Are You Racist?
(Preface: this is coming from a place of what I am tired of having to explain to others of my own race (white) in relationship to racism in America)
In the last 2 years or so (Since Obama’s Presidential Campaign began) I have had many a conversation relating to race in America with my white family members and friends. Now that 2+ years has gone by with me being bombarded with questions and ignorant/uninformed statements from every angle, I understand why my African American friends have always said “why is it that white people think it is our job to teach them about racism?” To be frank, it is somewhat annoying when people who haven’t bothered to research even more than about one ounce of information on their own, bombard you with questions and misinformed statements. For this reason, I have come up with a list of things that I think every white person should know/accomplish in order to have an informed conversation with others about race. As a fellow white person let me be candid and say that I am of the opinion that if you have not bothered to go out on your own and become informed about this minimal amount of information relating to African Americans then no matter how nice and sweet you are, no matter how much you believe in equality you are in my opinion still racist, because you cannot help anyone with their efforts to achieve equality until you are aware of where exactly they are un-equal in the first place. On the same token you cannot accurately discuss problems relating to race and inequality if you are not informed as to where inequalities or the lack of them exists. Now that I have said that I will give you my list of what you must do all on your own in order to not fall into that category. If you can’t answer at least 24 or 25 of these questions off the top of your head without research then you need to do some studying.
1- You should have on one of the book shelves in your home a book about African American Firsts
2- You should have on one of the bookshelves in your home at least 3 books on African American topics
3- You should have on one of the bookshelves in your home a book that addresses the history of white privilege in America
4- You should be able to write in your own words a single spaced, type-written description of what defines colonization and how colonization affects various cultures of people
5- You should be able to define in 5 sentences or more the term “one drop rule”
6- You should be able to define in 5 sentences or more the term “one sixteenth”
7- You should be able to write in your own words a single spaced, type-written description of what the phrase “Manifest Destiny” means and how it effected people of color on a general scale making sure to include no less than 3 groups/ethnicities of non-white people
8- Please name the year that white people commonly refer to when speaking of the day slaves were freed
9- Please name the last documented year that African Americans were suffering under the rules of slavery and/or peonage in America
10- Please in at least 5 sentences define the term “peonage”
11- Please describe in at least 5 sentences the history of the term “jumping the broom”
12- Please describe in at least 5 sentences the “brown bag test”
13- Please explain where a “kitchen” is located as it relates to African Americans (hint this is not a part of your home)
14- Please explain what a Mau Mau is and what significance the Mau Mau is to race issues related to African Americans
15- Please give a brief history of Rastafari as it relates to race in America
16- Please list the year African Americans and whites were allowed by law to marry
17- Please list the last state to remove from their books laws related to African Americans and whites being married & list the year that this occurred
18- Which Amendment allowed African Americans to vote & in what year was it ratified by our federal government
19- What was the year the final state in our union ratified the (African American Voting) Amendment within their own state & as a bonus name that state
20- Who is Dred Scott and what is he famous for?
21- During the time of slavery in America could people in states where slavery was illegal still purchase and have rights to slaves under federal law?
22- What year was it determined that states and federal government was required to enforce the amendment allowing African Americans to vote?
23- What was the name of the Act which required enforcement of voting rights for African Americans
24- What African American organization was established in 1917 and is believed by many African Americans to be a spy organization that in fact has a duty of helping the government keep African Americans from true freedom & under constant surveillance?
25- Does the U.S. Constitution still contain language which determines that all African Americans descended from slaves are legally considered only three-fifths of a person?
26- Is there precedent set with regards to the 14th amendment that gives a loophole to whether or not our government is required to give African Americans equal protection under the law?
