Are We All Racist?

The culture around us can easily tell us yes, we all are. At least since 2014 when Michael Brown was shot, and police brutality riots started. This is at least what we see within the media; riots began, and black lives matter started amongst other groups to stop racism. But did these acts that were taken stop racism? It doesn’t seem to have worked.

It seems as if every other headline in the news has to do with racism within this country even if it is an underlining factor. I also want to say key word there is seems I am not saying that all that is going in this country is race related. But that is the history of America as we brought African Americans over as slaves to work (1). It is an issue I am not saying that it isn’t I am just trying to get to the root of a few things first. The definition of racism is this: prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior (2). As of right now the ‘superior’ race in America is whites, Caucasians, Europeans, however you want to label that group of people that is who is the majority in this country.

With being white in this country I think that it naturally comes with, well let me back up with being a part of the majority it comes with superior incentives, cultural norms I guess you could say that are seen within everyday life. The simplicity of walking into a retail store as a white person is a whole lot different experience then a person of color walking into a store. There can be a profile that is put on a black male who walks into a retail store. You can see articles, interviews, podcasts, etc. on this specific example amongst the black and not just black community but majority of communities that are not white. I worked in retail for years and I had two different experiences with two different supervisors. My first experience was with my supervisor who was a forty-year old, white, Jesus loving man. He would subconsciously make sure to send one of us up front and one in the back whenever a black man would come into the store. Now if you asked Steve if he was racist he would say no right away because I truly don’t believe he was, but he subconsciously had racist tendencies to him. The second was at a different retail store where my boss would clearly profile any customer of color and send one if not multiple employees to follow these customers because she was sure they were going to steel from us. This was clear racism and the sad thing is that both stories still end in the fact that people of color are profiled.

Now profiling is defined as: the recording and analysis of a person’s psychological and behavioral characteristics, to assess or predict their capabilities in a certain sphere or to assist in identifying a subgroup of people. (2) This is a sub-form of racism because it I think really hits the nail on the head of the point I am trying to make that racism in whites is within the culture. It is saying and really defending why my friend Tony who is a black male shake when he gets pulled over by a police man. He has been taught (Tony that is) to fear cops as a black male in America due to profiling.

I grew up in a mainly white, red neck, small town school called Solanco. Now I never partook in the hick like events and always considered myself an outsider to the culture within this town, but it wasn’t until my first year of college when I met my black roommate from Baltimore that I realized how alike I was to the people of Quarryville then I would have liked to admit. I found it in my actions at first. Making sure that anything of importance to me was hidden safely, not having the patience or consideration for Ambers feelings as much as I would for someone of the same color as me, hesitancy in allowing her to help me. Yeah sure you could say that all those things could have been just a personality issue or whatever, but I knew deep down that it was because I was racists that living in this culture of America as a white woman instilled in me racists tendencies. As I began to process this it also began to shed light on my thoughts. How when a black person would ask a question or just make a mistake I would think how dumb they were or even not worth my time. These thoughts and actions are all a part of the way in which I feel I was raised and taught as a white kid in America. This is a bold statement, but I truly believe that all whites in this country are racist and until they come to that realization are they able to have their eyes opened to see how Christs loves can change that view and see all people as equal in Gods eyes.

As mind blowing as this information may be to some people, Jesus wasn’t white. He was not this blonde, curly haired, blue eyed whit dude. He was a darker skinned, big nosed, curly brown haired middle eastern man. This was the form in which Jesus chose to take. That right there is so mind blowing he had the choice of the form of which he was going to take as a human when he came to earth and He is God, so he knew exactly what he was getting into when he chose to be born from the specific family, place, and culture he was born into. I think that it is so important that we are aware of what Jesus looked like because if not we have some majority view that he was white and make him into a racist which he surely was not. I truly think that Jesus would be and probably is sick to his stomach with the amount of hatred that is within our world not just America.

Jesus was a radical within His culture I don’t think that anyone can argue with that. The way in which he not only carried himself but interact with those around him was not typical of a Jewish man. I want to look at the story of the woman at the well and really take and see how not only Jesus could have been racist and culturally should have been towards this woman but also within the culture destroyed her for several reasons within this situation. Let’s do a quick summary of the story:

Jesus is passing through Samaria and is tired and waiting for his disciples to all come together so they can continue to travel. He stops at a well to rest and sees a woman coming out to get water. So, he asks her to get him a glass also which really doesn’t seem like a big deal but in this culture, it is but we will come back to that. Then the woman says she can’t and is really confused as to why he is asking her, then Jesus replies with that weird thing he does when he tells you stuff about yourself that even you don’t really want to know about yourself and she freaks out and gets him water. But then Jesus being the guy he is doesn’t even take it because he ends up giving the woman salvation which will quench her thirst forever. Jesus sees a person of a complete different gender, race, ethnicity in front of him and what does He do? He loves her, he does not turn away or speak harshly to her. The Samaritans and Jews hated each other just as we see different races hating each other today. But also, Jesus was a man and she was a woman and, in this day, and age men did not interact with woman let alone in the broad day light when this woman should have been inside. AND she was divorced, a widow, and with a man who is already married. This woman was bad news, yet Jesus set the ultimate example of how we should all live with all people and that was love (3). Jesus loved all people and saw them equal and precious. Just as his heavenly Father saw him and us but Jesus set a radical example to be willing to step out of social norms to love and cross barriers of race to give eternal life to people.

All of this to say that we as a human race need to love better. Don’t let hate win but be radical in loving as Christ loved.

1. Christian Perspectives on Sociology

2. Dictionary.com

3. ESV Bible