He was a young man of Italian descent, a student in my class at Boston College. The class is gathered around the topic: The History and Development of Racism, and features a great deal of discussion between students as we look together at the broad sweep of racism in our history. Sal had been a vigorous discussant in that group, and it is clear from his level of participation that a lot was churning in his head and heart. So I was not surprised when he requested a chance to talk about his most recent paper. Read on…
Having come to the reluctant acceptance of the permanence of racism and the simultaneous liberation that acceptance has brought to my involvement in the struggle against racism, [1] I have been asked often to indicate the reasons which lead me to the assumption of “permanence.” Sometimes the questioner seems rooted in stubborn resistance, sometimes in puzzled inquiry, sometimes in defiant incredulity. The question begs both my mind and my heart for an answer. Read on…
There have been numerous times in recent years when I have become aware of the different ways in which people think about what it means to be “anti-racist.” The ways in which “anti-racism” is described necessarily stem from one’s view of racism, and since my view is one which is clearly not adopted by many people, I have often found myself in disagreement with what many call “anti-racism.” Read on…
Derrick Bell has once again moved my thoughts and my heart in a new direction which is both frightening and exciting. To appreciate the impact his latest book has had on me, it is important to review an experience centered in a question I have been asked numerous times.
The question I have heard so often is, “When do you think we will overcome racism in this country?” Read on…
Over the years I have often heard talk about how racism has impacted white people. Usually that discussion comes in the context of an assumption that, if whites can see that racism has negative effects on them as a group, that realization will motivate action to eliminate racism.
I do not share that assumption; racism is a far more powerful and recalcitrant force than this assumption acknowledges, clinging stubbornly wherever it is lodged. Read on…
Recently a friend who was writing a doctoral dissertation about racism, asked me to share some of my major assumptions about racism, how it functions, and how to work to eliminate it. Read on…
Recently a phone conversation with a newspaper reporter led me to reflect on an incident in the Boston area in which some highly visible, educated “liberals” were caught publicly with their collective racism showing. Read on…
About twenty years ago whenever the issue of racism was mentioned in the presence of my white suburban friends there was always someone to assure us that “we don’t have that problem here.” Read on…
A genuine concern for a culturally pluralistic society is emerging. Numerous commentators on social trends have written asserting that white ethnic groups will increasingly claim and affirm their heritage. School systems are beginning to adopt Evaluation Guidelines for Multiracial, Multicultural Education, and teachers are developing supplementary units stressing an appreciation of diversity. The “melting pot” theory is dead. Read on…