Earlier today, I attended a lecture in which Dr. Charles Gallagher spoke about racism in the 21st century. First, let me just say that anyone who missed this lecture is truly at a loss. Dr. Gallagher was passionate and compelling and had several interesting things to say. To better summarize one of his points that personally spoke to me, let's look at a theoretical situation:
Monica lives in Chicago. She is a 15 year old girl, who is of African heritage. Her school is one of the most lacking schools in the area in regards to funding and performance. Monica's education is not serving her in the way that it should and two years later, at the age of 17, she decides to drop out and work full time. Five years down the line she finds herself in debt, terribly unhappy and frustrated.
The world would likely be quick to label Monica a "failure" AND blame her for this failure. Now a days, opportunities are seen as equal. This means that it is a person's own fault and no one else's if he or she should fail. But looking closer to Monica's situation, we can see that she faces obstacles out of her hands and despite the fact that we do not openly admit it, our system is not designed (or at least not enforced in a way) for her to succeed.
Dr. Gallagher ties such an idea with his concept of INCIDENTAL RACISM. In newer generations, obvious racism has taken a back seat and more subtle, at times unintentional, racism has taken its place. No longer is racism called by its name. Now it is factors other than race that are used to explain away issues revolving around race. For example, take Monica from the above situation. Today, society would argue that Monica did not academically succeed because she failed the education system and it failed her. However, minorities are often left with the only option of living in communities that are devalued and therefore, Monica's race puts her at a disadvantage.
Overall, Dr. Gallagher addressed racism as it relates to the youth, the economy, the presidential election, television, and our own lives. Through each topic, he captivated my interest and really made me question how I unintentionally contribute to racism and what I can do about it.
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Colleen,
I also attended Dr. Gallagher's lecture on racism and I agree with you. I think that all people, whether they want to or not, contribute to racism in some form. I had never realized that I could be contributing to racism, but the lecture opened my eyes to be aware of this fact. I plan to be aware of how people are treated and not label them based on ethnicity or race.
Michelle
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