27- Based on true and factual history as it relates to laws and enforcement of laws in America how many years of a head start does the white race have on equal opportunity in comparison to African Americans
28- Name the most memorable lynching of an African American in the last 35 years or in your lifetime whichever is longest
29- How many African American friends do you have that are in an equal economic status to you
30- Name a common every day phrase or word that originated from a race related place. (example Black sheep of the family)
racism African American white equality white privilege colonization one drop rule one sixteenth
In the last 2 years or so (Since Obama’s Presidential Campaign began) I have had many a conversation relating to race in America with my white family members and friends. Now that 2+ years has gone by with me being bombarded with questions and ignorant/uninformed statements from every angle, I understand why my African American friends have always said “why is it that white people think it is our job to teach them about racism?” To be frank, it is somewhat annoying when people who haven’t bothered to research even more than about one ounce of information on their own, bombard you with questions and misinformed statements. For this reason, I have come up with a list of things that I think every white person should know/accomplish in order to have an informed conversation with others about race. As a fellow white person let me be candid and say that I am of the opinion that if you have not bothered to go out on your own and become informed about this minimal amount of information relating to African Americans then no matter how nice and sweet you are, no matter how much you believe in equality you are in my opinion still racist, because you cannot help anyone with their efforts to achieve equality until you are aware of where exactly they are un-equal in the first place. On the same token you cannot accurately discuss problems relating to race and inequality if you are not informed as to where inequalities or the lack of them exists. Now that I have said that I will give you my list of what you must do all on your own in order to not fall into that category. If you can’t answer at least 24 or 25 of these questions off the top of your head without research then you need to do some studying.
1- You should have on one of the book shelves in your home a book about African American Firsts
2- You should have on one of the bookshelves in your home at least 3 books on African American topics
3- You should have on one of the bookshelves in your home a book that addresses the history of white privilege in America
4- You should be able to write in your own words a single spaced, type-written description of what defines colonization and how colonization affects various cultures of people
5- You should be able to define in 5 sentences or more the term “one drop rule”
6- You should be able to define in 5 sentences or more the term “one sixteenth”
7- You should be able to write in your own words a single spaced, type-written description of what the phrase “Manifest Destiny” means and how it effected people of color on a general scale making sure to include no less than 3 groups/ethnicities of non-white people
8- Please name the year that white people commonly refer to when speaking of the day slaves were freed
9- Please name the last documented year that African Americans were suffering under the rules of slavery and/or peonage in America
10- Please in at least 5 sentences define the term “peonage”
11- Please describe in at least 5 sentences the history of the term “jumping the broom”
12- Please describe in at least 5 sentences the “brown bag test”
13- Please explain where a “kitchen” is located as it relates to African Americans (hint this is not a part of your home)
14- Please explain what a Mau Mau is and what significance the Mau Mau is to race issues related to African Americans
15- Please give a brief history of Rastafari as it relates to race in America
16- Please list the year African Americans and whites were allowed by law to marry
17- Please list the last state to remove from their books laws related to African Americans and whites being married & list the year that this occurred
18- Which Amendment allowed African Americans to vote & in what year was it ratified by our federal government
19- What was the year the final state in our union ratified the (African American Voting) Amendment within their own state & as a bonus name that state
20- Who is Dred Scott and what is he famous for?
21- During the time of slavery in America could people in states where slavery was illegal still purchase and have rights to slaves under federal law?
22- What year was it determined that states and federal government was required to enforce the amendment allowing African Americans to vote?
23- What was the name of the Act which required enforcement of voting rights for African Americans
24- What African American organization was established in 1917 and is believed by many African Americans to be a spy organization that in fact has a duty of helping the government keep African Americans from true freedom & under constant surveillance?
25- Does the U.S. Constitution still contain language which determines that all African Americans descended from slaves are legally considered only three-fifths of a person?
26- Is there precedent set with regards to the 14th amendment that gives a loophole to whether or not our government is required to give African Americans equal protection under the law?
27- Based on true and factual history as it relates to laws and enforcement of laws in America how many years of a head start does the white race have on equal opportunity in comparison to African Americans
28- Name the most memorable lynching of an African American in the last 35 years or in your lifetime whichever is longest
29- How many African American friends do you have that are in an equal economic status to you
30- Name a common every day phrase or word that originated from a race related place. (example Black sheep of the family)
racism African American white equality white privilege colonization one drop rule one sixteenth
Labels: African American, colonization, equality, one drop rule, one sixteenth, racism, white, white privilege
posted by Unknown at 1:45 AM
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