Many people say that they are not racists, but if they all really were, why are there still so many racists in the world? Many people believe that to be racist means to use the n-word and other racial slurs or to be a card-holding member of the Klan, and that’s it. They don’t think of the many other ways in which some of their behaviors are actually expressions of racism.
Below are 5 “red flags” to indicate that you are in fact racist. If you so much as answer “yes” to any of the questions below, please reflect on whether you can actually say that you are not a racist. Most importantly, read, understand, acknowledge your racism, educate yourself, work to change your thoughts and behaviors, and strive to become an antiracist. It will make you a better person and an asset to humanity. Here are the 5 behaviors:
- Intentionally avoiding a black person — You see a black person on the street and cross to the other side of the road. You avoid sitting next to a black person on the bus or subway. You board an aircraft and notice you are seated next to a black person and this makes you uneasy. You see a black person from afar and hide because you do not want to interact with him or her. Honestly, ask yourself, why do you do this? Reflect on this.
- Superiority complex — When you meet a black person, do you immediately assume that that person is inferior to you? You might not do this consciously but it can manifest itself in a number of ways. In the work environment, this could manifest itself by you talking over that person, not listening when that person speaks, spreading rumors about that person’s abilities, or holding that person to a higher standard than you do yourself or other members of the team.
- Black Lives Matter — Are you cynical about the Black Lives Matter movement? Do you find yourself criticizing the movement or brandishing the “All Lives Matter” counter-argument? After the centuries of oppression that black people have endured, from the Transatlantic Slave Trade to colonialism to massive incarceration in the US for example, why do you think that black lives don’t deserve special safe-guarding and attention? Haven’t we black people suffered enough? Rather than being ignored and neglected, why can’t our needs, rights, and well-being be center stage for once?
- Trolling — Do you troll anti-black racism writers for no good reason? Do you spend your time trying to undermine them, do you accuse them of fabricating stories? Do you accuse them of being divisive, hate-filled, and racists? Ask yourself why you are bullying these writers? What is pushing you to question their experience, to verbally abuse them, and to send them death threats? Might it be that at your core, you are a racist and you cannot tolerate hearing the truth about white supremacy and racism and how they affect and destroy lives?
- White privilege — Do you consistently deny that white privilege exists? Despite several explanations about what white privilege is, do you refuse to acknowledge that it exists and that whether you are a rich or poor white person, you benefit from it in a myriad of ways? Do you spend your days trying to discredit white privilege and do you accuse black and brown people of playing the victim?
These are just 5 behaviors that speak volumes about the people that indulge in them. When you exhibit these, the message that you send to black and brown people is that you are a racist whether you know it or not. Most importantly, you won’t be able to embark on the enlightened and transformational journey to antiracism.
