Can an african american be a racist?

Question

please forgive me if i am not using the politically correct terminoligy.

sorry miss-e how about the socially acceptable terminoligy? i just do not want to offend anyone who prefers to be called by something else.

Thanks miss exxclusive, i think you have hit it right on the nail!

Sorry everyone i am a firm believer in the old saying ,that there are no stupid questions. but the reason i am asking is that my GF was told in school today that african americans can NOT be racist, and that there was adifferent word for it. her professor then began to state that only privlaged people can be racist. which i do not believe either of his statments and have looked up the real meaning as well as the origin of the word. but mainly i was just looking for what other people felt about the subject. preferably the african american community. again i would like to state that i am Korean. thanks for everyones time.

one last thing. my GF is in her last year at Eastern michigan university. studing social work.

Matt F. thansk for your response.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_correctness

i think i love you Miss-E :)

the deffinitions for racsim are to lengthly so here is a link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism

and Buddy-V i think you are reffering to discrimination.

Miss-E i still love you,but i am not sure on the exact percentage but i do know that it is well over 50%, of the black africans that were brought to america were brought by other black africans to be sold, and another note, again not sure if these are entirly true, but wasn't one of the leading people in the abolishment of slavery in america Abraham Lincoln?

again not sure if those statments are entirely true thats why i frased them in a question.

Answer 1

Yes they can. Any race could be racist. Racism falls upon ignorant and stupid people who refuse to see that differences are what make each and every one of us unique. And those types of people come in all races/ethnicities.

Answer 2

Yes they can be and in some cases even more racist than other ethnicities. Why are there all black colleges and the United ***** College fund. That could be seen as racist and is discriminating because there is no United Caucasian college fund and have never heard of any other ones. And to me African American is not politically correct. This is because if you are not born in another country then there should be no hyphan and then I just call them black people like I am called a white person there is nothing wrong with it. take Fredric Douglass for example when the Abolitionists offered to send him back to Africa with other ex-slaves he said why would I go to Africa, I was born in America and am an American. Thats interesting and i guess somewhat relevant

Answer 3

Can some one explain to me what "Politically correct" means.....??
then i can answer your question

Edit:Well now reading what that professer said to your girlfriend he is talking absolute rubbish he is right that privilliged people can be raicst but certainly NOT ONLY there are poor people living in the gutter and they still think they are better then everyrace Note to uneducated people im talking about RACISIM NOT DISCRINMINATION OR PREJUDICE i am black british not american and YES WHATEVER YOUR race YOU CAN BE RACIST BLACK WHITE PURPLE ASAIN GREY that professeur just does not want to offend ignorant black people in that class but when people say the word RACISIM they automatically think its WHITE ON BLACK when it can be BLACK ON WHITE but it is seen differently WHY? because of Slavery my friend and you know it...
Edit:No one knows what exactly happened in slavery it was over 250 years ago but you do know the carribean was orginally an asain country...and yes some africans did sell other africans to different countries but a good majority were forced into it also its called "HIS-Story" basically that means how they want to tell it to you in class...i dont know the problems with african americans over there i have never been to america but i do know some black people can be easilly offended over certain things thats becuase most of them dont know the true "HIS-Story" so thats why that professeur was speaking such rubbish incase he gets fired for saying certain things...But i do appreciate you not being ignorant and only looking at things from one point of view its 1 am now ive only done half of my geography coursework must dash!

Answer 4

Hello. Interesting question. What I believe your girlfriend's professor was trying to explain is that there is a big difference between what has become the popular use of the terms "racist" or "(R)acism" and the actual meaning of the concept. The problem is one of semantics and a lack of real education for the vast majority of US citizens.

OK, ready? Here we go: Popularly speaking (though incorrectly), anyone can be racist or practice Racism; however, the connected concepts of "race" and Racism are based on white, upper class privilege and white supremacy. When the misguided concept of "race" was created by German and English philosophers in the early 1800s, the mistaken idea was that people were of different "races" and that different "races" had different characteristics. Those characteristics were not only those of skin color, bone structure and hair texture, but also of geography, intelligence, morality and human vs. animal qualities AND they were linked. In order to be a "true racist" or to practice Racism, one has to be in a position of privilege or power AND act, write, speak or think pejoratively about someone on the based upon "white supremacy," because that is the basis of Racism as a concept.

Soooo, if you are a business owner and you have the power to not hire someone on the basis of "race," and you make such a mistake, you are practicing Racism. Comparatively speaking, rare is the instance of so-called (misnomered) "reverse racism" because, sadly, many people of color have Internalized Racism, i.e. have drunk the Kool-Aid, believe other folks superior and would be more open to hiring someone supposedly "higher up on the food chain." As an exercise, instead of Black folks, think of poor Irish in the early 20th century in this country or in the UK in this example. They, too, were considered their own "race." Some of them were even my ancestors.

Now "prejudice?" Or "bigotry?" Or "white supremacy?" Hah! Nobody's got the corner on THOSE. Use those words freely in place of "racist" or "(R)acism." Unless that's what you really mean.

By the bye, most people who think that Black folks don't "speak well" or are surprised when we sound more like they THINK they sound don't generally speak Standard English well themselves... because most people in the US don't actually speak Standard English. Don't drink the Kool-Aid (metaphorically or otherwise). Read, think, love, listen. Classism and Racism go hand in hand. Let's push em off a cliff together!

Also, to answer one of your other questions, Lincoln freed the enslaved people to save the Union, not out of some great moral sentiment. I don't remember which document that's in, but I did a report on it in middle school. Finally (no, really), remember that through language, though it is a tricksy enterprise, we should strive to be as accurate and as close to precision as possible. What your girlfriend's professor apparently did not state is an even more *inflammatory-sounding* phrase, the one based on the above definition and that of systemic racism... why all white people in the US are racist, that is, they participate in and benefit from a white supremacist system (usually not an active thing. Think more like going into the supermarket and not being followed, if you're dressed "correctly..." but then we're getting into class).

Be safe and think before you use any permutation of the word. "Race" is a false and disproven concept anyway.

Answer 5

Anyone can be racist. It's a choice ignorant people make all the time. I love everyone unconditionally cause that's my spirituality. But I also take precautions to not be in there company. When I go out since I'm in a interracial relationship I get stares but it just makes me even happier that I get so much attention. I forgive them cause they know not what they do...

Answer 6

I think racists exists in all groups.

That was an interesting comment you made though, that only the "privileged" are supposed to be able to be "racist." I hadn't thought about that before.

I think there is only one human race but many ethnic groups. So, perhaps I should say that the prejudiced exist in all groups.

If you could define "racism" that would help.

Answer 7

Yes, there are a couple of people in my family who are racist. Any race of people can be racist. Its wrong no matter what color you are. And to the person that talked about black colleges, white people can go there if they want, nobody is stopping them. They choose not to go to them.

Answer 8

Color is only skin deep.
we All are human and capable of being bias and ignorant!

Greg G-There's no majestic law that prevents anyone from making a White organization/fund/etc. It's not discrimination.

Answer 9

Yes, anybody can be racist. That professor is an idiot. I'm curious as to what this professor calls them rather than racist.

Answer 10

Yes. Everyone can be racist, no matter what their own race is.