No. 10 - The Racism Lie

This just in from the reputable online encyclopedia Wikipedia:

Humans often categorize themselves in terms of race or ethnicity, although the validity of human races as true biological categories is questionable.[55] Human racial categories are based on both ancestry and visible traits, especially skin color and facial features…

Currently available genetic and archaeological evidence is generally interpreted as supportive of a recent single origin of modern humans in East Africa.

Okay, then… the notion of multiple races of humans is believed to have no scientific basis. Now that’s a very provocative statement to make. In reading this I found it challenged much of what I had been exposed to while at the same time it answered a critical question that was bugging me. This notion of Racism: what is that all about? Like always, I wanted to see things a bit more clearly so off to investigate I went. This issue is one that has the potential of making a lot of people raise their eyebrow, wondering where this conversation will go. We shall see…

I understand the word racism, as it is used in our society, the way it is defined in Websters: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

Now, in considering this definition I was put in a quandary. How can it be that we use this word so freely, so frequently, yet its’ very use is a contradiction of reality? What’s really going on?

I know this is a touchy one but we can get through the discussion with a little objectivity. We all have the capacity to determine our own reality by what we choose to allow into our minds, and by what we choose to believe. The value of contemplative thinking is it opens us up to alternative perspectives that, in many cases, adds to our sense of self and community awareness.

I always thought there was just one race, the human race, and that others would rather find reason to partition our human race. The notion of sub-races was contrived to complete the separation. Next thing you know someone coined the phrase racism and it has stuck with us since.

If it is known and proven that mankind originated in Africa from a single source then it’s safe to say everyone on the planet today comes from that source. The next rational conclusion one must make is an obvious one… we are all related. Okay then… why do we buy in to the notion of racial discrimination? Why do we buy in to the notion of racial anything? Do we think somehow along the way some other physical manifestation of our ancestors came into existence and therefore created another iteration of the human race?

I submit to you the very notion of a thing called racism is a lie. It is yet another mental fabrication that has been used to maintain a divided community, and to justify another groups inability to accept our universal human commonality.

What we have so fully accepted as racism (hereafter called “the r-word”) is, in actuality, something else. Call it Colorism, Culturism, Ethnic Segmentationism… call it the Colorschism or plainly the aggressors attempt to keep a strong people down. Let us create some other moniker to classify the r-word belief system that has been emplaced to justify mistreatment, and let us not allow ourselves to waste any more time or effort giving that word any power in our minds. Let us find a way to forget it completely so we can more clearly see what is happening around us and to us. Let us remove the fear and defeatism we have adopted, and that has kept us from moving our agenda forward by not allowing our minds to be harnessed by another mans’ attempt to reclassify us.

It is my belief that words are the key to capturing the perspectives of, controlling the efforts of, and dictating the actions of those who are held captive. Words are used to formulate and articulate the very laws that protect and sustain our society. They are used to create pictures in our minds that are based upon prior experiences or traditions handed down from previous generations. These pictures act upon our emotions and these emotions dictate the way we respond to a situation. Words are power.

What we allow in our minds and what we speak from our lips work hand-in-hand to represent our will. Our journey back to our collective greatness requires that we are able to look inwardly and outwardly with clarity to fully understand the role we each play in achieving the mission. As long as we allow ourselves to embrace this “r-word” concept (that has historically retired our will to fight, and provided excuses for our non-action), we give the myth - the grossly mis-identified r-word myth – power to keep us caged. Instead, we should become more daring and clear in our regard for what’s really going on so that we can make decisions that support our goals. Not only will we begin to understand how much of our needs we can meet within our own community, we will also come to appreciate a greater understanding of the word TRUTH.

This, I believe, is the only approach we should adopt when and while considering the path to restoring our greatness in all communities.