubly implicit, however, because they sold their own people into slavery! 

So, we must now ask ourselves a very hard question: is slavery, and more particularly, racism, a “white” issue? Is it a “black” issue? I would submit to you it is both, and more. It is a red issue, a yellow issue. To capture everyone under this wide net, it is a heart issue. Because of the visible differences in color, culture, language and lifestyle, it is impossible, due to our human nature, to not differentiate between people of color. It is impossible for a white person not to do it, and it is equally impossible for a black person not to do it. This does not mean both sides always negatively discriminate, but both sides do differentiate between black and white by default. While the Bible I hold dear has been used in times past and present to justify racism and slavery, that very same Bible teaches us that God made all men out of one blood. We are literally descended from Adam and from Noah, and thus we should all treat each other with kindness and respect. But we don’t. Why? Because we are people that clue in on the differences between each other, and we cannot escape it.

I once saw a news documentary which showed how black people of lighter color discriminated against darker colored black people. I also saw an interview in which a young white college student disguised herself for a month as a black teenager at a high school. She was considerably dark, and lighter skinned black people were very hateful and discriminatory toward her. She also suffered taunts from white people as well. In short, it was a very horrendous experience for her. She went away convinced that racism is not a skin issue, it is a heart issue. People zero in on the differences, and naturally begin to use that as a reference point by which to distance themselves from those who are different.

           Today, we no longer have slavery in America. However, we are all enslaved, to some degree, to hate. We do not love people of our own color, let alone people of other colors. Blacks are killed by blacks more often than whites, and this phenomenon has led to the term “Black-on-Black Violence”. That is hate. If it was love, the crime wouldn’t occur! (For this reason we should do away with hate crime laws, and focus on the criminal action, and not the motive of the crime. All crime is hate crime, but I digress). Jesus said that in the last days, iniquity would abound, and because of it, the love of many would grow cold. What we see today is racism, but is due to the wickedness of the human heart, and not just the white one. Wickedness abounds in the black heart, white heart, red heart, and yellow heart. The racially charged N-word, the H-Word (you know the word, the one that rhymes with donkey), or whatever the word is merely an expression that seeks to dehumanize the other person. A friend of mine and I were having a discussion the other day about calling some one a fool. This term is a step toward dehumanization, and anytime we dehumanize someone, we are stepping closer toward hate. As we inch toward hate, it becomes easier and easier to deny that person the respect and dignity God grants them as an individual. Since racism stems from hate, it is no wonder we utter the N-word or the H-word under our collective breaths: we are attempting to dehumanize the person and justify our hate. Don’t think this is without historical precedent. Nazi Germany went to great lengths to dehumanize the Jews. Jews were given numbers, and were not called by their names. They were mostly untouched by guards and workers. The dead Jews were not handled by Germans-instead, Jewish camp workers handled the Jewish dead. When the time came to put the Jews to death, the Nazi henchmen did not release the gas-the Jews themselves were made to release it. And to top it off, the Nazis were very selective in the poison used to kill the Jews. Do you know what the poison was? Zyclon B. The poison was dropped in crystal form, through a small hole in the ceiling, into the gas chambers. The pellets turned into a lethal gas once in air. Previous to its use in gas chambers, Zyclon B was a common insecticide. The Nazis became so adept with their dehumanization of Jews that they did even acknowledge their fundamental humanity and they killed them with bug spray.

Please, let us address the issue of hate in every heart, and not dehumanize one another. Our survival as a country depends on it. Today, I had the opportunity to pray with a friend of mine that I attend church with. This man is in the middle of a separation and likely divorce. We stood in the parking lot, clasped hands together in an interlocking fisthandhold, and we prayed. I prayed for this black friend of mine, for him to be reconciled with his white wife, for the sake of their mixed children. When we finished praying, we hugged. In public. In a parking lot. See, this fellow church member is more than just another human being to me. "What is he?" you may ask? He is my brother. And that is the key to confronting racism.