Response to Question F

            The article “Defining Racism : Can We Talk?”, written by Beverly Daniel Tatum, was an enjoyable read.  I found her arguments and theories quite interesting, and many of them I strongly agree with.  Tatum discusses the impact of racism, how it is a system of advantages, how it affects whites, and the overall cost of it all.   What many people fail to realize is that although it is stated that “all men are created equally”, there is still a great deal of segregation in our society.  We must stop avoiding and denying the problem, and begin ending the cycle of racism.  Even from a young age different school systems, parents, and fellow classmates teach misinformation about “other” people.  It is hard to change a belief that has been engrained in someone’s minds from a very young age, but it is possible.  I agree with Tatum that everyone should stop categorizing fellow people, and I think we should look at each other as simply co-existing citizens.

            One example of Tatum’s that I really liked was when she related racism to a moving walkway in an airport (p. 68).  She explained that someone who is openly actively racist is someone who is walking quickly on the moving walkway.  Someone who is a passive racist is standing still, yet moving along on the walkway.  No direct effort is being made, however, they still are moving in the same direction as the actively walking people.  At the end of the walkway all involved essentially end up in the same spot.  Unless the person is forcefully, and actively walking in the opposite way of the walkway, they will eventually get carried along with it in the direction of the white supremacists.  I loved this example; it represents the idea that challenging racism is a tough job.  It takes time, courage and determination to go against it and unless someone is completely, undoubtedly, consciously willing to challenge this ideal than they will not succeed.  The first step is to admit there is a problem, and commit to making a change.  By being passive and not contributing towards or against racism does not make a person much better than someone who is actively contributing to racism. If enough people stand against a stereotype it will hopefully be eradicated over time.  However, as Tantum shows there is so much more than that first step to fight against this powerful injustice in communities.  It is easier to go along with the crowd, and even if you are trying to go against the majority, sometimes you still get carried off in the direction of them. 

            We can say that racism is unjust, unchallenged, and misinformation a million times over but that doesn’t change the fact that it exists.  We must be proactive, for “eradicating racism is in the best interest of everyone”.  I feel we should all follow Tatum’s idea that, “Each of us needs to look at our own behavior.  Am I perpetuating and reinforcing the negative messages so pervasive in our culture, or am I seeking to challenge them?”  (Tatum, 67)