I believe so.
I've heard this phrase more times than I can count: "Blacks cannot be racist because race plus power equals racism...and blacks don't have the power".
Words and language are a passion of mine and, when I break down the word "racism", the oft-cited definition of the word doesn't seem to fly.
In its most primitive sense, Webster's dictionary describes the suffix (ism) of the word racism, as:
1 : a distinctive doctrine, cause, or theory
2 : an oppressive and especially discriminatory attitude or belief.
Given this basic definition, how is it possible that racism can be ascribed only to a particular race in a position of power?
It seems to me that any race or any person can be a racist. Frankly, a few of the people who I would consider to be the most racist people I know are black people who are not "in power", as it were.
Do you agree? Disagree? Perhaps I have a fundamental misunderstanding of the term "racism", if I do, please explain your reasoning.
2007-06-28
06:30:39
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67 answers
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asked by
Anonymous