I'm gonna dig a little deeper on this topic. Last week, I talked about the definitions of ignorance and racism. This week, I'll be discussing the economic, physical and emotional tolls between racism and ignorance.
Ignorance
Ignorance is purely not knowing something. Not knowing a culture. Not knowing about cultural appropriation. Not knowing why saying "I don't see color" is offensive. It's not knowing about privilege or why you're privileged. Ignorance is minor and something that can be fixed with one conversation.
I'd like to believe that ignorance begins in the household, but a part of me believes that it also starts in the classroom, as well. Did your teacher ever explain what really happened when Christopher Columbus "discovered" America? Or what really happened with opium and the Chinese? Or put emphasis on the fact that people of color have one month to celebrate their history while the dominant culture has eleven?
This is ignorance.
Racism
It's a shame that I have to explain what racism is, but I have to remember that if there are ignorant people, then there must be ignorant racists out there too.
Racism and oppression are used to annihilate systems that promote minorities to succeed and pushes the dominant culture to believe they are better than their "opposites."
This is my definition of racism. It's more than hate and it's more than jealously. To some people, it's a birth right which doesn't make sense because racism isn't genetic, it's systemic. It's something that's taught and enforced.
Racism creates stereotypes. Stereotypes that some employers believe. Stereotypes that can prevent me from getting a job (luckily affirmative action is the new bible for employers and school systems). Stereotypes that cause employees to follow me around in their stores. Stereotypes that make me stand out in a bad way. Stereotypes that are made to make me feel like I will always fail.
Racism promotes oppression. Oppression that causes mental pressure and distress that lasts generation after generation. Oppression that, in my opinion, created the crips and blood gangs and started the Watts Riot in South Central L.A. Oppression that makes it known that black men in America are targets. Oppression that is unjust and cruel. Oppression that makes people think that all Muslims are terrorists but not all Christians are KKK members.
So what does this all mean?
Ignorance does not have the same toll on people of color as racism. Racism is something that is taught to oppress and stop the "non-privileged" from succeeding. It is a topic that needs more than education and more than a conversation.
Racism is a topic that needs a movement for people to understand that racism is unjust. It's hard to talk about this subject because it makes people feel uncomfortable for some weird reason and many others feel defensive over it. Racism is a disease while ignorance is just a symptom before the virus spreads. We need to be the generation that kills this virus.
