The Job Is Not Done

The Job is Not Done

The Myth of Post-Racial America 

I was once told that when you do not speak about a problem it does not manifest itself. If this was in reference to karma and the way how luck or blessings operated, then I can take this statement as it was and this commentary at the following period. However, this was in reference to race (which is found to scientifically to not exist, it is a social construct. Look up Franz Boas who was a prominent anthropologist). The person had basically told me that if we do not speak about race, then the problem would magically go away. This what I can a "myth of post-racialism" and the "poof theory". 

(Jeff Roberson / Associated Press)

Race as a social construct exists. Many studies have found that the construct of race affects how certain groups are socialized to see other groups of people. So for the sake of this writing, it's uncontested. You can see it every day when you look at how many African American men and women are incorrectly profiled (Like here.), how African American children get suspended and expelled at a much higher rate than their non-African American counterparts (Check here), and the myths about African Americans being non-contributors to society.(Here, And Here, and the Biggest One is Here ).  Even worse, it's manifestly inherent that as we act like "race" is not something that is affecting the social strata of the United States we still have things like this going on. 

In like throws of an affliction symptomatic of a job that has not been completed, it is important to realize, be it young or old, that the first step is to admit a problem in order to know that one exists and it must be addressed. In the last 55 years,three generations of Americans have grown up to believe that with each successive generation the problem has been taken care of when in reality, "race relations" have shown differently. Hence, the claim itself is farther from the truth. In fact, in some ways some of the issues that we have been seeing are looking more reminiscent of the early and mid-1960s. 

Now, here is where deviate from the scholarly analysis.

People of color (not just African Americans, but Hispanic/Latino Americans as well) are tired. We're aware that when we move into neighborhoods, we get redlined and looked at funny (Cite), we are aware we are the first suspects and consistently are suspicious (Here and Abroad). But when will it be apparent that we are not the problem and that these stereotypes and lies are misplaced and taught biases (Here's the proof). It will be apparent when we as American people know and address as a nation that "race" is still a problem. As much as people want to sweep it under the rug and try to shush others about it the problem rears it's ugly head in a new major headline month per month. 

One thing I can say is that the generation I am a part of and the generation I have grown up in is on either side of the spectrum. Either we speak about "race" candidly or we worry about or individualistic and materialistic mindsets and keep to ourselves thanks to the advent of social media. For those who are vocal in this generation, we have been able to birth movements such as Black Lives Matter which have been instrumental in addressing a letter to the world that "we are oppressed, and we're not going to shut up until you provide equity over false equality." (refer to the picture above). 

However, this lack of unity has made our movements towards change and social justice less instrumental. Back in the 1960's and 1970's, it was masses of people (with a few dissenters) that said that "what was going in our society was wrong and that it needed to be corrected as soon as possible." Today, we have half the camp educated on the problems of our society, a quarter aware but inactive, and the other quarter strategically and blissfully made ignorant to what is going on in the world. And in a world where we have social networking and extreme communications technology it is simply awe-striking that we have pockets of people who would be less informed about the social condition of the world they inhabit now than they would be 55 years ago. In perspective, people were more informed in some ways when there were no cellphones, affordable personal video capture technology, or computers that were capable of accessing the internet and the likings of Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. 

Let's face it, The fight that many of our grandparents fought and went through great struggle to find a resolution has not found a conclusion. The distractions of the world took over in the 1970's and 1980's and by the 1990's we had almost entirely forgotten about what our grandparents had fought for. Our parents (not to point fingers) have stopped performance on a social contract that unfortunately did not have a time clause attached to it and now the struggle has dragged on for two more additional generations. I proffer, how much longer will be twiddle our thumbs?  How many more people will have to die, be discriminated against, be disenfranchised, or have their human rights, according to the U.N. Charter, violated? 

Until we start doing better and being real with ourselves as a society that we are not entirely comfortable with the "race" conversation, we are always going to be dealing with issues. Why? Because people are smiling as the house burns down around them proclaiming that everything is alright. All the while, the selective ignorance of many produces bliss that is alarming. I challenge anyone who reads to start being real with the world around them and actively learning that the problem is still there, admit that is there, and once we have society admitting it is a problem, then it can start to get addressed similar to how it did in 1965 with the Civil Rights Act.