Must it Always Come Back to Race?

Of all our biases I feel that racism is the most upsetting. Perhaps because there is so much misunderstanding out there regarding a topic that has been a major part of society for over 400 years. How can it be that we still do not understand one another? And how can it be that this social construct (race) can be such a powerful factor in our lives, even for those of us who feel raceless/colorless and who are not even aware of how it pervades our lives?

Over the weekend I heard an awful ‘joke’ about why there has been no crime in Japan after the earthquake compared with the crimes in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. I won’t repeat it; it isn’t funny. But it did make me think about why and if this fact is even true. My instinct tells me it’s not; I’m sure there has been crime in Japan and I do believe it’s possible that the crime following Katrina was over exaggerated or that it may have seemed worse due to the sprawling coverage on Network news channels. Clearly this false perception that Black people are predisposed in some way to commit crimes and acts of violence is perpetuated by the media. While we are bombarded by images of Black men convicts the actual issues are never discussed and us white folk are left in fear and ignorance. People with limited imaginations and even less capacity for questioning are left with the most obvious conclusions; race must be a factor.

Well, of course race is a factor but not in the way that most people are led to believe. A Black person is not inclined to perform criminal acts because of some trait inherent in his race, but because the color of his skin makes him vulnerable to the systematic oppression in our society. After living with such oppression any person would be more inclined to act out, especially when surrounded by images of your counterparts imprisoned, dealing drugs, rapping, or playing basketball.

I am aware that this has all been said. These stereotypes are not news to anyone, especially not to people of color who live with them every day. But I think what has potential to be new is a real, open discussion about these issues between people of all races. Have there been any discussions in popular media outlets contrasting the actions of the victims in Japan with those in New Orleans? (Please post links to anything relevant!) While there is stigma around comparing tragedies for obvious reasons an open discussion could help to dissipate the detrimental stereotypical conclusions that people are drawing on their own.

Was there more crime in New Orleans after Katrina than in Japan after the earthquake? If so, why? I would be more inclined to think that it has much more to do with culture than race and most likely social status played a role too. What about the feeling of being abandoned by your own government? I’m sure that also angered people into criminal action after Katrina. But the point is that these ‘jokes’ are being spread around white communities fueling the fire of bigotry while the actual issues at the heart of this ‘joke’ are left ignored.