The Person at the Center
“I’ve never felt treated so well in my entire life,” Ms. Lottie, a 74-year-old Black woman, told me at the end of her office visit. While her sentiments validated my bedside manners, I wondered how it was possible that after decades of visiting health care professionals, this woman never felt treated well. I conducted the encounter the way I think people should be treated, with dignity and respect. It never occurred to me that my behavior was extraordinary. Therefore, I felt somewhat puzzled as to why so many of my colleagues, seemingly, didn’t behave in ways to convey this basic regard to Ms. Lottie.
Mrs. Jasmine, a 65-year-old woman from Cuba, said that she felt demeaned by one of my colleagues, but “Today, I feel like a queen!” she exclaimed at the end of our office visit.
Mr. Adam, a 35-year-old Black man, told me with a thoughtful expression, “You are like my favorite aunt. I can talk to you about anything. You treat me like a human being.”
I hear these comments frequently from my patients, regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, religion, or age.
I understand that, compared to many of my colleagues, I listen to my patients more attentively, engage in longer conversations, and explain things in more detail than other physicians do, but a constant element of patients’ dissatisfaction with other health care professionals seems to be not a perceived lower level of competence but rather a lack of human connection and even a dismissive attitude. Although this might reveal that health care settings are no exception to conscious and unconscious biases, I believe that there is a more profound problem that goes beyond discrimination based on race, ethnicity, and other factors. In fact, concordance of race, ethnicity, or nationality is not proven to be a guarantee of receiving better treatment and better quality of care in the health care setting, and anywhere else, for that matter.
While awareness of implicit bias is useful in helping people to reflect about how they think and how they might behave as a consequence of that, it does not eliminate racism and all other forms of discrimination, whether in a medical office, or a police department, or Wall Street banks, or any other institutions.
So, what’s at play here? What continues to fuel discriminatory ideas and practices all over the world and against all sorts of people and groups? Hatred, hostility, and violence are seen against anyone who is perceived to be different based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, socioeconomic status, disability, and political orientation. Something is amiss.
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We know that there is a form of psychosocial racism at play in common human interactions, which manifests in the form of positive attitudes toward those who are similar and negative attitudes toward those who are different.
There is a considerable body of research showing that compassion first goes to the members of the same group. Adults and children alike tend to feel and act more positively toward those they consider to be like themselves and part of their circle, and are likely to treat outsiders less favorably. But research also shows that children who are exposed to diversity in the preteen years are less likely to discriminate as they develop into adults, highlighting the fact that nothing can replace the lived experience: Growing up, going to school, working, and socializing with people of different cultural heritages helps dismantle pyramids of power and hierarchies of belonging.
One of my Asian American students told me that, growing up in California, she went to school with children of so many cultural backgrounds that nobody was even paying attention to that any longer. There was a general atmosphere of acceptance and collaboration.
One of my colleagues said that moving from a mostly white environment to an institution with a lot of diversity was an eye-opening experience. Working with individuals from varied racial and ethnic groups led him to reconsider the stereotypes he grew up with. This is why diversity and inclusivity task forces, mentoring and recruiting programs, cultural sensitivity training, anything that puts people from different backgrounds together are helpful: When those suspicious of one another are brought together, hostility can dissipate and be replaced by curiosity and mutual respect.
But there are over seven billion people on earth today. Humans can differ in many different ways. There will always be something and someone outside of our life experience. Not only that, but we are all aware of situations where even knowing the person intimately is not a guarantee against rejection and dehumanization. The LGBTQ community is filled with such examples of marginalization coming directly from within the family and from within their own community.
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The fundamental belief of any discriminatory and racist ideology is that all human beings do not necessarily have the same intrinsic value, resulting in exclusion, rejection, dehumanizing attitudes toward the others, reduced access to opportunities, exploitation, aggression, and violence.
Racism, specifically, is associated with both the belief that humans may be divided into separate biological groups called races, and the belief that some races are innately superior to others. Race is alleged to be the primary determinant of physical and personality traits, and traits of intellect, morality, and capabilities. The superior race is thought to have the right to dominate, exploit, and even abuse and assault the others who are believed to be inferior, less human, and are often perceived as enemies.
