In our modern society, we've gotten into the deeply set habit of being accustomed to a definition of racism. For example, an online dictionary has one definition that states racism is "hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.” Elizabeth Martinez mentions how "the U.S. harbors an exclusively white-on-Black concept of racism.” The question we must now ask ourselves is, is this view really relevant?
Recently brought to public attention on the The O'Reilly Factor was the story of Elizabeth Kandrac's lawsuit of Brentwood Middle School, a small Charleston County, South Carolina school with a population of about 472 students. Ms. Kandrac, who is herself Caucasian, had sued the school because of racial incidents that occurred when she started teaching there.
She was racially slurred, attacked, and cursed at by African-American students. When she had brought these complaints to the principal, also an African American, the response was appalling. "I was subjected to all kinds of cursing - things were thrown at me, including desks and books. I reported it, but my principal said this is their culture, this is how they are, and if you don't like cursing this isn't the school for you," Ms. Kandrac reported.
In my mind, that is the most absurd statement that anyone could make, and in this case, absolute ignorance of the general American view of racism.
This statement opens a wide area of discussion, but I only want to address the situation's faulty points. The classic idea of American racism goes back to African-American enslavement and racial differences. In this day and age, we should have completely set aside these "differences" and integrated into an equal society. But, as long as mankind exists, this can never be. The problem is that this is a total turning of the wheel: This is white harassment by African Americans.
In making that ludicrous remark, the principal was dismissing the racism shown by African-American students towards their Caucasian teacher as "part of their culture." That is not a part of anyone's culture. The problem in this modern era is that we have lost all sense of civility in the United States.
Article comments
1 - Marc
I think there's a fundamental mistake being made here. Culture can be defined as 'the attitudes and behavior that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization'. By that definition, racism can be and is part of a culture.
Any value that's taught within a culture can be reasonably said to be a part of that culture, even such a value as racism. This isn't specific to any one culture -- racism is held as a cultural value to a subset of white cultures, as it is to a subset of black cultures.
This doesn't mean it's acceptable, or a valid excuse. Cultures do, can and should change.
2 - Byrdeye
"I was subjected to all kinds of cursing - things were thrown at me, including desks and books. I reported it, but my principal said this is their culture, this is how they are, and if you don't like cursing this isn't the school for you,"
Maybe racism is the least of their problems here, lol.
And maybe this "school" should be re-designated a zoo and charge for admission?