An Average Black Person Doesn’t Think He/She Can Be Racist

Racism comes in different shapes and forms. Which one is the ‘real’ racism?

This article was first written and published in 2019. I have not changed anything from the original article.

They say racism has no colour, but is this true? White people can be racist, a fact that history has proven and still does even today. But how can it be true that a black man can be racist?

Let's Look At The Scoresheets

Judging from modern history, the black race has been the largest and most visible victim of racism. The white man, by reason of his skin colour, decided that the black man was inferior to him and would be treated as such. This superiority complex gave the white man a reason to come to Africa, kill, maim, and enslave the black man in millions, raping women and destroying villages, unleashing untold suffering.

When the white man realized that slavery wasn’t sustainable, he decided to ban the trading of slaves. But then he still believed in his superiority so he found other ways of enforcing them. Since he couldn’t buy and sell slaves, he decided to build separate toilets for the black man. He built separate schools so that his children wouldn’t touch skins or play with the children of the black man in class or on the playground. He denied the black man the right to vote. Worst of all, he refused to employ the black man so that the black man wouldn’t be able to find a decent means to put food on his table. Even today, he still throws the black man in prison unjustly in their thousands.

The Question

Considering the suffering of the black man in the hands of his fellow human — the white man — one thing is sure; there is nothing that the black man can do to the white man that will wipe away the stain of slavery. No matter what the black man does to the white man, it cannot be enough to pay for the years of systemic racism.

Knowing this, shouldn’t the black man be free to insult the white man or trample on his rights without being considered racist?

The Answer

To answer this question, I turn to the English definition of racism. Simply put, racism is prejudice or discrimination of a person or people based on their race. If you are a black person reading this, truly look inside and ask yourself if you’ve ever in your life prejudiced someone because they weren’t the same skin colour or race as you.

Until I met and lived with them, I used to think that the Chinese were dirty and filthy people. This perception was a mixed result of movies and stories I heard from people. Well, now I realize that my thought was a classic example of racial stereotyping — racism. Sadly, I’m not alone in this. I was speaking to a black friend not long ago and she mentioned that she wouldn’t date a caucasian man because she thinks they have small penises. To all the black people with this same mindset, that my friends is racial stereotyping — racism. And don’t forget that when you look down on those Lebanese and Pakistanis in your country or when you make a degenerating comment about them, that’s a racial act too — racism.

In Conclusion

Granted, making a racial comment or even a minor racist act cannot be compared to the atrocity that is slavery. However, let’s call a spade a spade — racism is racism. Racism comes in different colours, forms, shapes, and sizes. The black man wants and prays that the white man should give up racism. At the same time, he should also be mindful so that even minutely, he does not practice the same racism he preaches against — Two wrongs do not make a right after all.

We all fight and clamour for a world free of racism and racist acts. This means that all racism must go! — Black, white, brown, yellow or whatever colour it may be. To create a truly just world, we must fight to eliminate all acts of racism whether they be small acts or big acts because, in the end, we are all one race — the human race.

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