This type of reasoning — superior vs inferior, allies vs enemies — is easily extended to any other group, even within the dominant race, as very often is the case in discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, class, age, ideology, religion, and disability status.
White supremacist Benjamin Welton, a schoolteacher, now exposed, who has used several pen names to write racist articles, has declared: “Being a white nationalist does not mean that all white men are your allies.” “Liberalism, Marxism, Enlightenment are mind parasites that mostly rot whites.” “Rather than concede the moral high ground to the left, the alt-right turns the left’s moralism on its head and makes it a badge of honor to be called ‘racist,’ ‘homophobic,’ and ‘sexist.’”
To Welton, the enemy is more than Black people. The enemy is everyone who is not a white supremacist male — hence, the rest of the living world. Welton has written many articles filled with vitriolic attacks against any possible racial and ethnic minority group, white liberals, women, the LGBTQ community, Muslims, Jews, and any other religion besides white Christendom, where the Christian message of unity and brotherhood, central to Christianity, is twisted and manipulated for the purpose of white supremacy.
Welton went on to say on a social media post, “No mercy for our enemies. Do not weep, for they are not human…they deserve medieval punishments.”
So, the others are enemies; enemies are not human; enemies deserve harsh punishment.
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To justify their beliefs, white supremacists reject the proven science that race is a sociopolitical construct. Instead, they insist on the existence of well-defined biological races with corresponding characteristics, visible and non-visible.
We have known for some time that the genes controlling physical traits such as skin tone, nose shape, hair texture, and eyelid shape, do not correspond to racial categories. What appears to be a huge number of variations is underlined by a low level of genetic diversity.
Already in 1950, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) issued a statement that all humans belong to the same species and that “race” is not a biological reality, but a myth.
In 1972, Harvard evolutionary biologist Richard Lewontin showed that the category of race explained little of the genetic diversity among people. Scientists have continued to prove, based on molecular data, that genetic variation is highly correlated to geographic distance and unrelated to any specific racial categories. In addition, evidence for a common evolutionary lineage, with its origins in Africa, has clearly emerged based on advances in genomic science. But, despite such incontrovertible scientific knowledge, white nationalists’ rhetoric, which focuses on preserving a white cultural identity, continues to rely heavily on the fictional narrative of real and immutable biological differences. Here is where obsession with racial purity turns into an obsession with genetics. Here is where genetics becomes vulnerable to misuse by groups with racist agendas and those unaware enough to get swept up in their lies.
So what can we do about it?
To combat racism, schools should engage explicitly in education about race and racism not just in English or history courses, but in science classes as well. Teaching about race and racism must emphasize that the idea of biologically distinct races is not supported by research; that while race is not biologically determined, racism has impacts on our biology; and that social and cultural constructions of race are real and detrimental.
Yet science classes today remain largely silent on biology, missing a critical opportunity to use our current knowledge to actively teach against and dismantle the scientific travesty of racial science. As a consequence of this glaring lacuna, many students in the United States still equate race with skin color and other phenotypic features, such as hair texture, and eye and nose shape. The idea that race is socially constructed is one of the most transformative revelations of our time and requires a fundamental shift in the way of thinking. Understanding how modern science supports arguments against race-as-biology will help students to make the necessary mental adjustments. Changing how we talk about race in the science classroom is a necessary step in the right direction.
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Although white supremacists are but one faction of society, the ultimate embodiment of superiority, feelings of innate intellectual, moral, and physical superiority are not exclusive to the white supremacists’ view. They are, in fact, quite widespread, consciously and subconsciously. The ideology of race-as-biology remains deeply rooted in our society and continues to drive discriminatory beliefs and practices across large segments of the country and elsewhere in the world.
Is science, then, convincing people that there are no genetic differences between races?
Research has shown that there are more genetic differences within ethnic groups than between them; that our racial categories do not have a genetic basis; that all of the genetic diversity in humans comprises just 0.1% of the human genome. Science, therefore, proves that race is a pure social construction and biologically meaningless.
