As an integrationist, multiculturalist, and white man married to a highly educated black woman and the father of two biracial children, I deplore racism in all its forms—systemic, overt, and covert, from any race or color. Racism must be condemned universally, regardless of its source.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared during World War II, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” I believe those succinct words apply to today’s academic world.
The teaching of sociology as it pertains to racism, in my opinion, is racist for its lack of courage, candor, truthfulness, and a woeful lack of academic correctness and transparency. I say this with the uppermost respect for educational institutions at all levels. I do not come to this view lightly.
I graduated from Chicago State University (CSU) with BA and MS degrees. At the time I attended CSU, it was over 95 percent black. In my personal library, I have more than four hundred books related to race and racial matters. I have lived in predominantly black residential areas at all economic levels, the last being the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, home of Barack Obama and the University of Chicago. Hyde Park is among the most integrated areas in America regarding economic and educational attainment by black professionals. It is also a bastion for interracial marriages and relationships, ranking at or near the top of integrated professional and high-income communities.
I point this out to make clear that I have, by choice, lived an integrated life in all its manifestations from my early childhood to my senior years.
I do not pretend to have a solution for this national plague known as racism. I do know that the policies, affirmative actions, race-specific institutions, corporate diversity quotas and goals, race-based politics, and other similar efforts would not, in the end, work. And I know they are heavily resented by the majority of the population.
The majority population feels it has been attacked, racially attacked, and it does not feel it is warranted and, indeed, most importantly, on a personal and individual level, not deserved.
Racism remains a contentious issue in our society. Charges of racism against white individuals are frequently highlighted in news coverage, while racism by black individuals often goes unimpeded, ignored, or even denied when overtly displayed in actions and words. It is crucial to condemn racism and racist acts by any group, including the majority population, and this condemnation rightly receives attention. However, there is a growing resentment towards the lack of similar condemnation of racism and racist behaviors among black individuals. This includes not only prominent figures like Louis Farrakhan but also casual racism that permeates media coverage, educational curricula on racism, and societal discourse, often focusing solely on white racism.
Our country’s educational systems increasingly reflect the influence of the black population and their demands. Academia quickly responds to race-specific platforms and demands, often without thorough consideration of their validity. Those who challenge these issues, particularly whites, often face severe consequences, including sanctions, ostracism, accusations of racism, demotions, or terminations.
Academia paints a stark and unabashed image of racism as something only perpetrated by whites, noticeably hesitating to address racism or racist behaviors exhibited by black individuals.
Often, the majority population is accused of white supremacy. It is, in my view, unwarranted and racial, if not racist, in its claim. Is it white supremacy or white domination? The white population is the majority and is the creator, developer, builder, and planner of the great majority of American ingenuity.
Our communication, education, health, law, manufacturing, transportation, military, and governing systems are white creations. Although the greatest experiment in governance was not created solely by whites—since Black Americans and others have contributed to every facet of American life—denying, downplaying, or diminishing the contributions of whites is ludicrous.
Slavery in the U.S. officially ended in 1865. No other country has done more to address the tragedy of slavery and racism. I often wonder how different our nation would be without the Civil War. What if the six hundred thousand white men who died, along with the thousands more wounded and maimed, had lived and procreated? While thirty-two thousand black soldiers also gave their lives, slavery could not have ended without the immense sacrifice of six hundred thousand white soldiers, including three hundred fifty thousand in the Union Army. The abolition of slavery and a movement towards a system where all could thrive ultimately aimed for equality of opportunity for blacks. This effort also benefits poor whites, who often lack advocates to change laws and create policies, programs, and scholarships specifically for them, as is done for minority populations.
If the ongoing condemnation of the white population persists, I am reasonably certain that race relations will continue to deteriorate. A successful dialogue about race requires not only addressing white racism but also acknowledging and confronting the prevalent racism within the black community. This issue must not be tolerated as it currently is. Black academia, corporate America, and local, state, and federal governing bodies must also address it.
Photo by Vladyslav — Adobe Stock — Asset ID#: 642151369
