On Tuesday, November 29, 2011, I had the privilege of hearing Dr.
Cornel West speak. He was the guest speaker at the Making Race Heard Summit
Kickoff event. This event was dedicated to enabling people of all colors to
finally be able to talk about race and have honest conversations and not sugar
coat race and racism. He presented many interesting points about the history of
racism, its present state, and even the Occupy Movement. It was very enjoyable
to hear him speak.
During his speech he said something that resonated with me. He
said, “… you’re talking about a history of white supremacy that has convinced
people of color that they’re less beautiful, less intelligent, and less human.
And they believed it”(The Michigan Daily, Wednesday, November 30, 2011). He
spoke of how throughout the history and in the media, people of color have been
told that they are inferior, either overtly (slavery) or covertly (television
media). He stated that the feeling of being unsafe, unprotected and hated for
who I am is a constant notion in the minorities’ mind. In my opinion this has
only lead minorities to begin to internalize this racism and oppression. Minorities have been told for centuries
that they are inferior, and therefore have no choice but to believe it. Many minorities have a hatred for themselves
that causes them to either hurt their brothers and sisters or disdain
everything about their own physical features.
Dr. West spoke of how Jim Crow never went anywhere and that we are
living in the era of Jim Crow Jr. He stated that America is still highly
segregated; the difference is that law does not regulate it today. Many aspects of our life are still
highly segregated. Many people only interact with those that look and act like
them. People feel that it is too hard to communicate with those outside their
circle. This, however, is human nature. Wanting to be with one’s own kind is
something everyone experiences. It is when we begin to say that this is why the
races should be separate that this becomes a problem. This only furthers one’s internalized racism and oppression
when people like them do not surround them. When there is a mixed group, both
people of color and non-color become awkward and do not necessarily know how to
interact with each other. This only enhances the awareness minorities have
about themselves. They begin to magnify their differences and begin to feel
inferior compared to the white members of the group. I believe that in order to
fix these issues for both white and non-white people, we must have integration
at an early age. We have to teach our children about the differences amongst
people and that everyone has characteristics that make them unique. Children
are very malleable and if we can teach them at an early age that racism and
prejudices are wrong, this will prevent many future issues. This will allow
whites the comfort ability to talk to people of color and give people of color
the ability to talk to whites and not feel as if their every move is being
watched and judged. A key component to reducing the internalized racism is to
desegregate our lives. This allows
minorities to know that they are being judged as an individual and not a member
of a group.
Dr. West also stated that to fix racism we must look internally at
our actions and behaviors. I would like to take this a step further. In order for minorities as a group to
get over their internalized racism and oppression they must look internally.
People of color have to affirm that they are beautiful, intelligent, and human,
because if they do not, who will? Minorities need to stop the hatred and down cutting of each
other, because if we learn to accept ourselves the world will begin to accept
us. If we can combat our internalized oppression with uniformity and
solidarity, maybe the world can accomplish more of its diversity goals.
I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. West’s speech. It opened my eyes to many ideas
about race that I had never considered before. The most profound thing he said
was that racism starts with ourselves, and we cannot change the world if we
have not changed ourselves. Changing ourselves involves a lot in general, but
if we can start to reaffirm our own beauty, intelligence, and humanity, and
raise our SELF-esteem the world will stop and take note.
-Brandie Smith
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