October, 1991 The Broncos' Voke Page 9
The Origins of Racism
Where did Racism come from?
Why is it still here today?
People of very different races and
cultures have been asking themselves
these kinds of questions for centuries.
Racism has probably been around for as
long as there has been a different race
or species of semi-humans on this planet
to compete with , and it will be here
long after this current generation of
homo-sapiens have met their life span.
However, that does not mean that
people, no matter their pigmentation,
should continue to allow racism to grow
and flourish like a cancerous growth.
Racism may have started
around 36,000 years ago. This is quite
possible. For one, prominent and well-
respected anthropologists and
archaeologists have recently determined
that the Neanderthal version of homo-
sapiens co-existed with the newer,
improved Cro-Magnon. There must have
been great friction between the
Neanderthal and the Cro-Magnon, as the
latter began to see themselves as
superior to the now obsolete former.
Hate and loathing could have come
next, leading up to actual physical
clashes that may have hastened the
departure of the Neanderthal from the
face of the planet A scenario like that is
probably how racism first came to rear
its ugly head and show its nasty effects.
Possible yes, but this argument is still
pure conjecture.
Conversely, the next outbreak
of racism can be substantiated. As the
medieval period came to a close,
Western man (Europeans) had been
through the black death of the biological
plague, the blackness of the devil that
was the plague within the spirit, and
other crises that actually primed them
for regarding blackness with awe,
horror, and loathing. As a result of this
conditioning, when Western man comes
upon Africans they are viewed with
irrational intensity, as appropriate
subjects for less-than-human treatment.
Thus, Africans were lead into slavery,
an offshoot of racism.
Additionally, racism became
associated with the thriving cultural
revolution and tremendous challenges
that emerged as pioneers began their
exploitation of the "New World". As the
book White Racism: A Psvchohistory ,
by Joel Korel, explained, "The
wilderness that stimulated Americans
Timothy Jessie
into their expansion was also an
ambivalent symbol of darkness — a
darkness which combined with the color
of enslaved skin to stimulate the
particular American response to
blackness. And it was a response that
swept the history of racism- indeed
much else in American history- along
with it. Here we have the nuclear
creation: the radical dehumanization -
the ’thingification,’ with all the
excremental implications it involves- of
black people." And so, Africans (not yet
African Americans) were turned into
property and this gave the Caucasian an
almost mystical stranglehold on the
African and created a foundation built
by property. This dangerous way of
thought became ingrained indelibly and
increasingly in American history.
Furthermore, as recently as
1964, at the beginning of the Civil
Rights Movement, racism has been
identified as a large problem. A Ms.
Mary Ellen Goodman conducted an
experiment using a sample of
104 small children, both African
American and Caucasian; it revealed the
uniform fantasy that a), African
Americans differed from whites in being
dirty and that b), this implied a sense of
basic inferiority. These beliefs were
ingrained dtuing the impressionable
years of childhood and had become
cemented by the age of four. These
beliefs result in a very low self-image
for the African American and a growing
nucleus of superiority for the Caucasian.
Finally, no matter what race
one may happen to be, you must realize
that racism must end. Through tests and
studies, it is clear that children notice
the color difference after playing with
children of another race. When this
occurs, it is the duty of the parent to
explain that race is simply people being
shaded differently and that all people are
the same where it counts, underneath.
If parents did this, we could close the
book on racism and leave it forever to
sit on a shelf and collect dust.
- Timothy Jessie
Educational Racism In Contemporary America
Dr. LLoyd V. Hackley
The classical definition of racism has
two impc»tant components: attitude and
behavior. The attitude derives from the
behef that one’s own race is inherently
superior to other races as determined by
genetic, social or cultural considerations,
or all three. As behavior, racism is the
pacing of artificial obstacles between the
"inferior" race and valued objectives. In
the case of education, we have a double
value of the highest order. Education is
an end in itself; and it is a means to a
better life throu^ material gains.
The classical definition of
racism in education, with both its
components, attitude and behavior, is
best illustrated by George Wallace’s
stand in the univ^sity door to block
access by Black students. The question,
however, in the context of today’s
situation, is whether classical racism in
any way helps to explain the problems
Black students are now having in higher
education.
There is an intense debate
going on right now with respect to Civil
Rights, the duration and outcome of
which will have significant, fundamental
and far-reaching consequences for Black
Americans. The crux of the issue is over
the means considered to be most
effective in closing the glaring gaps
which remain between Black America
and white America in most aspects of
the American socio-economic spectrum.
Succinctly put, the question is what
strategies ought we employ in dealing
with obstacles to progress which exist
for Black Americans, in view of today’s
social, economic and political milieu?
Again, to put the question in terms of
education, are the efforts that were used
to remove the governor from the school-
house door relevant to an integrated
educational environment?
Numerous educational agencies
have stated recently that the education
gaps between minorities and white
students are pervasive, persistent and
increasing. The Education Commission
of the States stated that the number of
minority students participating and
succeeding in higher education is
declining; the only question is whether
it has already become a crisis or soon
will be one. It is critical, therefore, for
those of us who claim to be intent upon
reversing the decline taking place in
Black participation in higher education
to be clear about our objectives.
Two major concepts must be
kept in mind when we talk about and
hopefully think about educational reform
and excellence in contemporary
America, since testing has become an
increasingly important component of
educational reforms and since testing
remains a requirement for employment
in many private and governmental
enterprises. The first is cultural bias and
the second is educational deprivation.
I do believe that there remains
cultural bias in most standardized tests,
and those who are trained to deal with
such matters should continue their
efforts to remove such bias. Also,
experts ought to redouble their efforts in
scrutinizing the manner in which tests
are used in placing and advancing
students. I urge the most extreme
caution, however, against eliminating
tests for fear that we will very likely
end up protecting those who are
depriving students of quality education.
Tests do, in fact, reveal educational
disparities or deprivation.
For example, poor performance
on standardized examinations by Black
students has long been blamed on racist
graders and culturally biased tests. I will
admit that there may be some validity in
the assertion. However, admission to
college and success in college are both
dependant on whether one has been
enrolled in college preparatory courses
in high school. Similarly, scores on
academic achievement examinations,
such as the SAT, are conditioned by
core course enrollments.
Numerous studies show wide
gaps in Black enrollments in grade-level
core courses as compared with while
students throughout the kindergarten
through twelfth-grade spectrum,
especially in mathematics and science
courses. Efforts that were successful in
eliminating physical obstacles to equal
access, will not be equally effective in
maximizing educational outcomes in our
new exlucational environment
In a segregated environment,
racism denotes in the main, acts of
commission, wherein actions are taken
to prevent physical access to places
where quality education is imparted. In
an integrated environment, acts of
omission are the norm, whereby
knowledge and skills are withheld so
that those so cheated are not able to
succeed in subsequent educational levels
or in life. For example, even in
elementary schools where placement in
levels of academic rigw is less
predicated on prior achievement,
nevertheless, the higher the percentage
of minority students in a school, the
Hackley continued on p. 18