“But despite all of that, the layperson will ridicule that position as nonsense,” write geneticists Sarah Tishkoff and Kenneth Kidd in the journal Nature Genetics, “because people from different parts of the world look different, whereas people from the same part of the world tend to look similar.” Therefore, because race continues to be linked to physical differences, experts believe that racism may be difficult to eradicate among the general population. It is unlikely that the genetic evidence will be sufficient to offset the enormous weight of social ideology. The disconnect between science and the social prejudice regarding race remains profound.
While the layperson may be confused by the scientific evidence, a deeper issue is at work supporting the race-as-biology fiction: self-deception. Self-deception is a form of conscious denial. The self-deceivers avoid thinking about the truth, ignore available evidence of the truth, and indulge in rationalizations that are contrary to the truth.
Self-deception might be driven by the fear of losing privileges, such as employment opportunities, education, housing, and the desire to maintain socioeconomic advantages. Therefore, a perceived or even subconscious status threat might become the main force behind the denial of the truth and perpetuation of negative stereotypes.
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As the public seems to be growing increasingly divided over the issue, awareness of individual racism and privilege, associated with efforts to dismantle the racism embedded into every political and institutional structure, and in organizational policies, are fundamental to ensure tangible progress.
But there is a critical concept in the fight against racism and discrimination which is seldom clearly stated and promoted. The centrality and intrinsic value of human life is rarely addressed in debates and conversation regarding race and discrimination. A great deal of time is spent proposing solutions to treat the symptoms of racism and discrimination rather than addressing the root cause of the problem and treating the disease. Racism and any other form of discriminatory attitudes have a common and powerful denominator: the denial of the humanity and dignity of the other person.
Placing value on the human person is a fundamental and largely understated factor in the entire racial debate, but is, in fact, the necessary first step toward the achievement of a just and equitable society. We are evolutionarily wired to recognize and respond to differences. Socially and culturally based perceptions can trigger our subconscious biases and fears. Therefore, emphasizing a humanism centered on respect for the dignity of the person is critical when a lack of emotional empathy exists because of racial, ethnic, religious, or other differences.
Fighting effectively against bias and prejudice is possible only if we reject the dehumanizing attitudes that foster discrimination in the first place.
It’s only by acknowledging the inherent value of human life that it becomes possible to promote the dignity of the person. Promoting the dignity of the person means recognizing that he or she possesses inalienable rights which no one may take away arbitrarily, based on race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, class, religion, age, disabilities, and any other perceived or real difference, and much less for the sake of economic and political interest.
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Both secular and religious views have expressed the concept that humans, by nature, possess inalienable rights. Every person is born into a state of freedom and equality and has rights, simply by virtue of being human.
John Locke (1632–1704), a British empiricist philosopher, whose ideas were instrumental in forming the basis of America’s Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights, asserted that all men have the inalienable rights to life, liberty, health, and property.
The Christian Gospel, although historically its message has been greatly distorted and manipulated by white supremacists to defend the evils of slavery and racism, proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. To violate human dignity is to dishonor the presence of Christ in each person: “…Let the Church proclaim to all that the sin of racism defiles the image of God and degrades the sacred dignity of humankind…” (U.S. Catholic Bishops’ “A Pastoral Letter on Racism,” 1979)
Racial hatred and discrimination are not just egregious social injustices, but they are also a direct insult to God. Racism is antithetical to everything the Gospel represents and stands for.
While today it may seem evident to many white Christians that slavery, segregation, and white supremacy views are directly opposite to the teachings of Jesus, such a belief is a more recent development for most white American Christians. The truth is that, throughout American history, most white congregations, both Protestant and Catholic, have not only been indifferent to racial injustice, but have supported its preservation as part of the natural, divinely ordained order of things, serving as institutional bulwarks for the justification and propagation of white supremacist attitudes.
Far from being a thing of the past, elements of racist ideology and attitudes continue to run deep in American Christianity, compounded by the tendencies of certain groups to conflate Christianity, America, and patriotism. Christian nationalists believe America was founded as a Christian nation that needs to be defended against people of color, immigrants, and Muslims, and restored to its roots, once again in total disregard for the true spirit of the Gospel of Christ.
