. '1
.�"""""'.JI ... AnON,
denial of civil
ri IS or ou�i&bt
Ie among the 1DUIJ
forms whie racism mil t
• Tbc of racism are to
. abe elabontio of
During the civil rights and
BI ct Po er era, periodically
the idea of "Black Raci m"
would be surface a means of
iU ntin t Black peop ,
can also be guil Iy of prejudice,
halRd and racially motiv d
violeDCC.
Ironically, the idea of BI k
rac· m re urf ced witb a
vengeeee in the present dim ie
of overt raci m and racial
violence directed t African
America . Public official,
iDedia and even ome Black
leaclers bave pointed to
"reverse ,aci m" and Blac
ncism as. contributing to the
current climate to racial
tension. Thi i an alarming
develepment,
In my jUdgement tbe idea of
Black racism i inaccur ate,
diversionary and dangerous. It
i anotber case of people
blaming the victim. Black
racism i almo t contridiction
in terms within the context of
American ociety. It i vitally
important tbat African
Ameri os be very clear about
tbe definiti n and nature of
racism in order to avoid falling
c
culture nd development.
o we come to the critical
variable in UDders�nding tbe
real meaning and nature of
raci m.
European theories on race
served a the basis for tbe
evolution of customs aDd tbe
enactment of la hich
in titutionalized the
oppres ion and SUPPfC ion of
Africans. That is to y ide
about racial superiority ere
translated into practice. These
idea ere translated into
practice bee u e European
Uae POWER to impose or
tra late l bout race into
tom aDd la . •
RACIS IS NOT merely a
feeling of prejudice or batred
for a people based on in
color. Racism i tbe power to
translate theerie ,ideas nd
feelings about r cial
uperiori ty and inferiori ty into
poticie ,la and custom
which sy tem tically suppress
people. The c�ial ord here
POWER.
II ha been Europeans
( hicn include Americans)
not Africa hose culture d
institutio bav� been inf' 'ed'
HIGHER
EOUCATIO
the goal and· the mmy
foreip ho are study-
ill tbia COUDtJy?
• Will not the e student
rdUrD to their aad
give their popIe the bc:aefit of
their learDiDg? Did Dot
Nbumah retum to Ghana to
lead . people to inclqadeDce
·th the beDdit of I . be
qaired here in America and
el ere? Did N .
ADki of ena live the
of . • to the
i�r:l
Ut'l 1liiie. "14) 899-0650.
itb the dea of ac i a l
uperiority nd white racial
domination as an ccepted
norm. It is the idea of racial
uperiority and ·bite
domination within European
ocie ues and n tions not
African societies nd nations
which ba led to the y tematic
legal and c u tomary
oppre sion of people nd
nations based on skin color.
It ba been' itb,in tbe e of
European wbite world
domination that the po er of
. Europe and America has been
u ed dome tical y and
internationally to
systemalicaUy 0PP sand
exploit Black peG-pie and
people of color � Any talk bout
"BI c racism" i a diversion
from tb t bistory nd the e
facts.
Is it possible for Blac .
people to be prejudice? Of
course Blac people can be
prejudice. Ho ever there i
nothing within the African and
African Am rican culture and
v l ue sy tem hicb
predispose Black people to
bate or want to uppre i te , Th -, W e
peopl�. � . . I " , •• ',:.11
To reite te tbeori of r a - B ac
and racial ,uperiori ty did nol
emanate from Africa, but rom'
Europe. Can BI ck pcop be
r ci ts? Again th an wer i
ye . However. uming that
.. Black people wanted to
uppre white people, by nd
large, Black people lac the
POWER to do o.
a
HERE
AMERICA e x e r c i c a
mode t measure of po _r in
the electroal rena, that p wer
is till con trained b� an
overall sy tern of hite cist
domin tion. With thi i ited
po er, however, I m not
a are of any Blac ele ted
. official bo ought 0 a
a la or I that w uld
ystematica ly di criminate
agai t, egregate or u pre ,
oppre or exploi t hi te
people.
Blac raci m is a m tho In
America it is non-exi tent.
What ome peo Je
mistakenly term Blac � c m
i the r ndom cts of BI ck
frustrations, an er and re c . on
to past and present pa tern ,
policjes and' Cl of raci m
inflicted upon Ahioan
American by a white raci t
society.
While random act of
anti- hite bebavior m y be
mi guided and bould be
di couraged a inappropriate
and in:elavant to the cause of
Black
.1
cu t
WHITE
NTI-
violenc ,random or otbC
carrie the implied sanctio
a w hi te racist culture a
occurs wi thin the COD xt of
custom and practice of
violence ithin thi society.
Any attempt to make a,
mythjcal concept called Blac
r cism" a p rt of tbe p bl .
imply clo tbe fuodcmental
reality of,America a a
di ca ed SOCiety hicb till
victimize Blac people and
other people of color 0 the
ba i of their color.
Black raci m is a mytb.
White raci m i a painful
realitv.
In .
HI to�
JULY I, I 63·11'5
Twenty-three BI men t i
t u.s. Congre . 1
Somali decl red i pendence .
1889 - Frederic Doug.
named min' r to Haiti.
JULY 1, 1832 - The Ie
"Underground R ilroad" came
into use. I - ThIUrRooa
M r hall, fir t Blac
Supreme Court Ju nee,
born.
JULY J, I - Bessie
Smith, great blues" inger
"di ov red" (by Ma Rainey)
when he w 13 years old. 1
- W de McCree, Jr., (;
U.S. Solicitor Genera) ....... _ "",. ...
JULY �
INDENDE DENCE DAY.
I Jl ---: Tho "f;" W r,
jazz musician, toured Europe.
1 - Lou' Armstron jazz
trumpeter, w born.
JULY 5, 1
Goldberg w nornj for
Oscar for her role in "The Color
Purple." 1975 - Arth
Jr. won the men' Wim
ingl champio hip.
JULY 6, 1 JJ - Briti
pr vided for emancip lion 0
lav in We Irxf . 1
Mal wi declared indepe"oce.
1971 - Loui Armstro
trumpeter, died.
JULY 7, 1971 - Dr. Leon
Sullivan w w rded AACP
Sping fm Med I. 1921 -.
Ezzard Clarle . boxer. w born.