Racism Continues Because Whites Let It Continue

(The cartoon image above is by Jack Ohman in the Sacramento Bee.)

In the mid-sixties, the United States government passed a series of civil rights laws. Those laws forbid the segregation in public facilities and businesses catering to the public, made discrimination in housing illegal, and protected the right of minorities to vote in this country. That didn't solve the problem of racism in America, but a lot of Whites want to believe that it did -- especially since the election of an African-American president. They delude themselves into thinking we now live in a post-racial country.

That's why many of them won't even engage in a discourse on racism these days -- and are quick to accuse someone of playing the "race card" when they try to bring the subject up. Some of them will never admit this country still has racial problems -- because they are the racists causing those problems. But most just don't see the problem because it doesn't affect them in their lives. The power structure in the U.S., from the federal government down to the community governments (and agencies like the police departments), are still mostly controlled by Whites -- which means most Whites don't see the racism that still exists, and a problem that doesn't affect them and is not seen is very easy to ignore.

Blacks have a very different reality. They live with the racism every day of their lives -- in schools, at workplaces, and in dealing with the police and justice system. They know their schools receive less money and attention, they are less likely to get an open job, they are far more likely to be sent to prison, and they are far more likely to be profiled, harassed, beaten, or even murdered by police.

Our Constitution promises equal treatment under the law, and the American Dream professes that American have equal opportunity -- but neither has ever been a reality in the United States. It should be, but it isn't. And as much as Whites don't want to admit it, it is largely their fault. They act like rights and equality are a zero-sum game, and that if minorities are given more rights and opportunities then Whites will have less of both. It's a ridiculous idea, but it seems to persist.

We need to recognize that reality is different for Whites and Blacks in America -- and then we need to engage in an honest and open dialogue on how to fix that. It won't be easy, and there will be things said that many don't want to hear -- but until it happens, our racial problems will not be solved.

The charts below were made from information in a new CBS News / New York Times Poll -- conducted on August 19th and 20th of a random national sample of 1,025 adults. It has a margin of error of 5 points for Whites and 8 points for Blacks. I offer them here because they clearly show how Whites and Blacks see things differently -- something that would not be true if racism did not exist (and we could all just view each other as Americans).