History, theology, and culture all contribute to the racist attitudes which infiltrate all parts of American society, including its religious institutions. That’s why, to combat racism, while schools should explicitly engage in factual education about race and racism, Christian religious leaders should unequivocally ask their congregations to face the truth about the long and flawed relationship of the Church with white supremacy, and should firmly and unabashedly reiterate that:
“Racist acts are sinful because they violate justice. They reveal a failure to acknowledge the human dignity of the persons offended, to recognize them as the neighbors Christ calls us to love (Mt 22:39). Racism occurs because a person ignores the fundamental truth that, because all humans share a common origin, they are all brothers and sisters, all equally made in the image of God. When this truth is ignored, the consequence is prejudice and fear of the other, and — all too often — hatred. Cain forgets this truth in his hatred of his brother. Recall the words in the First Letter of John: ‘Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him’(1 Jn 3:15). Racism shares in the same evil that moved Cain to kill his brother. It arises from suppressing the truth that his brother Abel was also created in the image of God, a human equal to himself. Every racist act — every such comment, every joke, every disparaging look as a reaction to the color of skin, ethnicity, or place of origin — is a failure to acknowledge another person as a brother or sister, created in the image of God.” (“Open Wide Our Hearts. A Pastoral Letter Against Racism,” United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2018)
“WHEREAS, Racism profoundly distorts our understanding of Christian morality, leading some Southern Baptists to believe that racial prejudice and discrimination are compatible with the Gospel; and
WHEREAS, Jesus performed the ministry of reconciliation to restore sinners to a right relationship with the Heavenly Father, and to establish right relations among all human beings, especially within the family of faith.
Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That we, the messengers to the Sesquicentennial meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, assembled in Atlanta, Georgia, June 20–22, 1995, unwaveringly denounce racism, in all its forms, as deplorable sin; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we affirm the Bible’s teaching that every human life is sacred, and is of equal and immeasurable worth, made in God’s image, regardless of race or ethnicity (Genesis 1:27), and that, with respect to salvation through Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for (we) are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28); and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we lament and repudiate historic acts of evil such as slavery from which we continue to reap a bitter harvest, and we recognize that the racism which yet plagues our culture today is inextricably tied to the past; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we apologize to all African Americans for condoning and/or perpetuating individual and systemic racism in our lifetime; and we genuinely repent of racism of which we have been guilty, whether consciously (Psalm 19:13) or unconsciously (Leviticus 4:27).
(“Resolution On Racial Reconciliation On The 150th Anniversary Of The Southern Baptist Convention.” June 1, 1995)
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Discrimination is corrosive. It diminishes everyone. It diminishes society as a whole, not just those who are directly affected by it. Discrimination violates the dignity inherent in each person. Once one person can be arbitrarily diminished, no one’s humanity is guaranteed. Discrimination causes great harm to its victims and unfathomable loss of human potential, while corrupting the souls of those who harbor racist and prejudiced thoughts.
Racism is fundamentally a spiritual disease and, as such, requires the moral rehabilitation of our society. Minds cannot be changed by laws and regulations. Racism and discrimination transcend legislation because they are moral problems at root. True progress cannot happen without fostering respect and justice for all people, without explicitly addressing the moral imperative of racial equality and justice in our homes, our schools, our churches, in all institutions of our society, in politics, law, economy, and education. The key question is whether we truly believe in human dignity and equality, and in human rights, or if we are willing to tolerate or even foment hatred, hostility, and violence against the others. If the spiritual and moral dimension of racism and discrimination are not explicitly addressed, progress will remain slow, despite scientific advancements and legal remedies. Without strengthening people’s consciences, narratives of discrimination will continue to make headlines.
Where do we start?
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We start where we are, consciously and continuously, present to ourselves and unrelenting.
We start by standing up and advocating for Ms. Lottie, Mrs. Jasmine, and Mr. Adam, and our neighbors, those with citizenship and those without, those in homes and those on the streets.
We start in our own minds, refusing to rank human beings as more or less valuable. When we choose justice, respect, and dignity, all humanity thrives.
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“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home — so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerned citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.” (Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Chair of the United Nations commission that wrote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948)
