Today I went to Walgreen’s to get a roll of paper towels. When I was checking out, I looked at the cashier and thought, “What a nice black lady.” What!? Why the fourth word? Why is that important and why did it even cross my mind? It got me thinking…
I can hardly believe a person would naturally have that thought run across his brain. More than simply noticing the color of one’s skin, am I conditioned by society to pander to someone solely because of their highlighted differences? I sure hope not. But looking at the world around me, I can see the effects of racism still firmly intact in our society. Black people driving expensive cars are profiled by cops; while at the same time, undue pressure is put on a white cop involved in an arrest with a black suspect. And in an astounding situation that I cannot wrap my mind around, we have made it legal in our systems to promote one race over another through a very positive, progressive sounding program. It makes me wonder how we can ever hope for “racial healing” in a society that constantly bombards me with the race card. Every time I turn around, I see another instance of racism, and I’m sick of it. I just don’t see why it’s all so important. And I don’t see how awarding anyone anything simply because of his or her race or gender will ever help absolve the problem. Though they were wrong, years ago some well-meaning whites might have justified “separate but equal” by saying that it was a necessary step towards the end of racism.
By the same token, I cannot legitimize another more modern kind of government-sanctioned racism. Declaring that Affirmative Action is necessary for a short time to “even the ante” doesn’t fly with me. When is that short time over? How does one measure when the whites and the minorities are equal? You can’t. Affirmative Action is still racism, however lovely a spin you put on it.
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