Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending September 2, 2016
A view from New York
7
\ Changing
The
Language
On
WITH MICHAEL DEREK ROBERTS robertsconsulting@gmx.cotn * <347) 279-6668 Racism
And
Segregation
America: Still Separate and Unequal - Persistent Ugliness And A False Narrative Hides The Modern Version of Racism White cops killing Black men; segregated public schools; endemic and systemic Black poverty and a national narrative that would have us believe that America has entered into a new idyllic era of
3
"color blindness." Obfuscated and masked by layers of 4
hypocrisy, carefully crafted pseudo-science, and a willing cabal of "experts" on race relations, it is admittedly, exceedingly hard these days to see the ugly under-belly of
y,
pervasive American racism and bigotry. For despite our
i?'
best intentions racism is alive and well in America today as evidenced by the nasty, hateful public dialogue and dangerous rhetoric on the United States presidential campaign trail. And too, as a consequence of the oppressive social climate it's now become an uncomfortable thing for progressive Blacks to speak about racism, segregation and bigotry since we're supposed to have crossed that hurdle, especially with the election of America's first Black President, Barack Obama. Shrewdly, these modern day custodians of American 21 st century racism, who have re-packaged its old, cruder and vicious versions, now come bearing gifts and posing as friends of Black and Brown peoples. This helps to make Black people and some leaders feel guilty about unpacking and exposing the ugliness of American racism that is still here with us today — old, enduring, dangerous and immortal like Count Dracula tindead, non-living, but very much alive. Here's how the new, modern racism goes. Nationally, America's political leaders, Black and white. Democrats and Republicans, applaud the nation for having moved beyond the stigma of racism. That's the opening gambit of "a safe public narrative." They point to a few Blacks, including President Barack Obama, as "proof positive" that the old days and heyday of the racist white bogeyman has ended. For good measure they also throw in a few successful Hispanics to drive home the notion of color blindness. But here's the trick. The national conversation about the end of racism and the era of color blindness is exclusively driven, created and centered on a few success stories that are posited and spun in the white media as the norm, rather than the exception. These success narratives are specially designed to be told over and over again to hoodwink a community not noted for its critical thinking skills. Its "tokenism" in a modem business suit, made up to look "positive" and sold to Black, Brown and minority communities as the new beacon of "our success" that should be emulated and celebrated. Cable television programs specifically targeted to Black and Brown audiences cxthol the success and achievements of Hollywood "stars," their jet-set, affluent lifestyles and the new Black members of the noveau rich and their millions of dollars earned from rap music or some other venture far away from the ghettoized neighborhoods of East New York,
Brownsville or Sunset Park. And with every new retelling and rehashing these "success stories" are embroidered a bit more to suit the audience and the time. The result is that Blacks and Hispanics soon forget the other real stories of crippling and stultifying poverty, chronic inner city drug addiction, hopelessness, sub-standard education and healthcare that are all deliberately designed and furthered to "keep Black people in their place" and to enforce and entrench the rule of the white few. From food deserts to vermin-infested housing projects, crime as the new "equal opportunity employer" these crushing socio-economic problems prevent Black and Brown communities from realizing their full growth potential. But don't worry there's always TMZ, "Dancing with the Stars," or some version of "American Idol" to dull the senses of Black and Brown people who wallow in pride at seeing "one of us" on these almost all-white programs. The sublime message is this; don't worry about your plight, look. Gee, see? One of you "made it" and so can you? Its carefully designed and packaged mass escapism marketed as "hope" to people without hope, a kind of fairy godmother approach to the daily challenges of the poor barely making it just to survive. It is in essence cruel and inhumane treatment of Black and Brown peoples. For every story of Black and Latino success there are 1000 more of failed hopes, unmet needs, and decaying neighborhoods. These are the real stories that are never told because they are not supposed to be relevant today. No, we must not speak and give voice to the conditions of an entire generation of children bom in urban ghettos whose fathers and uncles are in jail - victims of the twotiered system of American justice - one white and privileged, the other Black, Hispanic and racist. No, we must not speak about the fact that neighborhoods made dangerous by drugs, high unemployment, and lack of opportunities conspire to keep decent teachers from Black community schools and high-end grocery stores out of the area. In the face of all this. Black youth are told that if they stay in school, study hard
and apply themselves they will get ahead, as if the "get ahead" playing field was fair and level. And when Black and Hispanic youths fail they are told that they did not fight hard enough to resist the strong pull of the ghetto and did not apply themselves sufficiently. This kind of condescending approach by both Black and white liberals about whose fault it is that Blacks and Hispanics can't ditch poverty is based on the flawed neo-lib-
eral conclusion that poverty is about individual choice, desire, a lack of intelligence, and not having the coping skills that other races (read white) have. Fact is poverty is man made. It is a consequence of stratified society, artificially enforced and reinforced divisions, and exploitative economic relations. It is also (continued on page 25)
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